A&O: CMW, "WOW"

Those three sets of letters say it all: Canadian Music Week may be the best radio and music convention in the world, the only one we know of that rivals the Country Radio Seminar for great learning sessions and sharing. The organizers of CMW go to every media convention on the planet, it seems, and somehow arrange to have the very best presenters from all of them in one place in Toronto for a few says each Winter.

In the first Radio Super Session, delegates heard the mantra that has been often repeated concerning the new digital age: It's going to be all about the content. However, Newcap Broadcasting president and COO Mark Maheu says it's also about response. "

Microsoft's Skip Pizzi: "The good news for consumers is that all this competition is going to make terrestrial radio better. We've already seen a reduction in commercial loads and new formats are beginning to come out of the woodwork. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!"The good news for broadcasters is that you have a 2 billion receiver lead on all these
mediums. That lead is hard to catch. And people know how to use receivers. "Finally, you were licensed as a broadcaster, but it doesn't stop you from becoming a content player in other platforms. Broadcasters have a very powerful synergy of on-air and on-line and you have to start thinking of yourselves as offering two separate companies."

Zomba Group co-founder Ralph Simon, the visionary who introduced ringtones to the Western world and currently the chairman of Americas Group, Mobile Entertainment Forum, sees the role as an essential part of the future. "Mosicology is the way the new mobile lifestyle impacts everything you do, with various lifestyles marrying themselves to the medium of the mobile phone. As far as music is concerned, this is the most important medium in terms of the mobile world." Simon says we live in an age where the mobile phone is the lifeline for many consumers -- especially many young consumers -- who act on impulse. They want immediate access, one that wants to experience music OTA - over the air -- one that belongs to a community that will promptly share it with their friends. Simon notes it's a rapidly growing market that is now only beginning to penetrate North America.

Other session highlights:
• Talent will be radio’s future
• Content is King – and it will be delivered over lots of pipelines
• “Super short” commercials are the future
• TSL will drop slightly, but not cume
• Radio will become increasingly positioned as a reach medium
• Creative people will be a lot more valuable
• Broadband wireless is a threat
• Radio is "sub-optimizing" the internet (including their sites)

CMW online session recaps are a click away. A&O's Friday morning CMW presentation on Managing Your Personal Time and Your Brand's Promotional Focus handout is also available with a quick click.