NPD Group Blog » Can Video Save the Radio Star?

Can Video Save the Radio Star?

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
By Russ Crupnick, Vice President, Senior Industry Analyst

I didn’t attend the Grammy Awards this year — the past few shows disappointed me, and diminishing ratings proved that many others felt similarly. It had gotten to the point where many music bloggers want to bury the awards and the show.

Sitting on my couch, sans tux, with the surround sound on, a wave of hope came over me. The show was pretty good. It had performances everyone could appreciate, regardless of age or musical tastes. I’ve seen Paul McCartney a bunch of times, but he never ceases to send a chill down my spine. It was nice watching my younger daughter sing along to “I Saw Her Standing There.”

Coldplay rocked, and although I don’t really understand the allure of Miley Cyrus or the Jonas Brothers, the kids certainly do. Justin Timberlake is a first-class performer, and Carrie Underwood’s guitarist belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Admittedly my kids wondered who the old dude that kept collecting trophies was: That’s “Mister Plant” to you, kid. And as long as Katy Perry keeps kissing people, I’ll keep watching. Best of all, the ratings soared across a wide demographic band, which proves the old industry adage that “content is king, but quality content is the kingdom.”

And then the proverbial light bulb clicked on:

Forget social networking and micro-marketing. Bring back the TV variety show but in an entirely new form; a souped-up American Idol that the entire family can enjoy. Use the latest technologies to ensure active viewer participation and create revenue streams. I wonder how much music Ed Sullivan, Andy Williams, Glen Campbell, or Sonny and Cher helped to promote and sell in the ‘60s and ‘70s. While videos on MTV may have killed a lot of radio stars in the ‘80s, they also sold a lot of music and launched many new careers.

The Smothers Brothers are still around, and so is Cher. Why not team them up with Justin, Akon, or Britney to reach the lucrative boomer and millennial audiences. The networks should love the idea. If nothing else production costs would be a fraction of those spent for an episode of “CSI” or “Desperate Housewives.” But while the variety format is a dinosaur, the updated show has got to be modern – and should leverage the Web, to boot. It should also include at-home voting, contests, texting, Twittering, purchase links to iTunes or AmazonMP3, surprise celebrity appearances, and merchandise and concert ticket sales. And the shows could reside forever on Hulu and You Tube. Upload the performances to the digital stores on the same day, in audio and music video format. Be sure to include the backstage video and “making of” scenes that consumers love, to create even more connection with the artists, and more revenue opportunities. Include emerging artists and “baby bands” with a Dick Clark “Rate The Record” contest where winners get to come back in later shows.

With artists turning to branding partnerships to replace waning CD sales, sell ads for the products the artists are pitching and give the labels a cut of the commercial revenue.

Above all it should be participatory “lean forward” programming that keeps them coming back.

Imagine one network having success; then another copies the format; then another. Soon CDs are back in stores, iPods once again fly off store shelves, and band T-shirts become de rigueur on casual Friday.

OK, that’s crazy talk but there’s one fundamental question . . .

. . . Would you watch it?

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