The better half.

I went to a presentation by a cable network executive once. It was years ago, when cable had just recently achieved fifty percent penetration of U.S. households. People were beginning to realize Ted Turner was right. This was one of the new cable programming channels that were starting to appear. The exec was pitching ahead of the curve, so to speak, like, this is gonna be big.

What she said still echoes in my brain:

"50 per cent? Well, if we're reaching half the population, you can be damn sure it's the right half."

Of course, she meant the half with money. You know, disposable income? The folks the ad agencies want most?

I just want you radio station guys to hear that same echo in your heads, while you're watching XM's and Sirius's subscriber numbers rise month by month, and all those new car radios getting installed that receive a hundred or so more "stations," most without commercials, and Internet radio use rising, and all kinds of media getting "radioed" into cell phones.

I'm not saying steel-tower radio is doomed. I wouldn't want to upset you with a negative word. I'm being positive, here. I'm saying: like television when dozens of new channels appeared on the scene and people paid to see them, you're going to have to change. I think a lot of you think you don't have to change. Too bad.