Speed=Buzz. Local=Innovation.

Radio used to be thought of as a fast-moving business. No more. It hardly gets above a trot. And I include satellite radio, despite its current buzz. You want fast? Apple and Google roll out new products every few weeks.

What "new" products does radio spring on us? Just a series of playlist remixes, louder talk hosts or gamier jocks.

How about something completely different? Like a local radio station that plays to the strengths of its market. For instance, here in Seattle we could do a health-talk station that would knock your Ace bandages off. San Diego could, too. Houston. Most large markets could. You just can't use radio guys as the talent.

Seattle still has a great music scene--if radio guys could forget about research and hit the clubs, radio could profit from it. Want a model? Check out KEXP.org or KING.org (on the classical side). We just need the sales people who could sell products rather than math.

Or, how about a radio station aimed at the civic-minded--a substantial cell in every city--with articulate local talkers entertainingly-but-responsibly conversing on the stuff that really affects local people. You could make local news every day, if you didn't worry about ratings and got out on the street to develop advertisers who really get what you're doing. Want a model? Listen to KUOW.org.

Or, for a lonely current example of innovative local radio thinking, tune in Web-techie-heavy San Francisco's KYOURadio.com--AM cripple transformed to Podcast Central, by Infinity, yet. I hope they're not waiting for ratings.

Of course, all my models are non-commercial except for KYOU (unintentional non-comm) and KING-FM, which is a foundation-owned hybrid--which is why it's still classical on 98.1 after forty-plus years and isn't playing the Best Mix of 1984-85. Of course, if you want a jolt, ask to see Arbitron's hidden numbers for the public radio station in your town. There's an audience there that could produce billing. In my town, last time I looked, the two major public FMs were pulling at least 3.0s or 4.0s.

Bill Figenshu says 80% of radio's revenue is now local. That's stunning. Unfortunately, most of that, in the major markets at least, is agency-controlled, thus Arbitron-controlled. If 80% of programming had to be local, and I don't mean records-n-jocks, what would radio be like? First, you'd have to sell direct, because Arbitron would short-change it. But, if you sold well you wouldn't need ratings. Clients would feel results. It's time for a back-to-fundamentals revolution. The corporate owner who gets this is going to have, at least, a crack at a future. Sorry, guys, HD Radio's already moot, and Arbitron and quarterly thinking have got to go. It's the programming, stupid.