My husband had surgery this past week and it dawned on me today his process is not so different from what is going on in the Broadcast industry. Now hear me out!
He started with a minor inconvenience gnawing at him every day. He knew he had a “broken part” but he was still able to function quite well despite the doctor telling him it wasn’t going to get better. The advice was surgery before it got worse. He chose not to of course. He knew it was broken but it was easier to live with the pain and also easier to put his head in the sand. Maybe it would get better on its own.
Soon the pain and body-dysfunction became increasingly worse there was no more running. He knew he had to face the knife. He also knew the pain of surgery would result in a big step backwards for awhile. Big step back would lead to a huge leap forward. As predicted, he had a rough go for a bit but I am happy to report his surgery went well and he is already better than he was prior to it.
The Broadcast Industry knows it is in need of surgery but unwilling to face the knife. It continues to ignore much of what is broken for fear the incisions will be too painful, the setbacks too expensive and the changes too risky. The steps necessary may feel like going backwards and they may very well be in the short run. Consumers have changed and many have left Broadcast in their wake but it is those very people the industry needs back and it is not impossible.
Here are some surgical procedures:
Go under the knife – nothing more to be said about that! OUCH! But you will be better in the long run.
Listen – pay attention to what is being said in Social Media. Never in our history is it easier to learn about the consumers than now. Dedicate resources to listening – CLO (Chief Listening Officers). The audience comes first. If you listen, really listen, they will tell you what they want. Don’t judge the consumer – they have all the power. Your “power days” are over.
Include the consumers in your decisions – not just focus groups of your current viewers/advertisers or those watching or working with your competitors. How about people who no longer watch TV or local news? How about advertisers who have never or no longer advertise on TV? The consumers ultimately control your recovery.
Diversify – literally eliminate walls and silos in your building. Good ideas come from everywhere. Put a couple of salespeople in the newsroom and a couple of reporters in sales. Put someone from accounting in sales (make it legal!), etc. I don’t mean for a day or two. I mean permanently! Exchange Managers for a month within your station groups. Get people from your corporate staff into your station for more than a day or two.
Develop a “Yes if” attitude – eliminate “No because”. This was Walt Disney’s philosophy and it worked pretty well for him! “‘I don’t care if you don’t like it,’ Walt said.’Tell me what we can do to make it better.”
Be flexible and nimble – every day, every newscast, every proposal doesn’t have to be the same. If there’s no real news other than the daily car crash, murder, etc. report on something else or ditch it. Or, let the audience be the news.
It’s time for surgery. Scalpel anyone?
