The Entrepreneurial Community Editorial: The “Death” of Radio is Greatly Exaggerated

Johnnie Aycock, the host of the Noon Show on Catfish 100.1 and the longtime former president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, is joining the Thread as a contributing columnist. His recurring column, the Entrepreneurial Community Editorial, will look at the people, institutions and ideas that shape this corner of the state.

Aycock led the Chamber for nearly three decades before retiring in 2011. His first column follows.

For years, we've been told radio is dying.

First it was television. Then satellite radio. Then streaming, podcasts, social media and seemingly endless digital choices. Yet radio remains—and perhaps the reason is simpler than we think.

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Radio has always been about people.

It's the voice behind the microphone who becomes familiar enough to feel like a friend. It's the producers, engineers, programmers, salespeople and countless others behind the scenes. Most importantly, it's the listener—driving to work, sitting at a kitchen table or tuning in because they want to know what's happening in their community.

Technology can deliver information. Radio can create a relationship.

When storms threaten, radio is there. When a family needs help, a community celebrates, tragedy strikes or an important conversation needs to happen, radio shows up. At its best, radio doesn't simply broadcast to a community. It becomes part of the community.

That may be radio's greatest lesson as the media world continues to change. Its future will certainly include new platforms, new technology and new ways of reaching audiences. But radio's greatest asset will remain remarkably old-fashioned:

People talking with people. Because radio isn't ultimately about transmitters, frequencies or even ratings. It's about connection. It's about trust. And, at its very best, it's about community.

The Entrepreneurial Community Editorial will appear weekly on the Tuscaloosa Thread. Aycock and his co-host Lisa Jones can be heard discussing community affairs with top-tier guests on the Noon Show, airing on Catfish 100.1 every weekday from 12 p.m. to 1.