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“Too many companies emulate the leader and try to be better, when they should avoid the leader and try to be better.”
 – Derrick Daye and Brad VanAuten, The Blake Project.

PR Through Internet Streaming Radio

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 Interview with David Wolf, Founder and CEO of Smallbiz America Network


Image 1David Wolf, founder and CEO of the Smallbiz America Network, talks about how he created it, and why he switched from tradtional radio to Internet streaming radio. David began his career in music and audio production, composing and producing soundtracks for advertising clients, TV, radio, and film. Talk radio - traditional and online - came later, and was a natural evolution of the work he had done in the recording industry.

When did you understand the potential for "broadcast" on the Internet?

"I had originally created Smallbiz America with an emphasis on distributing spoken word content on traditional radio channels. Those were my roots. My early efforts included a nationally syndicated series, and a long-form local radio talk show. It was challenging to place advertisers into these venues, in part, because it was difficult to truly measure the listening audience in a reliable way. When I switched the Smallbiz America Network to Internet radio, I had found my audience in a way that I felt would bring more measurable value to my own company, as well as my stakeholders."

What was your "ah ha" moment for creating the Smallbiz America Network?

"I decided to shift Smallbiz America to Internet streaming radio in early 2007, and have never looked back. The audience was instantly there, and measurable.Combined with on-demand podcasting and RSS distribution, I realized how powerful the potential would be."

What are the differences between a podcast and Internet streaming radio?

"Simply, streaming radio presents a continuous 'stream' of audio content programmed by the webcaster. The user experience is similar to traditional radio, except that it is delivered via the Internet rather than via radio waves. Podcasting presents content via an on-demand mechanism, where the user can select the content they want to listen to. Further, podcasts can be 'subscribed to,' where shows can be aggregated and updated automatically as new episodes are produced and released."

What is the future of Internet streaming radio, and how and when do you think that potential will be realized?

"I think the future of streaming radio may resemble systems similar to Pandora - where the user registers, creates an identity, and then can program their own playlists based on certain organizing principles - essentially controlling their listening experience in a number of ways. This is, of course, a more user-centric model than is currently available. I think that's where it's going. I also feel there needs to be a more strategic intersection between streaming radio, podcasting and social media. There's a real opportunity to socialize content here, and the winners will crack the code on how best to do that."



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