Stop Complaining, Start Creating: How Your Market Can Sound Big Again
RADIO SALES ARE DOWN NATIONWIDE.
No secret there. You can blame inflation, digital migration, or plain burnout — but the result is the same: too many AE’s staring at spreadsheets that used to look better.THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE.
Forecasts from MAGNA and BIA show audio ad spend dipping around 2–3% this year while digital local ad spend keeps climbing. Traditional media’s slice is shrinking, but here’s what most miss: radio still owns about two-thirds of ad-supported audio listening time. That’s not failure — that’s opportunity.WHAT WINNERS ARE DOING DIFFERENTLY.
Across the country, some radio sales teams are bucking the trend. They’re:
- Pairing broadcast + digital into smarter packages.
- Rethinking creative — emotional storytelling, catchy hooks, and production that pops.
- Leveraging AI tools to deliver big-market polish to small-market clients.
THE NEW EDGE: NETWORK-QUALITY CREATIVE WITHOUT NETWORK BUDGETS.
With tools like Suno and ElevenLabs, I can give any local advertiser that national sound — even if they’re a mom-and-pop shop in a town of 20,000.
Think custom jingles, voiceovers with real emotion, and fast spec demos that make AE’s shine in client meetings.“AI ISN’T AS GOOD AS THE REAL THING.”
Sometimes true — but that gap is closing fast. Studies show most listeners can’t reliably tell human-produced from AI-assisted audio. Even global brands like Coca-Cola are leaning into AI content.
So why wouldn’t small-market radio use every tool available to compete?MY OFFER TO STATIONS & SELLERS.
If your production department’s stretched thin, I’ll produce free spec spots or jingles for your hot prospects — no charge unless you sell it.
You win the account. I only get paid if you get results.
That’s a no-risk way to add energy, creativity, and polish to your pitches.DON’T WRING YOUR HANDS. USE EVERY TOOL.
We can either talk about why sales are down — or use every tool to bring them back up.
Sharper creative, smarter AI, and soon, non-traditional events (more on that in my next article) are how local radio wins again.
Ready to make your next campaign sound like a national brand?
👉 Get a free demo jingle or spec spot today.