By Holland Cooke
Consultant
LAS VEGAS — No matter how well-planned the agenda, I’ve always found that the most valuable part of a convention is…convening, catching-up with old friends and making new ones. And being the first NAB Show in three years, this year’s event was OH-so-quotable.
“I know what transformational moments feel like, and now we’re in one…on the cusp of the best era for radio and for audio.”
Ex-AOL, ex-MTV executive Bob Pittman, now iHeart CEO
“‘R&D’ means “Rip-Off and Duplicate…”
Jeff Schmidt, teeing-up an-idea-rich “Small and Medium Markets Engage” session
“There is nothing quite like the connection that forms when a single voice beams into a kitchen or a car or into a set of earbuds. NPR taught us that something very unique happens when a listener and a voice lock in together.”
“All Things Considered” co-host Alisa Chang, as her program was inducted into The NAB Radio Hall of Fame.”
“I don’t want to hear something from far afield. I want to hear someone who’s talking about what’s happening in my town in my community where I live.”
FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel: “Your power is you’re not like everyone else. What makes you unique is that you’re local. And what’s even more extraordinary is that you’re trusted because of it. And that’s a rare thing in today’s #media environment.”
“Yes, the media landscape is rapidly evolving but broadcast programs remain important touchstones in our culture.”
NAB Hall of Fame inductee and NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt: “It’s important that none of us forgets where we came from, or who was there for us to help us succeed. None of us walked through that door of opportunity alone, our footprints were on the shoulders of others.”
“In a world that is increasingly beset by an assault on truth it is our responsibility to respond to this situation.”
Levar Burton, accepting the Library of American Broadcasting 2022 Insight Award. He calls broadcasting “the most powerful tool ever invented for achieving cultural societal change;” and urges that “Representation matters, y’all.”
“There is nothing more threatening to our Democracy than the failure to agree on fundamental truths.”
Audacy CEO David Field: “We must defend truth, and the facts are what they are, and not spin. It’s tougher on our news/talk stations. We need to keep an close eye that facts are not hijacked.”
“Now that the pandemic’s over…”
Overheard in various conversations at the NAB Show, as yet-another variant spreads.
“Definition of ‘Entrepreneur:’ Someone who jumps out of the window and on the way down figures out how to land.”
TV host, rapper, actor, and comedian Nick Cannon: “To just watch where media has gone even in just the last five to 10 years, is revolutionary. I’m just trying to keep up. I love trying to figure out what’s next. I always have a lot of irons in the fire — but I never know which one’s gonna be the hottest.”
“I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve arthritis either, but this is better.”
Tearful former NAB president & CEO Gordon Smith, accepting the Distinguished Service Award: “There is still much yet to do.”
Holland Cooke is author of the E-book “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers books and “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download here. HC is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow him on Twitter @HollandCooke