NAB Announces Radio 2020 Initiative
Charlotte, NC - Sep 27, 2007 - NAB President and CEO David Rehr unveiled the plans for a marketing campaign to reposition radio for a vibrant and successful future. The campaign, dubbed the 'Radio 2020' initiative and unveiled during Rehr's keynote address at The NAB Radio Show in Charlotte, is the result of a cooperative effort between the NAB, the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) and the HD Digital Radio Alliance.

In preparing for the Radio 2020 initiative's launch, the groups oversaw a research project analyzing hundreds of reports, interviewing scores of radio stakeholders, fielding a dozen focus group sessions and conducting telephone research with more than 5,000 consumers. Results from the research showed that nearly all participants said they rely heavily on radio, Rehr noted, explaining that listeners value radio's accessibility, portability and diversity.

Radio 2020 goals include accessible technology, building for the future, and re-igniting consumers. The next phase of the campaign will include a marketing outreach through radio and print advertisements incorporating messaging from a national and local level. The groups are also assessing initiatives to foster new talent in the creative fields of radio advertising.

Two major aspects of this initiative include the goal of having a radio receiver included in every personal electronic consumer device, and an effort to improve radio programming in the future.