Harrisons Take a Shot at the Fermi Paradox with The ALIEN
TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison is a longtime advocate of talk radio and associated talk media expanding the scope of their spoken-word content to include a wider spectrum of popular subject matter. One such realm that has fascinated the iconic broadcasting figure since childhood is space exploration, and the search for extra-terrestrial life. According to Harrison, “One of the hottest non-partisan topics in social and digital media today is ‘The Fermi Paradox’ – a discussion that centers around a simple burning question, considering the extremely high odds of life existing throughout the universe, where is everybody?”
Harrison and his son, TALKERS associate publisher, media attorney, and digital content producer, Matthew B. Harrison –
whose online vignettes, commercials, and Gunhill Road music videos have attracted well over a million views on the internet – have teamed up to produce a 4:30 “digital film” titled, The ALIEN which tackles the Fermi Paradox from a perspective that is extremely contrary to popular science community sensibilities. Regarding that, Michael Harrison boldly proclaims, “Our message – delivered by an extremely advanced alien individual played by me – borders on blasphemy by YouTube standards. I hope I’m not banished from the galaxy.” To view The ALIEN in its entirety, please click here. To arrange an interview with Michael Harrison to discuss this far out topic, please email info@talkers.com or phone 413-565-5413.
AI can make someone else’s story sound like you. What have you added?
Unless you live in Hawaii or most of Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) or American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, we “Fall-back” to Standard Time at 2:00 am Sunday morning… when, suddenly, it’s 1:00 am again.
Ask broadcasting professionals what they need, and you’ll hear the same three answers: finding salespeople, keeping them, and growing revenue. The order varies, but the concerns are on repeat.
A Tokyo ruling has revisited a question that Bette Midler raised decades ago.
No, don’t stop selling them entirely. But you have lots more in your repertoire, including the shiny objects advertisers are now buying instead of commercials… and the trust that can drive attention to them.
The phone would ring; I recognized the number… call always started the same… in his best radio voice, “Doug Stephan…. Michael Horn”
Your competitor breaks a story. You can report the facts, but you cannot assume that running its article through AI makes the resulting script yours to use. A rewrite button is not a rights-clearance department.
The “Pareto Principle” is a rule-of-thumb that roughly 80% of revenue comes from about 20% of customers, in many industries. Including radio, where so-called “First Preference” or “P1” listeners – those who listen to your station most – contribute most of your Time Spent Listening.
The Wall Street Journal recently described what it calls, “The Trillion Dollar Race to Automate Our Entire Lives.” Artificial Intelligence is rapidly evolving from something that answers questions into something that does things – researching, writing, analyzing, organizing and creating. WSJ describes a coming world of personal AI concierges capable of everything from executive presentations to filling out March Madness brackets. For podcasters, there’s opportunity here. And a warning.
“Throughout its 36-year history of service to the talk radio and associated talk media industries, TALKERS has maintained a strict policy of non-partisanship in its coverage of the field and its players. However, the single ideological orthodoxy practiced by TALKERS through this period has been uncompromising support of the First Amendment – the prime principle and foundation upon which all American freedoms and values are built. Over the years, we have bestowed our prestigious Freedom of Speech Award upon a wide variety of broadcasters from all ends of the political spectrum, and we have gone to bat in support of hosts, stations and networks – popular and otherwise, Democrat and Republican, liberal and conservative – when under fire from presidents and other governmental forces determined to quell that fundamental right. For the sake of our industry and our country, we stand in protest of the current White House press ban imposed against our colleagues and strongly encourage all practitioners of American talk media, regardless of political persuasion, to unify in opposition to this egregious aggression against our fundamental right to fulfill our core duty and promise to the people of our nation.”
All this month, I am outlining revenue-producing strategies and tactics, proven by advertisers’ results (which pay us all). If you missed our first two installments, here are “
My father recently called my attention to something hiding in plain sight. He was watching YouTube and noticed ads for StreamYard, Riverside, Sprizzy and other companies selling tools and services to people who want to produce, distribute, or promote their own media. “They are advertising on consumer venues!” he told me. That was the part that caught his attention.
THANKS to all who offered feedback about my most recent column. 
WABC Radio brought together broadcasting legends, entertainers, civic leaders and political figures Friday night at Cipriani 42nd Street for its 9/11 & Freedom 250 Gala, commemorating 25 years since the September 11 attacks while also recognizing America’s 250th anniversary.
When in doubt, I recall smart quotes from people in our business who are successful, well paid, kind, and future oriented. I have always focused on what’s next rather than what’s been. These observations drive good results:
About those commercials… which pay for you. When a prospective client says, “We tried radio. It didn’t work,” I ask to hear the commercial. Within seconds I can tell why.
Bill Gates has a useful term for something radio should be thinking about: “Human Reserved.” In an essay about a turbulent AI era, he sketches an unsettling future, and – for broadcasters – has a consequential warning… and an opportunity.
“Rap” was senior vice president of rock promotion at Columbia Records where he served for 33-years during album rock’s golden era, playing a pivotal role in the careers of some of the biggest stars in the business. These included everyone from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd to the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello to Billy Joel, Judas Priest to Alice In Chains, Journey and many, many more.
ABC warned that the FCC’s scrutiny of “The View” could reach talk radio. Now the eight ABC-owned television station licensees have taken the agency to court. But the immediate lawsuit is not asking a judge to decide whether “The View” qualifies as news.