Michael Harrison Interviews C. Crane CEO Jessica Crotty About the Future of the AM/FM Receiver and Radio-Oriented Devices
In its latest post (7/2), “Up Close Far Out” – a YouTube video series hosted by TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison – takes a deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of radio, examining the state of the radio device itself – the actual appliance – from the perspective of those on the front line of its development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution.
What is the state of the gizmos we call “radios” in the early decades of the digital era?
Is radio an obsolete technology on its last legs or is the device going through an exciting evolution in terms of its technology, content and broader societal purpose going forward into a brave new world?
What is the difference between “radio” and the broader term “audio?”
What impact does the prospect of ongoing tariff wars have upon the domestic radio manufacturing industry? And what exactly does it take to move back and develop a new product such as a modern radio in the USA?
Harrison’s guest, Jessica Crotty, is an important player in that industry. She is the CEO of a small, but highly influential, Northern California-based company – C. Crane – that for more than three decades has specialized in manufacturing, aggregating, distributing and marketing radios and radio-oriented devices for the platform’s most ardent fans.
The company’s focus on radio literally began as a “mom & pop” operation by draftsman, designer and electronics engineer Bob Crane, his wife Sue, and Grandma Faye who ran the fledgling business at the kitchen table of their home north of the “Redwoods Curtain.”
Since selling their first AM antenna, C. Crane has grown into a nationally respected “boutique” electronics company. They have developed several outstanding radios to serve radio listeners who prefer information, talk radio and audio tuned for voice clarity. After several near 7.0 earthquakes, in 1992 they added radio and light products that would become essentials during an emergency event anywhere in the country.
Jessica Crotty launched her professional career with C. Crane almost three decades ago working her way through the ranks from customer service all the way up to being CEO and a company principal.
Crotty and Harrison engage in a candid, information-packed conversation exploring the evolving technical and cultural intersection between radio’s glorious past, underrated present, and potentially impactful, but somewhat ambiguous, future. If you are interested in radio as a broadcaster or a fan, you do not want to miss this interview.
marketers about perceived media effectiveness in which radio came in last place, behind all measured traditional and digital media types. According to Nielsen’s global ROI benchmarks, radio delivers the second highest return for advertisers, second only to social media. Nielsen’s ROI benchmarks show radio delivers higher returns for advertisers than all other other traditional media. While radio is perceived to be less effective than digital media, it delivers an ROI +30% higher than video and display, and +70% higher than search and CTV. 
KPIs and lower CPMs can be misleading, and a channel’s ability to claim conversion credit doesn’t necessarily translate to real value. This bias can lead to underinvestment in traditional channels, like radio, which, despite being perceived as less effective, can deliver substantial ROI.” The perceived effectiveness of radio by marketers puts it dead last in ROI. But a weighted average shows that radio is second only to social media in ROI. The study also found that “podcasts demonstrate strong ROI, comparable to TV and digital display, yet they are often overlooked or undervalued.” 
radio.” Nielsen says delineating between total listening (or viewing) and the ad supported universe is vital in today’s burgeoning media landscape where consumer choice grows by the day and marketers are looking at every available opportunity to cut through. In the first quarter of 2025, ad supported audio represented 64% of total listening. This is similar to TV, where 72% of total viewing was spent on ad supported platforms, in Q1 according to Nielsen’s recently launched Ad Supported Gauge report. Looking at ad-supported audio, consumers spent 66% of their daily listening time with radio, 19% with podcasts, 12% with streaming audio services and 3% with satellite radio. Radio accounts for anywhere from 47% of daily ad supported audio time among people 18-34 to 73% among 35+. Meanwhile, podcasts are the inverse, representing 15% of daily audio time for people 35 and older compared with 32% among those 18-34. 
hold the seat through the end of the year. However, he faces a June primary and, if successful, then a November general election to remain in office into 2026. Morano tells TALKERS, “We have another election in June, but I’m hoping to stay on the radio, whether it’s in my current time slot or another. I’m determined to stay on radio, even while doing the people’s work.”
hosting a one-hour show airing Saturdays from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Sterling spent 35 years as the voice of the Yankees prior to retiring last spring. Sterling says he is no stranger to sports talk radio having hosted a show on WMCA, New York during the 1970s. 
increasing 19.2% YoY to $62.1 billion, now accounting for 24% of total ad revenue, and that Podcast advertising revenues show a strong YoY growth of 26.4%, a significant acceleration from 5.5% last year. IAB adds, “This growth was fueled by shifting consumer media habits, with cord-cutting driving greater engagement with on-demand audio, and podcasts emerging as a key platform for political advertisers seeking to connect with voters ahead of the election.” Overall, digital audio – including podcasting – has continued to grow, earning $7.6 billion in revenue with an 8.5% YoY growth from FY23 which is a slowdown in growth compared to last year’s 18.9% rate. Podcasting however saw 
their business objectives through effective broadcast and digital advertising. The ideal candidate will possess excellent communication skills, have an enthusiastic and outgoing personality, along with a drive to succeed. Most importantly, we are looking for hard-working salespeople who want to have FUN at work, make money, and help local businesses grow.” 
Radio sells advertisers our listeners’ attention. For a hundred years, our inventory has largely been commercials. Now, as our wandering audience leads us to more revenue channels, are we hooked on spots?
During my tenure at NBC, once a month the division heads would meet at the behest of the CEO to report on their progress and trends in their sector. As the executive vice president of the FM division, I took a seat in that formidable group and tried to keep my remarks as brief as possible. What could I possibly say that would be more damn important than the words of the president of NBC News or the NBC Television network? In addition to NBC’s CEO, the CEO of owner RCA would often join the fun.
platforms that emphasize conversation and create a sense of connection. To win with this community who wields $2 trillion in buying power, brands must prioritize engagement strategies that center diverse Black experiences and cultural nuances.” The study notes that social media apps have become a haven for Black consumers – Black adults overall spend more time scrolling than their peers. Black millennials (between 18 and 34-years-old) spend the most time on social media among all adults by almost an hour per week. Black adults also have high engagement with radio and podcasts. Radio averages the same as TV in weekly reach with Black adults – each medium reaches 27 million Black adults on average. 
which is 19.6% of adults planning a new vehicle purchase. Among heavy radio listeners (those that listen more than 3 hours a day), that number jumps to 30%. That’s 53% stronger than the general market.” Forester says that podcasts are also a good genre for auto advertising. He says, “The multi-media analysis by The Media Audit revealed podcasts captured the interest of 30.1% of adults 18+ planning to buy a new vehicle in the next 12 months… 53% higher than the general market. Audio streaming does well at 22.7%… 16% higher than the general market” Forester concludes, “Automotive advertisers have a tremendous opportunity to leverage radio’s ability to connect with ready-to-buy consumers. Our data shows that radio not only drives awareness but also inspires action, making it an essential part of any automotive advertising strategy.”
that partner with Audacy’s own sports talk stations. Some of the key takeaways from this study include: 1) Sports fans are 4x more likely to trust brands that support their teams; 2) Listeners are 4x more likely to catch a brand’s message on sports radio than on TV; 3) 73% of fans spend more time following their favorite teams on sports audio than sports-related digital media; and 4) Brands that advertise on Audacy sports stations enjoy a 40% lift in usage. 
Wall Street investors do not put up money for traditional radio and television stations.
announcer last season, will continue as Bills Insider for the station, co-hosting “One Bills LIVE,” weekdays at 1:00 pm and simulcast on MSG Western New York. Audacy Buffalo SVP and market manager Tim Wenger says, “Chris is best suited to carry on the long tradition of informative, passionate and entertaining Bills play-by-play announcing. His decades-long knowledge of the organization will be invaluable as he assumes the play-by-play microphone.”
We – inside-the-box – live and breathe radio. Listeners have their hands full just living and breathing. Their day is time crunched and financially challenging, and we want to be its soundtrack.
43% of spoken word listening, and podcasts 36%. Keep in mind that for Edison’s purposes spoken word content includes news, sports talk and play-by-play, audiobooks, talk shows, and “personalities.” Edison states, “Podcasting’s share of spoken word will almost surely surpass that of AM/FM within a few more years. There is one more thing to note – the advantage for AM/FM is coming entirely from those age 65 and older. Among those ages 13-64, podcasting has already passed AM/FM listening by, 41% to 39%. Meanwhile, among the oldest Americans age 65+, AM/FM radio continues to dominate, with a 66%-13% advantage. Curiously, that 66%-13% difference among the oldest Americans is the exact same difference we recorded for all Americans 13+ in 2017.”
Got young local radio news talent? CONGRATULATIONS, for five reasons:
Almost everything I know about pricing strategy I learned from domestic airlines. Guess what? Airlines are at it again and I hope you are watching and learning.
reach. “Republicans listen to more AM/FM radio than other groups, with an index of 109 (or 9% more listening than average). The ad-supported spoken-word channels on SiriusXM are a particularly efficient place to find Republicans, with an index of 146. Meanwhile, podcasts stand out as the more efficient platform for reaching Democrats, indexing at 121. And what about those elusive Independents, who often tip an election? Both streaming music, and in particular music videos on YouTube, over-deliver for these potential voters, with indexes of 103 and 123 respectively.” Edison adds, “Regardless of the party that buyers are trying to reach with political ads, audio stands out as a superior pathway to reaching voters. Audio provides enormous audiences and often a far less cluttered political environment than other ad channels.”
What happened to us? Unless we move quickly, the radio business stands to lose the final frontier: in-car listening.