Do you have a need for news? Try the radio, too

In today's world, all of the media options can be overwhelming. A person with a smartphone can know what is going on anywhere at anytime.

As consumers of news, weather, sports, etc., we need to decide what is the best way to consume all of this information. How do we get exactly to what we want without getting overwhelmed?

I believe there are now three ways of receiving information: reading, watching and listening.

Newspapers are reinventing themselves. There will always be opportunities to read what is happening around you.

TV is generally a more stationary medium. Though, of course, now streaming TV on your smartphone has made it more mobile as you can take your device and watch whatever you want, wherever you need to go.

Radio also is a mobile medium that you can listen to while you are driving, exercising or, really, anywhere. What with podcasting, streaming, satellite and digital radio, you can now listen to what you want, where you want, anytime you want. The more options people have to hear the radio, the more radio has an opportunity to grab media market share.

Within all of the radio options, research shows a renaissance of local radio. It is very focused on the city where it is based. It can build true community engagement, both with local on-air talent and events.

The interesting thing to pay attention to is whether or not the radio industry will move to being entirely digital. Towers and transmitters are expensive and not efficient. The internet keeps getting faster and is more reliable. As new cars are built with ways to search for your favorite podcast or stream, it will be interesting to see where the industry goes.