Wow, what an interesting week it has been since the announcement that AllAccess.com will close their doors on August 15th. Since last Friday, I sat in disbelief that this institution will cease to exist before the summer ends. How? Why? What does this mean?
As the days have passed, I tried to compare it to a similar life event that maybe you have encountered. It’s like we have all lost the place we loved to go to, where we loved to connect, and a place that we always thought would be there. Our radio family lost our radio family farm.
It’s July 14th and the sun is high in the sky, and we all show up to the farm. You grab a drink and head out to the backyard to see everyone.
The AllAccess directory is one of the best in the industry. Need to know the PD of WSHH in Pittsburgh? Well, that is Steve! Need to know the GM of KIIS, say hello to Kevin. The directory was the expansive backyard of the farm where you could connect and share common ground on a variety of industry subjects. Nothing else like this exists in the industry that I am aware of.
As the small talk ends and you yearn for a little more substance, you wade into the main room where the AllAccess Summit occurs. Now you have Fred Jacob’s attention as he uses this time to make us all better by sharing amazing details about what our listeners think about us. You wander over to the fireplace and find chats with Ginny Morris or Bob Pittman and discover ways to understand more of the macro issues affecting our business. You hear discussions of multi-platform distribution opportunities, the proper use of new technology, and the economic factors helping or hindering our business.
Time to grab a refresh on your beverage so you head to the back deck. A young, vibrant new artist plays her new song and tells her story about the dream to be on the radio. You know many got their chance because of this event and you remark, “We will talk about when we saw her perform first.” Zendaya performed there. Her song "Replay" helped catapult her career.
Finally, you end up in the kitchen where all of this is concocted. Joel Denver and his team are there. They are the architects of this amazing environment. Joel’s personality fills the room. You feel welcome, wanted, and above all else, included.
This is our family farm. For the past 28 years they have cared for this place, always improving. And soon, this is the last we will see of it. It breaks all our hearts.
As much as it hurts, we have so many good memories. Think about the jobs people gained because of this place. Think about the promotions gained because of the education we all enjoyed. Finally, think about the human connection that Joel and his team fostered that we would not have had if it weren’t for this amazing place.
Yes, we are saying goodbye to the family farm, but the lessons it taught us will live much longer than the 28 years we had here.
Close the gate gently on the way out, it has been a special place for all of us and deserves that grace.
Contact info: Tim Bronsil: tim@ptpmarketing.com, 513.702.5072