Risk Management: At a time when radio programmers largely play it safe, panelists at Thursday’s CRS panel “The Disruptors: What If You Took A Risk?” made a compelling case for stepping out of the box “If all radio is doing is magnifying streaming hits … you’re making yourself a dinosaur,” said KYGO/Denver Dir./Operations Brian Michel, adding, “Radio has, in many cases, given up that [music] leadership position.”

Cumulus VP/Country Travis Daily concurred that, “We shouldn’t give a fuck what Spotify is doing,” also speaking about the chances he’s taking with WKDF/Nashville, saying, “Our competitors play the same 15 songs in a town where thousands are written every day.”  iHeartMedia Strategic Advisor Gregg Swedberg noted that his company sometimes get a bad rap for not allowing its programmers to take risks, but said, “If you’re passionate about something, you can do it,” citing former WGAR/Cleveland PD Carletta Blake’s successful efforts on behalf of artist George Birge. “You have to have the balls, the vision and the commitment to explain it,” Swedberg said. “And it helps to be right.”