AI integration is now a decentralized approach at NRG Media
NRG Media Embraces AI for Enhanced Radio Production
NRG Media, a leading radio broadcaster, has significantly expanded its use of artificial intelligence (AI) in its operations, transforming the way it creates and delivers content. This evolution, from experimental adoption to widespread application, is evident in various radio tasks, including copy creation, show preparation, prospect list development, voice cloning, meeting transcription, data analysis, and idea generation.
One of the key beneficiaries of this AI revolution is Erica Dreyer, the director of integrated media for NRG Media. She finds consistent value in Fathom, a tool that records Zoom calls, summarizes key points, and allows searches across meetings by keyword. Fathom not only saves time but also ensures that nothing gets missed.
Mike Waters, a morning show host, utilizes AI for developing visuals and writing liners for his show. He also experiments with Parrot AI to bring in celebrity-style voices, with Morgan Freeman and Elton John gracing his show on Wednesdays.
Austin, a producer, uses AI voices to produce spots with more variety, more quickly, and more specifically. With AI and cloned voices, he can read a spot the way he wants it read or acted, upload it to the site, and change it to the voice he chooses.
Jeff Ulrich, an integrated media specialist, leverages AI tools for researching prospects, gathering insights quickly, and tailoring materials for client conversations. He uses Perplexity Pro and ChatGPT side by side for his work.
Across markets, more employees are using AI for a wider range of tasks. Sales teams are using AI to research prospects more efficiently and speed up the creation of visuals and sales materials. Production teams are using AI voice models to add variety to spec spots and commercials.
NRG Media's AI journey is not limited to radio copy creation and show prep. The broadcaster also uses AI for idea generation, voice cloning, meeting transcription, data analysis, and developing prospect lists. This comprehensive approach emphasizes AI as a supportive tool that enhances creativity and operational efficiency by delivering ideas with greater speed, variety, and clarity, rather than replacing human thinking.
The broadcaster's AI practice is embedded into daily workflows, as demonstrated by the use of tools like Fathom for meeting recaps and searchability, and Waymark's platform for creating video spec spots. AI Tori, a synthetic talent heard overnights on KFMW "Rock 108" in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is another example of NRG Media's AI integration. AI Tori, created with Futuri AudioAI, has since expanded to cover weekend mornings and overnights and has a sponsor.
In the competitive world of radio broadcasting, NRG Media's embrace of AI is setting a new standard. By leveraging AI technologies, the broadcaster is enhancing its creative output, operational efficiency, and overall competitive edge.
[1] Source: NRG Media's internal reports and press releases.
- In the studio, Mike Waters, a morning show host, employs AI technology to generate visuals and write liners for his show, also experimenting with AI voices to simulate celebrity voices like Morgan Freeman and Elton John.
- Austin, a producer, leverages AI voices to streamline the production of spots, enabling him to create more variety, efficiently, and specifically, changing the voices to the ones he chooses.
- Across various roles, NRG Media employees incorporate AI technology into their media workflows, with sales teams using AI for prospect research and speeding up the creation of visuals and sales materials, while production teams apply AI voice models for adding variety to spec spots and commercials.
