Two completely unrelated stories caught my attention this week.  Here is a quote from each story:

Story #1: “Nature doesn’t like a vacuum.  If there is space to put a planet there, there will be a planet there.”  Astronomer Staphane Udry

Story #2: “As long as people are told they can’t access content and information, there will be a collective effort to access that data.  Some will obviously try harder than others, and that’s why there will be a need for tunneling services to get to that content.”  Michelle Warren of MW Research and Consulting

First of all…”tunneling”!  What a great term for consumers creating their own path to content they desire, even when it’s content not readily available to them.  

Planets, consumers and yes, radio listeners, follow the natural order of things.  Radio stations that choose to float downstream with the listener and their changing media usage habits will land in a bigger sea.  Stations that attempt to swim upstream will never see the sea.  (“Pissing in the wind” is more like it.)

Still have doubts that the natural order will dictate radio’s future?  Let’s turn to the big screen for the final word:

Henry Wu: “You’re implying that a group composed entirely of female animals will… breed?”

Dr. Ian Malcolm: “No, I’m simply saying that life, uh… finds a way.”
(From “Jurassic Park”)

Will radio, uh…find its way?  That depends on your station’s personal relationship with Mother Nature.  Personally, I’d suggest staying on her good side.