Getty Images
Radio pros have their work cut out for them, according to data presented at this year's (all virtual) Country Radio Seminar.
Country Radio Seminar may have been experienced by attendees in the isolation of their own homes or offices — thanks, COVID-19 — but there were plenty of elephants crowding the room.
The pandemic, for one, reared its head in just about every panel discussion or showcase conversation during the convention, held Feb. 16-19. The issue of country's racial disparities — keyed by a series of national incidents since May and accelerated by Morgan Wallen's use of a racial slur in February — spurred one of the most discussed panels in the conference's history as Maren Morris and Luke Combs challenged country to improve its performance. And the increasing growth of digital tools and competitors arguably earned more attention from broadcasters than the actual sound transmitted across their AM and FM signals.