The director of Radio Splendid, Guillermo García, analyzed the station's digital growth process and explained how they managed to reach 100,000 subscribers on YouTube, a goal he defined as an important stimulus for the entire radio team. In an exclusive talk with the Argentine News Agency, he spoke about the present state of the media, also detailed the strategies they applied to adapt to the platforms, and stated that today's challenge for radio is to conquer new audiences. García recounted that his connection to YouTube began several years ago, when he was working at another station that had difficulties in expanding its audience through traditional media: "I have been a student of YouTube for about eight years." According to his account, at that time they detected that many people had problems listening to the radio conventionally, so they decided to use the platform as a simple alternative for the public: "We found in YouTube an intelligent outlet for people to listen to the radio without having to download any application." The director explained that although they also evaluated other platforms like Twitch, YouTube ended up being the most effective option because it is already installed on almost all devices: "YouTube became the broadcast television of when you were a little girl." How was the channel's growth García pointed out that one of the key points to grow on the platform was to permanently study the changes in the algorithm. He recounted that this analysis is done week by week with the radio's digital team and that he even uses artificial intelligence tools to evaluate strategies and results. In addition, he explained that they use measurement systems that allow analyzing what content works best in short periods: "I monitor YouTube and I monitor Triton, which is an application that Alfa Media has to stream all networks in audio." Among the contents that generate the best response from the digital audience, the director highlighted some particular formats: "Football works very well, the editorials of Graña and the broadcasts of Boca." Likewise, for the interviewee, the future of the medium is to transform radio into a multi-platform content that can be listened to, but also seen. In this sense, he explained that today the consumption of radio is divided between different moments and devices: "When I am in the car I listen to it, but when I am at home I see it on YouTube." The director considers that the challenge is not to take audience away from other media, but to generate new content consumers: "Today you are not going to steal audience from anyone, today you have to create audience." He also noted that the younger public often approaches the programs through clips or cuts that circulate on networks: "People consume a clip and then maybe you catch them and they go to the program." On the other hand, he referred to the economic aspect of streaming and explained that although YouTube generates income, that source alone is not enough to sustain a media structure. According to him, even the channels with the most traffic in Argentina cannot sustain their costs only with what the platform pays. For this reason, he considered that the key lies in combining digital production with commercial strategies that allow capitalizing on the audience. Among the projects he imagines for the future of radio, García mentioned the idea of improving the sound experience of sports broadcasts: "I dream of listening to football with better quality and mixed as if it were a stereo record." The intention, he explained, is for listeners to enjoy the matches with a more immersive audio quality, especially when they listen to them from the car or personal devices: "For that fan who wants to listen to his favorite narrator, to be able to do it with a satisfying sound." When asked about the station's current programming, García assured that he is satisfied with the diversity of voices that make up the grid: "I like that many journalists have come and that we have been left with a very plural radio." Unlike other radio models that seek a single editorial line, the director prefers to bet on a diverse programming: "The radio manual says that you have to be of a single trend, but I like to have a little of everything." Although he recognizes that this process takes time, García believes that the station's digital growth demonstrates that the chosen path is the correct one: "It is the first of the historical AM stations in Argentina that is completely digitalizing." Finally, he concluded with an optimistic look at the future of radio in the digital ecosystem: "With a relatively short time, it will turn us into a medium of consumption interesting for many people."
