By Dr. Hoffman
In case you haven't noticed, radio is changing. Listeners to Health Talk, the longest-running physician-hosted health show on radio at 25 years, were dismayed when we went on hiatus at the end of 2013. A lot of familiar programs have been cut.
When you turn your radios on in 2014, a whole lot will have changed in Talk Radio, but one constant will remain--we'll be back Saturdays on WOR from 1-2 PM. Rechristened "Intelligent Medicine", we'll offer listeners not just one but the regular TWO hours of live weekend programming--the trick is you can listen live to hour one from noon to 1 PM ET via your computer or mobile device on this streaming link: http://radio.radioamerica.org:8000/crb.flv. Of course, we'll be there to field your health questions live, on the air, via our new call-in number 888-302-3684.
The 20th Century Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter popularized the term "creative destruction" to describe how innovation casts aside some institutions while giving birth to others. Well, creative destruction has hit the media in a big way, and the only way to respond is to adapt--or go the way of the dinosaurs.
That's why in 2013, I've been experimenting with new ways to get quality health information out to you. I felt it wasn't enough to just preserve our platform on the radio dial.
Additionally, we've created free weekday Intelligent Medicine podcasts (www.drhoffman.com/podcasts) that thousands have now discovered and are regularly accessing.
Imagine you're in your car, on a long trip or commute. You keep flipping from AM to FM, dismayed at the quality of the programs and the proliferation of dumb commercials and infomercials. Finally, you find a show that grabs your attention, only to find that you're driving out of listening range.
You could subscribe to satellite radio, but even there, the choices are limited, there's a costly subscription fee, and natural health information is virtually non-existent.
Well, welcome to the future. Cars are now equipped with Bluetooth or iPod docks that enable you to play content from your portable device through your car's speakers. And the game changer will now take place:
"General Motors will partner with AT&T to offer embedded 4G Internet access in "most" of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. and Canada starting next year, the maker announced during a mobile communications conference in Spain. http://t.nbcnews.com/business/most-2014-gm-cars-will-also-be-wi-fi-hotspot-1C8539395. And Apple and Google are betting big on wired technology for cars http://t.nbcnews.com/technology/how-google-apple-are-turning-your-car-giant-smartphone-2D11820932
All cars will soon have the ability to instantaneously and seamlessly access all the content you want on the Internet.
More and more, drivers and commuters on public transportation will be able to custom-select live and archived content rather than rely on a bland assortment of AM and FM radio stations.
Many Intelligent Medicine podcast listeners have told me how much they enjoy "beating the system" by listening to custom-content of special interest to them while working, working out, driving or commuting and not having to default to old-fashioned commercial media.
And then there's Facebook and Twitter and specialty sites like Pinterest. If browsed for hours in an undisciplined fashion, these can be a huge time-suck. But they can also be highly efficient vehicles for rapid-fire transmission of health information.
These days, instead of reading the paper, my days start with a quick scan of Facebook and Twitter. I can learn more in a few minutes of checking in with friends and followers than I used to in hours staining my fingers with old-fashioned newsprint.
In 2013 I've done a lot of sharing via Facebook and now with Twitter. If you haven't yet joined me, please consider signing up in 2014 and I promise to deliver timely health information to you that will keep you informed between broadcasts. And the cool part is that stories are shareable, so if you care deeply about something you can help the story go "viral".
The new communications hub for Intelligent Medicine will be the updated www.drhoffman.com web site, soon to launch in 2014. It'll have interactive features and loads of fresh content from yours truly and other health luminaries whose contributions I'll curate.
In 2014, we'll be harnessing the full potential of the Internet with short V-casts on topics of interest and even live and archived webinars that extend opportunities for participation in our great Hoffman Center lecture series.
And, of course, if you like what you're reading, don't forget to hit the "share" icon to relay this newsletter to like-minded friends and family!
Even if the pace of innovation seems overwhelming, try to embrace it. There's no point in becoming a 21st Century "Luddite"--you'll only be short-changing yourself, and denying yourself an opportunity to continue to learn and grow.
So here's to a little creative destruction in 2014--join us!
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