Radio stations, in the past, have used more traditional means for advertisements in-between top 40 plays and other content devoted to their message. However, in the face of rising popularity with video advertising, it appears that the times, they are a-changing.

Inside Radio reports that more traditional radio stations are starting to accept the idea of utilizing digital video for advertising. Findings from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (or IAB for short) indicate that more than two-thirds of marketers and agency executives (68 percent, to be precise) will see their digital video ad budgets increase over the next 12 months.

The report also says that the same number of people indicate that their broadcast and cable TV budgets will either stay the same or shrink down as a result, indicating a “changing of the guard” when it comes to their approach in advertising. And it’s a method where advertisers can see where their dollars go, with proof that their products are being seen by a larger audience – and one that, hopefully, keeps growing.

That said, the IAB did state that most of those stations surveyed believe that bigger ad budgets will be what drives overall digital video ad growth, through a number of different categories. These include categories like automotive, packaged goods, financial services, retail and telecom.

These findings are based on data put together from talking with over 300 buy-side executives through Advertiser Perceptions.

Association of National Advertisers CEO Bob Liodice said that there are “technical challenges” to accepting the new advertising medium, and that the digital ad community has to find a way for marketers to pay for only what ends up being viewed.

“If an ad is not viewable, then the marketer should not bear the obligation to pay for it,” he said, speaking at the ANA Advertising Financial Management Conference in Phoenix this week. He also noted that doing this would put digital ad buying on a “comparable foundation” compared to other forms of media buying.

We’ll just have to see how radio stations will “tune in” to this new strategy, just to see how well it works.