Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Should we pay for radio?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Should we pay for radio?

    I just heard an advertisement on the radio, that sounded like a weather advisory (thought it was one of those geico commercials) but when the announcer was about to annouce the affected areas of the advisory, the radio cut off and demanded to be refilled to listen. LOL

    So, who thinks that we should stick to FM/AM radio and not get satillite radio?

    Personally, I think that radio should be free, and that's why there's personal audio devices. If you want the news, traffic and weather, then listen to the radio or TV (hmm, another possible topic). Nowadays, almost everyone who wants music will have a CD or an MP3 of it on their computer, CD, or iPod. Radio should broadcast information we need, and the different stations gives us the variety and listening moods we need, or else we wouldn't know how's the weather outside, or if there's traffic within a few miles. Everyone has a radio in their car, so the information is right at their fingertips.
    How'd I get so white and nerdy?

  • #2
    Re: Should we pay for radio?

    Clear Channel has been running a series of spots on their radio stations advocating free radio. That said, the firm is slowly converting most of its 1200 radio staitons to digital (the technology I understand offers a station more programming streams), which will compete with satellite. While an option for pay radio exists with digital programming, people at Clear Channel have so far stated that they remain committed to the present ad supported radio model, and keep the broadcasts free.

    I am all for free radio as we have it now on FM and AM and have no plans of subscribing to satellite radio. While there is less local programming on traditional radio then it was a few years ago, going all satellite I think pretty much takes out the local angle from all programming since the services orignate from a central source.

    What do the people in local broadcast and media industry think about this? Will satellite squeeze out local FM & AM radio?
    I'm still here. Are you?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Should we pay for radio?

      Radio isn't free. Commercial stations make their money from advertising; the advertisers add the costs of their promotion to the products and services you buy. Public radio encourages you to contribute and subscribe.

      Satellite radio will kill AM/FM stations around the same time cable TV will kill over-the-air broadcasts and networks. Still waiting for that decades-old prediction to come true...

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Should we pay for radio?

        That new digital radio format is called HD Radio. There was a big announcement about it today, how several radio giants are joining forces to make this work, including Clear Channel. Accordingly to the announcement, about 600 stations across the country already braodcast in this format and you should start seeing HD Radio receivers hitting the stores this Christmas. Basically the same concept as digital TV, multiple streams/stations off of the same frequency.

        I love listening to radio, for the DJ's. The personality of the DJ, in between the songs, is what makes a station popular. Not The Music! (Are you listening PD's). If I want to listen to music I'll break out my IPod or MP3 player. Atleast with my IPod, I know every song I hear, I'll like.

        This HD radio, could really give radio stations an opportunity to localize and narrowcast several smaller niche formats. An all Traffic Feed, all local news feed, all local weather feed, etc.. without having to invest much more. Station's would not need to live or die on the strength of the single format of their station. Several smaller niche formats could share the burden. Localism and more choices via HD Radio would give local stations a huge advantage over satellite radio

        P&P are the prime example of localism in radio. I listen during my 30 minute drive into work every morning, for the topic of the day, news, traffic, weather and an occasional song. After that, it's IPod time!

        HD Radio, I think, is the opportunity for local radio to gain back some lost listeners and bring radio back to what it use to be. Satellite radio will not work in Hawaii; to expensive to point a satellite over Hawaii. To many Mountain ranges and valleys, poor reception problems. However, if local radio ever starts charging, that's when I stop listening.

        DXer

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Should we pay for radio?

          DXer, you're right on in your response on "paying for radio". I think the new digital streams offered by traditional terrestrial radio stations will be good as long as they offer them for free with an ad supported model. I don't mind ads at all on the radio as I find them part of the entertainment mix along with the hopefully, mostly live radio DJ or announcer as well as the rest of the music. Digital streams will certainly help in the possibility of bringing back niche formats such as easy listening, jazz, heavy metal or whatever... and also offers the opportunity for creative stations to make new formats.
          I'm still here. Are you?

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Should we pay for radio?

            Having been in radio some 25 years or so here in the islands-
            I get asked this question quite a bit- usually from family members
            that think I should put out roots in other directions-
            just "in case" the "radio thing" goes away...

            my response? I'll believe it when I see (hear) it...

            As I understand it- the whole cost of sending signal here- for the
            limited audience they project- doesn't make sense.

            And it bears repeating, locally produced information- be it weather,
            cars backed up on the road for some reason, a big wave coming,
            even--- I'd add the local commercials- pushing a car sale- a new
            restaurant- a concert coming to town-

            all local content- makes local radio a winner!

            Satellite radio?

            If it really was just about "the music" my daughter's ipod's got that...

            Keeping in touch with the local community- is why we turn our radios
            on... and if the DJ's on a tangent I'm not grooving with- there's the
            dial... or button (who's got dials any more right)

            :-)

            Just chiming in-

            Paul

            Comment

            Working...
            X