Radio Never Shuts Up

Of course, radio isn’t dead. The medium of radio has been around a long time, and when television became the new choice of media for many people, radio adapted by narrowing its audience. Then, Internet swept people up, which presented problems for every type of media. Still, radio adapted. Narrowing audiences with specialized formats seems to be part of the solution for them to stay in business; also, like local newspaper, people like to hear from their area. 

Addressing specialized formats, Pandora Radio, for instance, the create-your-own-radio-station website, has changed radio on the web. Also, there are things like Dylan Radio where fans can tune in to Bob’s playlist and his own radio show where he hosts. Radio is finding new ways to use new technologies like the Internet to complement it and enhance its medium, making it available to listeners in new ways. Many radio stations, in fact, have their own website.

Satellite radio is another example of radio finding its audience by narrowing listenership. It’s popular largely because listeners have choices for every genre of entertainment, such as music, talk, sports, comedy, documentary, etc.

When you turn the radio on and hit seek, a station will come on. No dead air is a sign of radio’s continuing existence. It’s no mystery that people, Americans in particular, have shorter attention spans when it comes to media than in the past. We like to keep busy. During morning drive, most people are listening to something.

For about a year, I had no radio in my car, no sound at all except wind and my motor. Let me say, I nearly lost my mind on long commutes. During this time, I was working in a flower shop at which the only clear station was an oldies AM one: 1410. The power of locals shined through on this station. Advertisements were on for places I drove by on delivery daily. People called in to sell their crap and leave a number to call for those interested in buying it. FM radio is my main choice in the car; my formats are usually classic rock and plain old classical. Like the Internet, many stations interact with listeners by taking call-ins for games, Q&As, and just to hear what song you want to hear – maybe one which isn’t on your IPod.