Radio Group

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Is the Traditional AM/FM Radio becoming an Endangered Species?

I was spinnin' 'round a dead dial
Just another lost number in a file
Dancin' down a dark hole
Just searchin' for a world with some soul

This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
Is there anybody alive out there?

-Bruce Springsteen, Radio Nowhere

Radio vs. New Technology 

The Radio Industry has had some stiff competition rise in recent years. With innovations such as iTunes and Pandora, it is easy to listen to music of our choice with the click of a button. Since it's birth, the radio has been a tool for entertainment, weather updates, news, etc. to be brought to the public's attention. With Social Media becoming more available and accessible with time, the use of traditional AM/FM radio is dwindling for some. As these are popular trends in the music industry right now and are always evolving, it is likely that the future of the radio will continue to have Social Media and other technologies taking it's place. If it wants to survive, the radio industry will have to find a way to outlive and run with the other music outlets we have at our fingertips at this point in time. With all of the digital technology out there today the radio industry can use it to reach even larger audiences which can also be to it's benefit.

Competitors

iTunes

iPods

mp3s

Pandora

YouTube

XM Satellite Radio

Satellite Radio

The future of radio may be Satellite. That's right, radio is moving more and more to satellite radio like Sirius or XM. Instead of radio being fm / am is will be broadcasted via satellite. This means there will be less static and a more sharp and crisp sound. The downside? Satellite radio is not free like over air radio. It requires a subscription but for the fee you get a lot of diverse channels and many of them are commercial free uninterrupted music. You also get the bennefit of there being no area restrictions. You can listen to a station anywhere, you no longer have to switch stations as you enter a new state or country.

Broadcasting

In the future the radio needs to keep up with adapting to the new advancements in broadcasting techniques. Today and in the future, if radios broadcast digitally it will help the industry keep it's audience as well as reach a larger audience. Some radio stations have already made themselves available online, giving their viewers the option of tuning in through a computer or a mobile device. This is a strength that they need to focus on and continue to grow by adapting and keeping up to date with the latest in technology.

Jack FM

Jack format is an iPod like format of radio. "Playing what we want" is it's motto. The idea here is that these Jack FM radio stations play a variety of music like you would find on your iPod. This was another shot at keeping the radio appealing to it's users. JackFM celebrated it's 10th birthday in 2012.

What can AM/FM Radio to do stay alive?

Focus on it's STRENGTHS! There is something to be said about an old traditional AM/FM radio station. Breaking news, severe weather updates, local news and other information are brought to us by our local radio stations. These are benefits that we recieve from listening to the radio versus an iPod or Pandora. If the radio industry can figure out a way to adapt to all of these new technologies while staying true to itself, the future might look a little more bright for radio.

This is a chart showing the past online revenues vs over the air revenues and their prediction for the next few years. The Investing In Radio® Market Report  predicts radio revenues to grow 3.5% in 2012 because it is an election year and as a result of the ongoing growth of the digital/online radio.

Grassroots Radio Conference 2012: The Future of Community Radio

There are many community radio stations that are still being built and this conference is to celebrate those! This years' theme was "The Future of Community Radio". With all of the digital technology today, radio stations have the opportunity to reach global audiences, have mobile studios, share community wireless internet, and become multi-media community centers. At the conference they talked about how community radio can be beneficial for building the community for years to come. With people like this still gungho about the radio, the future for it looks much more hopeful.

This is a chart showing statistics on the number of people who are streaming today 

Technology: A cure for the radio industry? 

George Bundy (CEO of BRS Media) discusses the likely future of radio 

"Radio Information." Hub Pages. N.p., 03 Oct. 2007. Web. http://varybarry.hubpages.com/hub/satellite-radio-informationSatellite.

"What’s the Frequency? Understanding Satellite Radio Technology." Satellite Radio + More! N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.satellite-radio.info/>.

"Five Trends for the Future of Radio" 2011 VentureBeat. Web. http://venturebeat.com/2011/01/12/future-of-radio/

"Future of Online Radio" 2012 Future of Online Radio. Web. http://futureofradioonline.com/

"Social Media Stats for the Radio Industry" 2012 Future of Radio Online. Web. http://futureofradioonline.com/future_trends/social-media-stats-for-the-radio-industry/

"The Future of the AM/FM Dial Looks Bleak" 2012 Hearst Communications. Web. http://blog.mysanantonio.com/dominiquegarcia/2010/11/the-future-of-the-amfm-dial-looks-bleak/

"What's New At Bridge Ratings" Listening Trends Chart. 2009 Bridge Ratings, LLC. Web. http://www.bridgeratings.com/press.11.20.09.2012%20Listening%20Trends.htm

George Bundy and BRS Media. 28 July 2011. Web. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gamMNchmLE8

"JACKFM - Official Home of JACKFM - Playing What We Want" Web. http://www.jack.fm/

"Technology: A Cure for the Radio Industry?" 27 May 2011. Web. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a14KmGdOF8U