Traditional Radio Faces a Grim Future, New Study Says

[jon daly]

I even had satellite radio for a while. The last decade has not been kind to my wallet.

[hbelkins]

I even had satellite radio for a while. The last decade has not been kind to my wallet.

Wallet issues caused me to drop satellite radio a couple of years ago. I only miss it when I'm driving home from work and can't listen to the last hour of Sean Hannity, or when I'm traveling and can't listen to NASCAR races or Kentucky football/basketball games. The iHeart Radio app and the MRN/PRN apps help with those issues, except when I'm in an area with poor cell phone reception -- which is about 20 miles of my 30-mile commute. 

[MikeTheActuary]

I minimized my satellite radio subscription several months ago, after realizing I hadn't listened to almost nothing other than my smartphone (audiobooks, podcasts, downloaded music).

I have made a point to listen to it "for variety" / to justify keeping the subscription, but in all likelihood I'll pull the plug before too much longer.

My driving is mostly limited to errands and a once-a-month trip up to the office in Montréal...so it's not like my original reasoning for subscribing (entertainment during the hour-plus I was spending in the car each day) still applies, even before considering the advance of technology.

[Henry]

I minimized my satellite radio subscription several months ago, after realizing I hadn't listened to almost nothing other than my smartphone (audiobooks, podcasts, downloaded music).

I have made a point to listen to it "for variety" / to justify keeping the subscription, but in all likelihood I'll pull the plug before too much longer.

My driving is mostly limited to errands and a once-a-month trip up to the office in Montréal...so it's not like my original reasoning for subscribing (entertainment during the hour-plus I was spending in the car each day) still applies, even before considering the advance of technology.

Satellite radio comes in very handy for my long drives from Seattle to Chicago (or San Diego) and back, but due to the ever-increasing prices, I may be forced to forgo it completely when I purchase my next car.

[US71]

I minimized my satellite radio subscription several months ago, after realizing I hadn't listened to almost nothing other than my smartphone (audiobooks, podcasts, downloaded music).

I have made a point to listen to it "for variety" / to justify keeping the subscription, but in all likelihood I'll pull the plug before too much longer.

My driving is mostly limited to errands and a once-a-month trip up to the office in Montréal...so it's not like my original reasoning for subscribing (entertainment during the hour-plus I was spending in the car each day) still applies, even before considering the advance of technology.

Satellite radio comes in very handy for my long drives from Seattle to Chicago (or San Diego) and back, but due to the ever-increasing prices, I may be forced to forgo it completely when I purchase my next car.

I got it "free" when I bought my van. When the subscription expired, I was already addicted. But yeah, for long trips it's handy when I'm not using my MP3 player.

[jeffandnicole]

I minimized my satellite radio subscription several months ago, after realizing I hadn't listened to almost nothing other than my smartphone (audiobooks, podcasts, downloaded music).

I have made a point to listen to it "for variety" / to justify keeping the subscription, but in all likelihood I'll pull the plug before too much longer.

My driving is mostly limited to errands and a once-a-month trip up to the office in Montréal...so it's not like my original reasoning for subscribing (entertainment during the hour-plus I was spending in the car each day) still applies, even before considering the advance of technology.

Satellite radio comes in very handy for my long drives from Seattle to Chicago (or San Diego) and back, but due to the ever-increasing prices, I may be forced to forgo it completely when I purchase my next car.

I've only renewed at the lowest possible rate. In fact, I did that today with my account: $33 for 6 months ($41 w/taxes).  Unfortunately my previous contract had ended, so I had to pay about 3 weeks at the general rate, which was another $20 alone.

It's mostly my wife that uses it, but it does come in handy on trips when you can go a thousand miles and never lose the station.

[bing101]

http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/20125/are_you_notorious_in_detroit_when_does_your_show_on_910_start

Yes 910am Detroit is mentioned for very controversial reasons here.

[GeekJedi]

Reports of radio's demise are greatly exaggerated...

https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/am-fm-accounted-for-47-of-listening-in-q1-2018

[In_Correct]

I can not see how Radio or even Television will ever go away.

While The Internet can be very useful, and even better compared to Radio & Television, it can not possibly shut down Radio & Television.

I understand that with The Internet, there is fewer censorship for example cuss words. I hate how they are censored in Radio & Television and even worse, they put the Bleep sound in them. Also, The Internet has provided original content for example Anime before Dubbed (and usually changed the story and characters, while leaving the original source uncredited) and as a result they have dubbed them properly. I am a fan of (1972 - 1974) Gatchaman and Lolo The Penguin. Both were changed drastically when dubbed into English language, but have since been restored. And there are other important topics that are discussed on The Internet that Radio and Television is either afraid or angry to talk about.

But there is major problems with The Internet. The Internet has been around almost as long as Radio and Television, through the use of Teleprinters. This used a type of land line, which are not free.

Radio and Television have always been free. Even today there are free options. I do not know of any free options for The Internet. Public Wifi provided by a major business does not count. Public Libraries do not count either. With Radio and Television you can simply provide your own devices and antennas of your choice to get the signal. With the use of various Outdoor Antennas (and also giant moveable Satellite Dishes), you can get many Radio & Telvision channels even for free.

But I can never see The Internet taking the place of Radio & Television. The Internet is not free; actually it is very expensive. If you have home based Internet, Cell Phone Internet, or both. These are unusually expensive bills to have. They either charge for every amount of usage, slow down the Internet speed, or both.

After paying The Internet Bill, there are many otherwise free options with Radio & Television transmitted on The Internet. Even with terrestrial Radio & Television now can be broadcast globally with The Internet. And also there are many traffic cameras. But I usually cannot even listen nor watch any live streams. The Internet is almost always too slow. It is best to save the videos, and it also means that terrestrial Radio & Television with my own antennas and satellite dishes are not obsolete.

I do not like to listen to any of those Radio & Television any more. I hate commercials. As said earlier, I also hate Bleep. And with Public Radio & Public Television, they always want Pledge. Even University Radio also wants Pledge. Some thing annoying about Pledge stations is that they are not "advertisement free" be cause of the even more annoying Public Service Announcements (and also Pledge)  And there are annoying people on the University Radio. The only thing I can think of enjoy Radio is when ever I hear a song that I like, have not heard before, I check the web site and see the what they have Currently Playing. Some times they also speak it on the radio itself.

Other benefits are to enjoy the C.B. and the Short Wave radios.

And finally, the original purpose of these Free Radio & Free Television: to have emergency alerts. (Actually, these are annoying.) But they are important be cause they provide information about weather. You can even have your own Weather Radio device. The device beeps instead of that eerie buzzing sound, and turns on by itself to play the message. Unfortunately, the station robot voice was replaced by a strange sounding one. I used to keep these Weather Radio on constantly. It provided an Extended Forecast which is useful. It also provided the time be cause clocks are annoying. If they are not on a computer, and if they are not Automatically Programmed By A Radio Frequency, that means that you have to change the time your self. There was a time in my life that I listened to it, even asleep, be cause the Weather Radio provided the time. But I stopped listening to Weather Radio regularly be cause they changed the voice to an annoying one.

And I just mentioned yet another reason to keep Radio & Television (in this case Radio, but you can do the same on Television) ... It helps people sleep, and it helps people wake up. No need to open my eyes to see the time if the time is spoken on a Weather Radio.

And those are all the reasons why Radio & Television should stay for ever.

[SP Cook]

In my area, over the last two or so years, most of the serious AM stations have been given "FM translators" which are lower powered stations which technically have call letters like W56AQ or such, although they use that for ID and now market themselves as like WCHS - 104.5 and the smallest of letters "and AM 580" even though the AM is legally the lead station.  It does make listening easier.

[bing101]

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/169673/good-karma-acquires-wtmj-wkti-milwaukee-from-scripps/

Good Karma gets WTMJ Radio from Scripps.

[bing101]

https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=b15515


Cumulus is now listed on NASDAQ.

[bing101]

https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/178631/larry-wilson-stepping-down-as-alpha-media-chairman

Larry Wilson to leave as Alpha Media Chairman.

[bing101]

http://www.insideradio.com/summitmedia-expands-beyond-southeast-with-m-scripps-deal/article_9377a640-a11e-11e8-9c63-23581933e8c6.html
Summit Media gets the Scripps radio stations.

[bing101]

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/170393/cumulus-sells-blacksburg-cluster-to-monticello-media/

Cumulus Sells Blacksburg, VA Cluster To Monticello Media

The Affiliates affected in this deal are WNMX  Hot AC "Mix 100.7"  WNMX Christiansburg, Sports "CBS Sports Radio 101.7"  WWBU Radford, Rock "105.3 The Bear"  WBRW Blacksburg, Country "Nash-FM 107.1 WPSK-FM Pulaski, News/Talk 710 WFNR/103.5 W278AJ Blacksburg, and Oldies 1460 WRAD/107.9 W300DT Radford.

[bing101]

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/170436/station-sales-week-of-9-7-kdsn-gets-divested-soon-after-its-acquisition/


KDSN is divested according to this article

[bing101]

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/171126/powell-broadcasting-to-cease-panama-city-operations/


Update Radio Insight is reporting that Powell Broadcasting has ended their Panama City Radio Operations due to Hurricane Michael.

[bing101]

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/01/apple-considering-iheartmedia-tie-up-financial-times-reports.html

https://www.ft.com/content/f9e8ccc2-dd84-11e8-9f04-38d397e6661c

Wow you know things are crazy when Apple Inc is in talks to invest in Iheartradio.

[jakeroot]

With respect, this is the most interesting news to grace this thread for at least six months.

[kphoger]

I have six radio presets in my car, and I use all six of them regularly.  Three Christian stations, two pop stations (BOB FM and iHeart), and public radio.  On road trips, we flip through the local stations wherever we are to keep ourselves awake.

[inkyatari]

I have six radio presets in my car, and I use all six of them regularly.  Three Christian stations, two pop stations (BOB FM and iHeart), and public radio.  On road trips, we flip through the local stations wherever we are to keep ourselves awake.

BOB-FM?

[kphoger]

I have six radio presets in my car, and I use all six of them regularly.  Three Christian stations, two pop stations (BOB FM and iHeart), and public radio.  On road trips, we flip through the local stations wherever we are to keep ourselves awake.

BOB-FM?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_FM

[inkyatari]

I have six radio presets in my car, and I use all six of them regularly.  Three Christian stations, two pop stations (BOB FM and iHeart), and public radio.  On road trips, we flip through the local stations wherever we are to keep ourselves awake.

BOB-FM?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_FM

I just wanted to have an excuse to use the "Turn Your Crank to Frank" clip.

[briantroutman]

I can't promise that I personally will be turning my crank to Frank, but...

[abefroman329]

The weird thing about those Jack/Dave/Ben/Bob/Mordecai FM stations is that their tagline is inevitably "we play whatever we want,"  but they play utter shite.