Saving AM Radio

[SCMcKinney]

While I do understand that, my comments are concerning the dwindling audience which makes the revenue drop with it. Music is available from a thousand other commercial free sources. I'm concerned that if radio doesn't find something other than music to draw an audience the audience numbers will completely leave for other sources over time. Why would they not? That doesn't mean music isn't a viable format, but to listen to it on radio with it's 22 minutes of commercials is asking a lot unless there is something else to hold the audience. In the dinosaur age, it was an engaging personality or contests. I know today it's different and I've aged out, but I don't see how radio will hold an audience without something new and entertaining to get them through a seven minute stop set.

You have a lot of knowledge of research. I'm sure they've done studies of the longer stop sets. Have they ever compared how long it takes a listener to tun out of a station after a number of commercial units? How would in office or home listening compare to the car, where pressing the button is much easier? I've read claims that the last spots in the set still get attention. I can't believe that it's a good buy to be anything deeper than third in a commercial block. It seems curious that as smaller markets need to depend upon the local advertiser that they can justify some of the longer breaks. Do they charge more for first placements? Discount the guy who is five deep?

That doesn't mean music isn't a viable format, but to listen to it on radio with its 22 minutes of commercials is asking a lot unless there is something else to hold the audience.

This is something I have been advocating for a long time. I keep thinking of my 20-something nieces, and how much their observed consumption of radio is so small. Because of the internet and downloading, for them music + commercials is a non-starter. For me, saying "Alexa Play ____________ " gets me a response of "Here's ___________ and similar artists." No commercials and the only apparent expense is an internet connection. Commercial musicradio cannot compete with that, and I wouldn't expect it to. Commercial radio has to do something different to appeal to younger listeners (the product) so that commercial radio will appeal to their customers, the advertisers. I kind of suspect the money radio is getting now is from advertisers accessing inertia-bound Gen X and Millennials, with minimal participation from Gen Z.

One of my nieces does admit to listening to Bobby Bones. But I think that is only a 3 or 4 hour show. If 90% of adults are listening to the radio, but that listening is only a portion of a 3 or 4 hour show, is that enough to keep a broadcaster in business? Where my niece is going to school at Virginia Tech, I don't think there is a local Bobby Bones station. I suspect she listens via the internet to her hometown station. Would she listen to it on a local AM station? If she is accessing that station on her Bluetooth, electric interference issues are a non-issue. But unless that local Blacksburg AM station (or an FM) has additional programming beyond 'long sets of her continuous favorites' interspersed with commercials, those 3-4 hours are all they're going to get from her.

 

[BruceB]

This is something I have been advocating for a long time. I keep thinking of my 20-something nieces, and how much their observed consumption of radio is so small. Because of the internet and downloading, for them music + commercials is a non-starter. For me, saying "Alexa Play ____________ " gets me a response of "Here's ___________ and similar artists." No commercials and the only apparent expense is an internet connection. Commercial musicradio cannot compete with that, and I wouldn't expect it to. Commercial radio has to do something different to appeal to younger listeners (the product) so that commercial radio will appeal to their customers, the advertisers. I kind of suspect the money radio is getting now is from advertisers accessing inertia-bound Gen X and Millennials, with minimal participation from Gen Z.

One of my nieces does admit to listening to Bobby Bones. But I think that is only a 3 or 4 hour show. If 90% of adults are listening to the radio, but that listening is only a portion of a 3 or 4 hour show, is that enough to keep a broadcaster in business? Where my niece is going to school at Virginia Tech, I don't think there is a local Bobby Bones station. I suspect she listens via the internet to her hometown station. Would she listen to it on a local AM station? If she is accessing that station on her Bluetooth, electric interference issues are a non-issue. But unless that local Blacksburg AM station (or an FM) has additional programming beyond 'long sets of her continuous favorites' interspersed with commercials, those 3-4 hours are all they're going to get from her.

You can't tell Alexa to play something until you know It exists, the role of radio could be to introduce Gen Z listeners to new artists and new music they didn't know about.
If you check the ratings for CHR in many markets, the numbers are not bad. Boomers and Gen X are not listening to CHR so it looks like younger people are listening to Radio to hear what's new.

 

[TheBigA]

No commercials and the only apparent expense is an internet connection.

Alexa requires a subscription to a music service. The default is Amazon Music, which you get either through a Prime subscription or a separate subscription.

Commercial radio has to do something different to appeal to younger listeners (the product) so that commercial radio will appeal to their customers, the advertisers.

The something different is they offer hosted/curated music as well as non-music formats and local information.

Radio isn't meant as a replacement for a music service, but something used in addition. It requires no subscription, no fee, no user name or password. Just turn it on, and it's there.

 

[K.M. Richards]

What counts is whether advertising on that station brings more customers to their store or more subscribers to their magazine or paper, etc.

A station which runs a client-based sales operation (like the stations I consult and program in Albuquerque) is very much on board with that POV.

Consider this: If a local business owner can be convinced to listen to your station for a while as part of the "elevator conversation" which eventually leads to the sales pitch, and said business owner likes what s/he hears, their mindset is more often than not going to be along this line:

"If I like this station, then other people who like this station would be good customers for my business."

Ka-ching.

Is an internet stream a continuous data stream that anyone can join in progress? Or is it an entity that yields a separate data stream from the source to each person connected to it (here, "listener")? I would continue to listen to a radio receiver that runs for an unlimited time without the need to subscribe at cost or to purhase additional anytime minutes on a phone plan or additional blocks of data on an internet plan.

In most cases, an individual station's stream is going to be independent of paid streaming services (iHeart and Audacy have different business models). Usually, a station will either have the stream player embedded on their website home page or -- as is the case with the stream for the Albuquerque station I directly program, KRKE -- will have a unique domain name which goes directly to a page with the stream player. Either way, unless there are technical issues such as the Internet connection dropping temporarily or a server hiccup, once connected to a dedicated stream you'll stay connected.

However (to address your last sentence), your cell phone provider will count that as data usage. It's their decision, not the station's. So if your data plan is severely limited, it doesn't matter whether it's a paid streaming service or a station's free stream ... it'll still count. (I get around that on my phone by having it switch to my cable-based data via Wi-Fi when I am home, or at my doctors' offices, or Starbucks, or the library, etc.)

 

[Rusty Muck]

Which is why I expect more consolidation in radio. People want more options, and you don't get that when there is format duplication in a market. They want more for less.

There probably should be consolidation in a Global Radio UK level where the formats merge into national brands just so they can be more readily viable in the digital landscape. And to be honest, the misfire with Cumulus's Nash brand may have been because it was ahead of its time.

 

[fybush]

A station which runs a client-based sales operation (like the stations I consult and program in Albuquerque) is very much on board with that POV.

Consider this: If a local business owner can be convinced to listen to your station for a while as part of the "elevator conversation" which eventually leads to the sales pitch, and said business owner likes what s/he hears, their mindset is more often than not going to be along this line:

"If I like this station, then other people who like this station would be good customers for my business."

Ka-ching.



In most cases, an individual station's stream is going to be independent of paid streaming services (iHeart and Audacy have different business models). Usually, a station will either have the stream player embedded on their website home page or -- as is the case with the stream for the Albuquerque station I directly program, KRKE -- will have a unique domain name which goes directly to a page with the stream player. Either way, unless there are technical issues such as the Internet connection dropping temporarily or a server hiccup, once connected to a dedicated stream you'll stay connected.

However (to address your last sentence), your cell phone provider will count that as data usage. It's their decision, not the station's. So if your data plan is severely limited, it doesn't matter whether it's a paid streaming service or a station's free stream ... it'll still count. (I get around that on my phone by having it switch to my cable-based data via Wi-Fi when I am home, or at my doctors' offices, or Starbucks, or the library, etc.)

It's 2024. Unlimited data plans are the norm almost everywhere. You can get one for your wireless device for $25 a month.

Whatever demographic is still making the choice to deal with data caps probably isn't one that most advertisers are looking to attract anyway.

 

[oldies76]

I have a feeling that hobby stations might be the future of AM at this point, since the band is pretty much useless for anything else, and once all the commercial stations go dark, what else could the band be used for? The Netherlands or some such northern country opened up the AM band to hobbyists, and it's "working", so there's precedent for this idea....

Now that is a wonderful idea! But will the USA ever do that? Probably not in our lifetimes. Part 15 is a wonderful tool for hobbyists and music radio fans alike. But expanding that further to the AM dial is a smart move down the road. There are so many open frequencies, especially in rural areas, seems like a waste of useful space.

 

[boombox4]

Concerning AM radio or radio, how does this social media ad to revenue to save the facility? The topic was saving AM radio, or radio in general.

Streaming of that AM station may or may not save the "station", or -- better put -- that operation, but without streaming being in the picture, ultimately that station will have no future -- if we're looking 20 years out.

I've noticed several AM stations disappearing over the past year, even when they had streams. A couple (one being KDWN in Las Vegas, for example) still has a stream, but who knows if anyone is still listening? Online content has almost infinite competition, moreso than local radio. But streaming is the future. If I were running an AM station, I'd want a stream. Because in 15-20 years, if that "station" still exists, its operation will probably be online.

Now whether that online operation makes money or not -- that's anyone's guess. You could probably ask any content creator about that one. Competition's fierce online.

 

[BruceB]

Streaming of that AM station may or may not save the "station", or -- better put -- that operation, but without streaming being in the picture, ultimately that station will have no future -- if we're looking 20 years out.

I've noticed several AM stations disappearing over the past year, even when they had streams. A couple (one being KDWN in Las Vegas, for example) still has a stream, but who knows if anyone is still listening? Online content has almost infinite competition, moreso than local radio. But streaming is the future. If I were running an AM station, I'd want a stream. Because in 15-20 years, if that "station" still exists, its operation will probably be online.

Now whether that online operation makes money or not -- that's anyone's guess. You could probably ask any content creator about that one. Competition's fierce online.

One problem with streaming is listening to Major League Baseball.If I want to listen to the Cincinnati Reds on the radio I have to listen to the over the air broadcast because the stream of that station is blocked or I can pay Major League Baseball some ridiculous fee to listen to the online stream

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

However (to address your last sentence), your cell phone provider will count that as data usage. It's their decision, not the station's. So if your data plan is severely limited, it doesn't matter whether it's a paid streaming service or a station's free stream ... it'll still count. (I get around that on my phone by having it switch to my cable-based data via Wi-Fi when I am home, or at my doctors' offices, or Starbucks, or the library, etc.)

i dont know anyone who really thinks about data useage on their phone anymore.. they just use it.. theyve got unlimited or a large pool or data on a family plan..... lots of people stream audio on their cell phones using cellular broadband (dont get me started about my cell service lol)... but starlink has changed that up here.. people are doing more streaming vs the old viasat/hughesnet/exede

 

[KeithE4]

One problem with streaming is listening to Major League Baseball.If I want to listen to the Cincinnati Reds on the radio I have to listen to the over the air broadcast because the stream of that station is blocked or I can pay Major League Baseball some ridiculous fee to listen to the online stream

MLB Gameday Audio is $30/year. Not a bad price for all games, in and out of market, with no blackouts.

 

[davideduardo]

Do advertisers research or know when a station's coverage map is moth eaten or like Swiss cheese due to noise and interference? What counts is whether advertising on that station brings more customers to their store or more subscribers to their magazine or paper, etc. or more orders to there mail order headquarters or Amazon account or whatever.

Advertisers buy AQH rating or AQH Persons (same thing, expressed differently) and evaluate it based on the rate presented by the station. In other words, they buy the delivery of persons.

Much of the kinds of business you mention don't use local radio. It's a hard, difficult buy.

There are still enough AM radios around and enough AM stations on the air that I believe the band should not be closed down or repurposed and definitely not administered to favor one or a few specific interests including iBiquity.to subscribe at cost or to purhase additional anytime minutes on a phone plan or additional blocks of data on an internet plan.

Except for a few electric vehicles, all cars with radios have AM. And essentially all home and at work and portable radios or devices with radios have AM in them.

 

[louis_p]

What counts is whether advertising on that station brings more customers to their store or more subscribers to their magazine or paper, etc. or more orders to there mail order headquarters or Amazon account or whatever.

How is this precisely quantified for advertisers on a one-to-many medium like analogue radio? To clarify, I work in a tech company that provides big data and rich analytics for a platform that serves streaming media and content to a large global audience. We can derive rich insights from our analytics backend such as user personas (leveraging third party cookies), location data, click-through impressions, time spent on pages, media consumption patterns, engagement patterns over time and how a redesigned UX could positively or negatively impact user behavior. How does traditional radio accurately measure the success of a spot to demonstrate to the business stakeholder that it achieved the desired level of engagement/response/brand-awareness with the target demographic?

Is an internet stream a continuous data stream that anyone can join in progress? Or is it an entity that yields a separate data stream from the source to each person connected to it (here, "listener")? I would continue to listen to a radio receiver that runs for an unlimited time without the need to subscribe at cost or to purhase additional anytime minutes on a phone plan or additional blocks of data on an internet plan.

Most cloud-based content delivery networks (Akamai, Level3, Limelight) dynamically provide streams on demand when listeners consume them. This allows the streaming host to dynamically scale resources to meet audience demand during peak intervals (a sports event) while avoiding latency and buffering due to performance bottlenecks.

Finally, I don’t know the specific details of your cellular data plan, but a 128kbps audio stream consumes 50MB of data per hour. So, if you have a 6GB/month data allowance, you could stream for roughly 4 hours per day. Likely, you’ll use a portion of that allowance for other use cases like Google Maps, email, photos, social media, etc. and not just streaming.

 

[TheBigA]

How does traditional radio accurately measure the success of a spot to demonstrate to the business stakeholder that it achieved the desired level of engagement/response/brand-awareness with the target demographic?

It's up to the advertiser to measure the success of a campaign. All an ad sales person can do is offer potential ideas to an advertiser, about mentioning the station or a show for a discount, or some similar thing. Typically an advertiser measures traffic at the start of a campaign, and at the end, to gauge the success of a campaign. When I say a campaign, I mean more than just on-air spots. There should be a multi-platform plan that involves on air and online.

 

[davideduardo]

It's up to the advertiser to measure the success of a campaign. All an ad sales person can do is offer potential ideas to an advertiser, about mentioning the station or a show for a discount, or some similar thing. Typically an advertiser measures traffic at the start of a campaign, and at the end, to gauge the success of a campaign. When I say a campaign, I mean more than just on-air spots. There should be a multi-platform plan that involves on air and online.

And it is hard to segregate the individual parts of a campaign, as they are often synergistic.

"I know half of my advertising does not work. But I just don't know which half!" is an old liner about the vagaries of buying advertising.

 

[Kelly A]

Do advertisers research or know when a station's coverage map is moth eaten or like Swiss cheese due to noise and interference?

Advertisers don't pay any attention to things like this. For local advertisers, can I hear it at home or on my way to work? Do my friends, coworkers. or family listen?
For national: What market is the station in? What demographic does the station target?
Coverage map? Don't care.

There are still enough AM radios around and enough AM stations on the air that I believe the band should not be closed down or repurposed and definitely not administered to favor one or a few specific interests including iBiquity.

We live in a marketplace business environment. It's no one individual or government' decision on whether AM radio stays or closes down. As has been repeated many times; the AM band is worthless for anything than what its being used for now.

Is an internet stream a continuous data stream that anyone can join in progress? Or is it an entity that yields a separate data stream from the source to each person connected to it (here, "listener")?

No idea what you're talking about. There are all sorts of streaming stations and streaming groups all over the Internet. Most are 24/7.

I would continue to listen to a radio receiver that runs for an unlimited time without the need to subscribe at cost or to purhase additional anytime minutes on a phone plan or additional blocks of data on an internet plan.

Yes, they call that terrestrial radio. It's free with commercials. Been around for over 100 years.

 

[louis_p]

"I know half of my advertising does not work. But I just don't know which half!" is an old liner about the vagaries of buying advertising.

Digital ad networks can answer this problem statement easily and provide the advertiser with realtime feedback.

 

[TheBigA]

Digital ad networks can answer this problem statement easily and provide the advertiser with realtime feedback.

Assuming the ad gets past the blockers. And assuming the ad provokes engagement (which most don't.) What the advertiser sees is number of views, but no demographics. Unless the ad is placed on a platform that requires a subscription. In which case he sees the demos of the subscriber (not necessarily the viewer).

 

[louis_p]

Assuming the ad gets past the blockers. And assuming the ad provokes engagement (which most don't.) What the advertiser sees is number of views, but no demographics. Unless the ad is placed on a platform that requires a subscription. In which case he sees the demos of the subscriber (not necessarily the viewer).

Yes, ad blockers can be impediments, but advertisers employ clever strategies to circumvent them. It doesn’t matter if you use Chrome extensions like uBlock Origin or DNS-based ad blocking like AdGuard or Cloudflare.

If you sign-in to Chrome with your Gmail account, ad trackers know more about you than you realize. Most sites embed client-side JavaScript that captures user behavior and aggregates the data in platforms like Adobe or Google Analytics.

You could become completely anonymous online by using a Linux distribution, using a VPN to connect to the Tor network, using Mozilla Firefox, and clearing browser cache/history after each session. But average consumers would not resort to these extreme measures.

 

[TheBigA]

If you sign-in to Chrome with your Gmail account, ad trackers know more about you than you realize.

Which is why we advise people not to do that. You don't have to sign in to Chrome to use it.