DEATH OF RADIO

[BogusBoy]

From time to time, someone will doom and gloom over the dimise of terrestrial radio at the hands of technology. Somone always rasons that radio will be around forever. The one thing I'm sure of, is that while radio has a robust future, the future of the people involved with it is grim indeed.

Satellite radio, i-pods, automation, Internet, etc. Fads? The biggest threat, in my estimation, is HD! And corp radio is complicit in the crime. Each station will have up to four HD bands. Clear Channel in Phoenix alone could have over 30. Sounds great for terrestrial radio. But nobody seems to worry about how this will further fragment the audience for the existing stations. Theoretically, for the owners, it's smaller pieces of the same pie, and more oportunities to sell to specialty markets. But while it may be good for radio, and perhaps listeners, I fear it may be disatrous for radio's most expendable commodity. It's people. Many of us will get to celebrate radio's survival from the side lines.

 

[halloaaryn]

so long story short... radio will eat itself

 

[kzewdude]

HD radio is a joke. Most consumers think TV when they hear HD. HD was just a way for radio to make it look like it was responding to sat radio with a new and improved product(s). Why not fix what's already broken (most of their stations) before taking on more stations? The best personalities and content will win. Radio could hold off iPods, the Internet and sat radio IF they put some money into the product. But who's going to do it? You think CC would pay Dylan to do an hour-long weekly show?

 

[dudeguy]

If HD radio takes off (and that's a huge IF), I believe it will not be the death of radio, but a new beginning. And the listener wins because of the variety that will be offered.

The business model will change. Instead of programming a single station to target a demo, ownership groups will program a cluster of stations. For example, CC programs KEZ to target W 35-54. And it's a fine station for listeners who like lite rock. But there are other ways to reach the demo: Female talk, Rhythmic AC, Big Band Jazz, etc. So they use their HD channels to reach the same demo. Under this system, radio operators won't be selling ads on an individual station, they'll be selling demos and points and advertisers won't be able to pick what stations their ads will run on. But operators will guarantee the delivery of an audience like they currently do in TV.

 

[94117]

i hope the 3 people who have hd radio appreciates the 620 hd broadcast.

for those us listening to analog 620, its a horrendous listen.

 

[rockjock420]

Seriously. I wonder what percentage of radio-info users own an HD radio. Then I wonder what that percentage is for the general population. The crappy quality of analog AM when broadcasting in HD could send too many people to FM before AM HD has a chance to catch on.

 

[oaktree]

So long story short Part II -

Clear Channel head honcho, John Hogan, himself said it best, "Less is More."

Of course, that was pertaining to fewer commercials and more revenue along with more listeners, in theory. That theory hasn't set the radio world on fire with shorter spot loads and shorter stop sets. It's hard to turn down cash in our business.

Now on the HD analogy: Just turn it around, word for word and you have "More is Less."

Whether its HD2, HD3 or, especially, the main channel of any digital FM broadcaster and only the main channel of any digital AM broadcaster (who really loses out on the "expansion" of HD Radio) you have, without doubt, Less audience to the main channel and More audience fragmentation of not only one radio station, but any that go the full digital route.

With automation, many radio people will not be working on those side channels. With audience fragmentation, sales staffs will be selling, or attempting to sell, "niche" formats. And Clear Channel, which is already streaming some 75 different formats through it's "Format Lab" project online, is making money by selling these channels to broadcasters, as well as outfitting their own stations, using them on their own separate channels.

Any FM broadcaster that doesn't make use of all of its side channels is at a disadvantage, certainly, if one group utilizes all streams (Such as CC using 30 in one market) and there will be a rush to fill those channels just to keep up with the Joneses, so to speak.

The result will be a limited choice for non-HD listeners and an overkill of channels in licensed communities for those few who, at this point, even care about whatever benefits they may be sold on HD radio.

As word gets out, it won't be the technical quality on FM that matters, it will be the choices available. Then, when the rush dies down and the content is described in less than glowing terms, the audience will migrate back to the main channel that could well suffer losses if the audience suddenly decides to try those "between the channels" streams.

It will be a mess.

Stations, in my opinion, can't afford the eclectic offerings of their HD2 streams without a firm business model that will generate revenue. They either make money or they don't do it at all. Broadcasters aren't in the business to lose revenue, though more than half of them do.

More is less is my opinion. The advanages of HD Radio just don't speak as loudly as the roar of iBiquity publicity.

 

[94117]

it's not the death of radio...

it's the death of commercial delivery on radio.

nobody listens to commercials these days. ..do you?

now with dvr, tivo, pogo, etc.. we all skip tv & radio ads.

i prefer to watch network programs online, commercial free, with better sound and visual.

having to tune-in at a specific time for a broadcast, is a thing of the past.

it'll be mostly sponsorships like public radio. .. imo.

 

[paulsecic]

So long story short Part II -

Clear Channel head honcho, John Hogan, himself said it best, "Less is More."

Of course, that was pertaining to fewer commercials and more revenue along with more listeners, in theory. That theory hasn't set the radio world on fire with shorter spot loads and shorter stop sets. It's hard to turn down cash in our business.

Now on the HD analogy: Just turn it around, word for word and you have "More is Less."

Whether its HD2, HD3 or, especially, the main channel of any digital FM broadcaster and only the main channel of any digital AM broadcaster (who really loses out on the "expansion" of HD Radio) you have, without doubt, Less audience to the main channel and More audience fragmentation of not only one radio station, but any that go the full digital route.

With automation, many radio people will not be working on those side channels. With audience fragmentation, sales staffs will be selling, or attempting to sell, "niche" formats. And Clear Channel, which is already streaming some 75 different formats through it's "Format Lab" project online, is making money by selling these channels to broadcasters, as well as outfitting their own stations, using them on their own separate channels.

Any FM broadcaster that doesn't make use of all of its side channels is at a disadvantage, certainly, if one group utilizes all streams (Such as CC using 30 in one market) and there will be a rush to fill those channels just to keep up with the Joneses, so to speak.

The result will be a limited choice for non-HD listeners and an overkill of channels in licensed communities for those few who, at this point, even care about whatever benefits they may be sold on HD radio.

As word gets out, it won't be the technical quality on FM that matters, it will be the choices available. Then, when the rush dies down and the content is described in less than glowing terms, the audience will migrate back to the main channel that could well suffer losses if the audience suddenly decides to try those "between the channels" streams.

It will be a mess.

Stations, in my opinion, can't afford the eclectic offerings of their HD2 streams without a firm business model that will generate revenue. They either make money or they don't do it at all. Broadcasters aren't in the business to lose revenue, though more than half of them do.

More is less is my opinion. The advanages of HD Radio just don't speak as loudly as the roar of iBiquity publicity.

Remember AM-Stereo?/ Ya! 0000%