stafferman said:
People still listen the numbers are obviously dwindling
I think music on the radio is doomed. The art of being a DJ is turning into Vaudeville. Why would anyone hear crummy playlists with idiots talking about stupid news quips and what's going in the area (common knowledge 90% of the time) when they can customize their own playlist, with better audio quality, no commercials, no DJ's, and not have to worry about losing a signal.
I still think News Talk/Sports Talk/Local still has an audience and a need. The top 10 markets you still see great local programming on stations. I have family in Chicago and Boston and there is still a ton of local programming on those stations up there and it's excellent to listen to.
Radio has been on and will certainly continue to be on quite a wild ride for the next decade or so.
This is a very interesting topic. On one hand research tells us that over 230 million people sample radio every week, which is an incredible number. Yet, as Big Ape and others have pointed out, where are they listening? I spent a lot of time at the beach when I was growing up and it seemed like everyone had a radio with them and they were all listening to one of the three top 40 stations in the market. Now, if you trake a walk on the beach you rarely hear a radio station. It's usually music you hear but it's not from a radio.
Most stores have been forced to subscribe to a music service through their corporate headquarters. Smaller stores sometimes play a radio, that is, until the ASCAP or BMI police come by and tell them that they are violating the law and they'll have to start paying if they want to play a radio in the store.
A lot of offices have squelched the radios so that employees can focus on their work or not cause a distraction for others.
It would appear to me that the car is one of the only places left where there actually could be any time spent listening to the radio. But, have you noticed how many people are talking on their cell phones while driving which certainly doesn't make radio a very important part of the drive.
I suppose that there are still some people listen at home but even that's got to be a much smaller number than it used to be. Most of the at-home listeners I know are listening to talk rather than music.
As long as station owners continue to cheapen the product the less they can expect in return for their investment. I really don't think voice-tracking is a major part of the problem (unless it's poorly done). It's the stale, predictable programming that's killing music stations.
One other thing, isn't it funny how radio salespeople tell advertisers (and potential advertisers) how important it is to keep your name out there, be visible and claim ownership to their franchise? Yet, how many stations actually do what they preach to others?
