Is Internet Radio "REAL" Radio?

[Silkie]

R-I Home Page had an interesting article about this topic the other day. Of course, Wells Fargo gave a speech with one of their off the mark market forecasts about keeping radio relevant a few days later (I say "off the mark" market forecast, because I get their monthly economic outlook newsletters, and more than once or twice they have missed the post like a bad voice tracker.)

http://www.radio-info.com/news/pand...bt-that-the-future-of-radio-is-internet-radio

 

[helloagain]

lol how the hell can that guy say am radio is better then internet radio half the time where i live the am stations sound like crap and i can never sit there listen to station that sound like crap it like how these djs get on blogtalkradio and i now have a radio show and sound like music is running threw a tin can

Easy...head in sand syndrome. Lots of people have suffered from it...they said stuff like the earth is flat, the earth is the center of the Universe and Pepsi is better than Coke...they are not visionaries or early adapters, they are the nay sayers and dream killers if only to save their own ego...then they will learn and claim they knew it all before anyone else.

 

[Tom Wells]

Haw!

lol how the hell can that guy say am radio is better then internet radio half the time where i live the am stations sound like crap and i can never sit there listen to station that sound like crap it like how these djs get on blogtalkradio and i now have a radio show and sound like music is running threw a tin can

Easy...head in sand syndrome. Lots of people have suffered from it...they said stuff like the earth is flat, the earth is the center of the Universe and Pepsi is better than Coke...they are not visionaries or early adapters, they are the nay sayers and dream killers if only to save their own ego...then they will learn and claim they knew it all before anyone else.

Find a new, helpful perspective from which to be critcal. Perhaps one which is not so insular and contemporary.
Ignorance is OK, but shouldn't waved around as a banner to be proud of.
Please become fully informed technically before making critical remarks about technology.
Only noticing what is new and promoted without regard for "existing technology" makes one a gullible, easy mark.

 

[nitnitr]

The top internet-only radio station in the world likely has an average listenership of under a thousand.

What you say is very true. One of my stations peaks at 1,300 but average listenership at any given time is 490-505. Having been in the streaming business, I see most stations at 5-10.

But, still, my listeners consider it real radio.

I'll agree. Most Internet stations have a weak listener base. I am fortunate to operate a station that does substantially better, but still well below the 500 average that you alluded to. Wish it weren't so. We may get there some day. LMTTRR is in a niche genre too, which does limit the average listener levels.

In the meantime, the definition of radio is truly a matter of how music is delivered. Internet radio is a real medium. If those in Terrestrial radio have a problem with Internet radio being called "real radio" by the definition of producing programming over the airwaves, then so be it.

For that matter, what is real radio? Define that for me if you will. It needs to go beyond the simple answer of producing music over the airwaves.

If you are an Internet station, providing a service to those that like your station, that is super. That is radio in my opinion.

I recently received an email from a listener. They were glad to find us, as access to our station is available through the web. The stations located somewhat nearby this listener don't offer a decent signal, and the listener was grateful to find us. We've received many messages like the above; those that found LMTTRR and like the programming.

I suppose if there is a liability to Terrestrial radio, is that it doesn't provide a signal for everybody to listen to over "standard" radio, even though many stations stream as well (not every station though-which is where Internet radio fills the void and beyond). The liability of Internet radio is gaining listeners. Because of the choice on the web, and educating potential listeners about Internet radio, even garnering 100 listeners at peak is a tough nut to crack. This may change as technology changes.

 

[deltas69]

Internet "RADIO' may not be "real radio" in the terms of content delivery..but a large majority of it is a lot better than OTA radio..i think the next five years will see OTA radio become almost a dinosaur..as more and more listeners will be able to snag exactly what they want to hear over the net in their cars..they already can at home..and mobile reception is the next thing that will explode..my 2 cents anyway.. :

 

[TheBigA]

Internet "RADIO' may not be "real radio" in the terms of content delivery..but a large majority of it is a lot better than OTA radio..i think the next five years will see OTA radio become almost a dinosaur..as more and more listeners will be able to snag exactly what they want to hear over the net in their cars..they already can at home..and mobile reception is the next thing that will explode..my 2 cents anyway.. :

In most places, streams of OTA stations are beating internet-only stations by a huge margin.

 

[deltas69]

for now..yes..but i said in the next five years..i live close to Nashville...Corporate radio has killed anything exciting here..just like it has in most metro areas..they have taken the one thing out of radio that made it special..."FUN"...VT ??? no fun there.....

 

[TheBigA]

for now..yes..but i said in the next five years..i live close to Nashville...Corporate radio has killed anything exciting here..just like it has in most metro areas..they have taken the one thing out of radio that made it special..."FUN"...VT ??? no fun there.....

Is your internet station live 24/7?

 

[deltas69]

no..only 6 til midnight on fri..the shows are archived for the remainder of the week due to me having a real paying job..now how much of OTA radio is live..and how much VT ?? not wanting to get into an argument..just saying "the times they are changin"..i spent over 20 years in radio/studio/live stage music/bands/sound tech etc..and those gigs just aren't there anymore...my little toy station is just for kicks...still over the last year..it's had over 8000 people tune in for the live shows...not bad considering it's word of mouth/facebook promoted..now if only i could get those 8000 folks to send me a 20 dollar bill...lol

 

[TheBigA]

no..only 6 til midnight on fri..the shows are archived for the remainder of the week due to me having a real paying job..now how much of OTA radio is live..and how much VT ?? not wanting to get into an argument..just saying "the times they are changin"..

If having a live in-studio local DJ was the main reason people tuned in, these companies would have them. They have the money. It's simply not the attraction it once was. As you say: The times they are changin.' Several of the highest rated stations in Nashville have no live DJs. Meanwhile, Lightning 100 is live & local. What does that tell you about what the people want?

 

[d21ofnj]

no..only 6 til midnight on fri..the shows are archived for the remainder of the week due to me having a real paying job..now how much of OTA radio is live..and how much VT ?? not wanting to get into an argument..just saying "the times they are changin"..

If having a live in-studio local DJ was the main reason people tuned in, these companies would have them. They have the money. It's simply not the attraction it once was. As you say: The times they are changin.' Several of the highest rated stations in Nashville have no live DJs. Meanwhile, Lightning 100 is live & local. What does that tell you about what the people want?

Don't really think of it as "what people want" for it's just there for people to "easily access." Let's face it, people are lazy and spoiled. Right now, no regular joe or jill is going to download an app for their phone, sit in front of the computer all day at home, or order specialty radio just to hear internet streams, unless its content they can't get anywhere else, not to mention having dropouts occur when streaming online or through their smart phones when all they have to do is push a button on a radio and you have your stations. Granted, the technology that's out today was much better than how it was 7 years ago. I am promoting my stream in my region on the streets, clubs, bars, etc, and some of the responses I got was "oh, it's only internet radio?" Some of us already see the message of OTA radio not satisfying us, but others don't seem to get that idea just yet. All you gotta do is wait and see how internet radio can be lazyuser friendly.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Let's face it, people are lazy and spoiled. Right now, no regular joe or jill is going to download an app for their phone, sit in front of the computer all day at home, or order specialty radio just to hear internet streams, unless its content they can't get anywhere else, not to mention having dropouts occur when streaming online or through their smart phones when all they have to do is push a button on a radio and you have your stations.

I tend to agree with you that listening to streaming can be "labor intensive" and keep you tethered on a short leash. Those of us who have spent a lifetime just punching up a button on the radio want it to still be that way. Mrs. Cowboy had some serious surgery so her first week home our number one "Cow Girl" came to help with the care and to shape up my housekeeping. (Tee Hee. Straightening up my housekeeping is another whole story requiring a few four letter words to tell! ;D )

The Cow Girl did her week's work from our house. Participated in conference calls. Beat e-mail to death. But this noise followed her where ever she went around the house... even onto the deck. Her iPhone was at her side streaming WUWM out of Milwaukee. I commented that I had considered getting a WiFi Receiver and she said: Get an iTouch. much more portable.

I am afraid too many of us think all the generations following us have to think the way we do: Anything but radio is too troublesome and labor intensive. I guess I need to invite the Grand-Cow Girls to spend a week so I can observe what they do to keep; their ears topped off with sound.

 

[KeithE4]

I tend to agree with you that listening to streaming can be "labor intensive" and keep you tethered on a short leash. Those of us who have spent a lifetime just punching up a button on the radio want it to still be that way.

This is still the biggest PITA about internet radio. TuneIn helps, but CBS and Clear Channel stations are blocked on smartphones and Roku boxes. Other stations only provide access via their websites, on flash-based players - not compatible with Tunein.

The ideal app would be one that would interface with the TuneIn, iHeartRadio and CBS Radio.com apps. You'd bookmark your favorite stations (20? 50? 100?), then it would call the appropriate player. It would still be tough to change stations on your smartphone while driving, but that's another issue (read: Don't do it!).

 

[TheBigA]

Don't really think of it as "what people want" for it's just there for people to "easily access." Let's face it, people are lazy and spoiled.

Maybe you don't know what Lightning 100 is. It's an OTA radio station that doesn't voicetrack. All live & local. And it's being killed in the ratings by radio stations run off a computer with no live bodies. So this idea that people want live & local DJs is a view taken mainly by DJs.

 

[deltas69]

maybe lighting 100 is being killed because no one want's to hear their format..and YES i've listened so i know what their format is..just not what I want to hear...most people listen to what they like...some actually like the no dj thing as all they want is music..thats fine too...i come from the era where radio was personality based..the jocks were as much a part of the success of the station as was the music...you could most likely vt every station in town and not make much difference, if their were no jocks at all..how much difference does it make for three country stations to play the same 30 top hits ?? does it matter if you hear semi talented Tayler Swift on 103.3 or 95.5? same songs..but the difference is the talent...some like it over here,,others like it over there...why was Gerry House so successful?? live and local..also extremely talented...i'm not saying no one else in Nashville is not as good as Gerry...but you can't argue with his long standing and consistent success ..and you will not get that from a computer with no live bodies..

 

[TheBigA]

maybe lighting 100 is being killed because no one want's to hear their format..and YES i've listened so i know what their format is..just not what I want to hear...most people listen to what they like...some actually like the no dj thing as all they want is music..thats fine too...

I'm simply responding to a post that says all VT is bad. It's my experience that most internet stations are VT, run off a computer.

My point is that listeners aren't as attached to DJs as they used to be. They'll give credit for certain heritage DJs, but all DJs aren't equal. So the job of a radio station is to attract the largest number of listeners possible. If that takes live & local DJs, so be it. If not, same thing.

What makes one station different from another? The songs they're playing at a particular time. If a station isn't playing my favorite right now, I switch to the competition. If they're playing commercials, boom, switch again. If the DJ is yaking about something uninteresting, boom again. That's how it works. When you have 12 or 15 pre-sets, it's easy to switch.

 

[Silkie]

I just talk to the radio and say, "Babe, you need to play a different song next.".

 

[northwoods]

I tend to agree with you that listening to streaming can be "labor intensive" and keep you tethered on a short leash. Those of us who have spent a lifetime just punching up a button on the radio want it to still be that way.

This is still the biggest PITA about internet radio. TuneIn helps, but CBS and Clear Channel stations are blocked on smartphones and Roku boxes. Other stations only provide access via their websites, on flash-based players - not compatible with Tunein.

The ideal app would be one that would interface with the TuneIn, iHeartRadio and CBS Radio.com apps. You'd bookmark your favorite stations (20? 50? 100?), then it would call the appropriate player. It would still be tough to change stations on your smartphone while driving, but that's another issue (read: Don't do it!).

Going through a few extra keystrokes won't make much difference to those who can get their station(s) of choice on demand streaming live, just as long they can access their favorite station(s) on demand streaming live.

I do agree on the idea of an app that would interface, TuneIn, iHeart, etc into one app. Those stations that are only streamed through their website (or don't stream at all....shame on them)and not on smartphones (or in my case, iPod touch), are missing out on reaching a wider audience. There's also the issue of the apps (or the station being streamed through TuneIn, iHeart, etc) complying with the demands/standards of the smartphone providers, be it Apple, Blackberry, or Android. I remember how many months it took for Live 365 to get approved by Apple for an iPhone (iPod touch) app.

I'm no expert on smartphones (so maybe someone can enlighten me) on whether they can be voice activated to change stations on your smartphone while driving.

 

[Whiplash]

Several years ago WWVA and their owners did away with the airing of the Wheeling Jamboree. A new local group relaunched it and it currently airs in live or recorded form on 8 stations in WV and Ohio. www.wheelingjamboree.org

Now in conjunction with the jamboree, there's a classic country online station known as The Farm. Listen to it live at http://wrkp.com/thefarm.htm

 

[thebigjohnshow]

Well, I like to think that Internet radio can be it's own version of radio IF it's done right. HD radio is / was nice. I am currently in between gigs after being laid off from KTCS in Fort Smith back in January. So in late june, I started an online radio station using all the knowlegde I have collected in the 9 years I have been in over-the-air radio. Go to www.thebigjohnshow.com and listen to it. I run my station as a local station with local advertisers. It's really tough to do sometimes, but I do it all and just try to keep up.

I am looking to get back on the air (terrestrial) and keep my online station, but I supposed this will have to do until I can get back on normal radio.



Thank you for your time,

John Horton
TBJS Radio Network
703 Pearl Street
Poteau, OK 74953
Phone: 918 649-1462
www.thebigjohnshow.com