Radio's Usage in 2012

[BobOnTheJob]

I've been vacationing in Key West off and on for 25 years...but this time, I was troubled by something. 25 years ago, virtually every shop on Duval Street had a radio station playing. It had been about 4 years since my last trip there, but this time--for the first time--I did not hear 1 single shop playing an AM or FM radio station--and I was in a LOT of shops. It was about 1/2 SiriusXM and 1/2 music that was either from a Muzak type provider or an iPod. That's Key West. Here in Indiana, virtually every convenience store & bank is still playing local radio. Is what is happening in Key West an isolated incident because of it's remoteness and the fact that Key West marches to it's own beat or is this trend on it's way to the country at large? What does this say about the medical condition of our goose that's laid so many golden eggs?

 

[RDO]

I've noticed more Sirius/XM in stores in Indy, too.

 

[Onesimus]

The RAB was excited that radio grew one percent in 2011. There are two problems with the one percent figure:

1.) The increase is primaily due to an increase in non-traditional revenue (concerts, radio auctions, etc.). Spot revenue continued its slide.

2.) The minimal growth is not keeping up with inflation.

I'm not going to say that radio is dying, but we're kidding ourselves if we consider it a growing business.

 

[Ted Cramer]

In my area, it's radio in businesses...the exception being big box stores.....

 

[radioboymark]

Not to be a pollyanna, Bob but in store airplay is not a good judge of actual usage. 2 big reasons:
1) If the ASCAP or BMI comes thru town (and with all the live music in Key West, I'll bet they are around) they can scare businesses away from playing a radio.
2) Competition. Store owners hear a commercial on the air for a competing store, and they yank out the radio and call Muzak.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Store owners hear a commercial on the air for a competing store, and they yank out the radio and call Muzak.

That's true here in the Columbus Indiana market...the #1 station in town sells Dentist spots galore and as a result the dentists that don't advertise won't listen to it--my dentist included. You make good points Mark. My point was the seeming seismic shift...to play devil's advocate, weren't the ASCAP & BMI folks there in equal force 25 years ago when every shop was playing a radio station?

 

[mobilene]

Here's another thing. If I were a shop owner and wanted background music, modern stations with three 8-10 minute stop sets an hour would not be playing enough music to meet the need.

 

[flip23]

It seems many doctor/dentist offices that used to play radio now use all- music services or in some case their own i-pods. There's really no true "lite" or soft music station on the air in Indy anymore, with WTPI having gone away and WYXB playing some rather harder edge music now. Some health clubs/gyms used to play local radio, but they also seem to have drifted to Muzak type services that deliver the exact style of music they need, and even include local announcements for the business dropped into the music free.

 

[jo-nathan]

It makes no sense for a business to play local radio when most stations have DJ chatter and seemingly endless commercials. Music in a business is designed for just that - music.

If they can play music without the interruptions, why shouldn't they?

Face it: The days of local radio as we know it are numbered*.

* In a lot of ways, it's time has already come and gone.

 

[Icangelp]

Do any businesses still use Muzak as their music supplier, or has it gone the way of telephone answering services and the juke box?

I for one hate music being a part of my shopping experience...often so loud it becomes foreground music, and featuring way too many post adolescent, squeaky voiced, high sopranos. If course, I'm not their target customer.

 

[flip23]

Muzak is in lots of places. They have quite a few channels, from hard rock, to dance to 80s etc.