Terrestrial Stations That Don't Stream Online

[Bongwater]

Pardon me while I go off on an editorial tangent:

I really don't understand terrestrial stations that resist streaming online.

Internet radio is not the future, it's NOW. The crummy, half-assed programming on most HD radio subchannels is NO match WHATSOEVER for a super WiMAX 4g network that could potentially deliver every radio station on the planet...and THEN some.....to every car, office and home out there. You can be driving in north Idaho and listen to KROQ in L.A.

It's a future that's not embryonic, it's already riding a bike with training wheels. And getting an allowance.

And if you're any kind of radio station that does not have a dependable audio feed online (especially a simple, high quality, click and instant universal play .PLS file), GET HIP NOW!! You're just losing without it these days.

And preferably one that doesn't require a listener to use a mandatory pop-up player (but keep it as an option.) FORGET Flash players and DON'T fill it with a useless long, boring video advertisement people have to sit through to get to the scalding hot topic/song of interest on the radio their buddy just called them about and the link can be saved in the preferred media player and instantly accessible anytime whenever needed. (Why make it complicated?)

I think an online feed is every bit as valuable as the best on air signal. And probably more. What terrestrial radio also needs to do is keep it LOCAL. It's also a fact many online listeners have been transplanted to other places and this is a way to stay in touch with home and keep up on things. Or people looking to find a good city to move to (you can learn a lot about an area by what's playing on it's local radio stations.). Or just an aural trip to Hawaii or Cincinnati.

Some stations (like Seattle/Tacoma's KPLU, KEXP and KING-FM) bring a type/quality of programming you rarely hear in many areas of country and a lot of the world. But even if you're an average AC somewhere, as long as you maintain that local presentation, it can really do a lot.

I also get really annoyed with stations that use cookie-cutter monikers "Star", "Mix", "Warm", "Kiss". "Hot" "The (Insert Animal Name/Topography Feature/Object Name Here)", etc. Today's terrestrial radio relies too much on worn-out/outdated imaging and format classifications when in the closer-than-you-think world of WiFi powered universal radio, what people are going to be looking for is the originality and local flavors from wherever that they can't get on Sirius XM. Not a zillion carbon-copy country stations that call themselves "The Wolf".

I think all terrestrial commercial radio (especially in small towns) needs to get serious about online streaming and making it as instantly accessible as possible. As easy to tune as a conventional radio signal with no buffering delays and easy to program anywhere is here (I even created my own "virtual dial" with Rhythmbox in Ubuntu Linux.)

We're at that stage for technological development. Just a super powerful 4g WiMax/even satellite internet delivery network that spans as much of the nation as possible and radio will finally come of age.

So what's your take.......

 

[V.Riley]

Well, as for some of the terrestrial stations that are resisting streaming online, they either don't see it as the future, or they are still concerned about the legal issues with royalties that started haunting all of them back in 2000 and 2001. There is also the concern that Internet Radio doesn't have a firm marketing base to bring revenue in. Of course the more of them that would embrace this, the better that marketing base would be. I'm not defending this, as I agree that Internet Radio is the way to reach today's audience. Unfortunately as a stand alone operation, Internet Radio hasn't received much support from terrestrial radio and Internet Radio is also having to battle the heavy burden of extremely high royalty costs while still struggling to bring in revenue to pay for just the basic costs of streaming. Keep in mind, advertisers and advertising agencies are just starting to notice Internet Radio and they haven't yet figured out a pricing model for it nor are they fully taking it seriously.

As for stations using cookie-cutter monikers like "Star", "Mix" and so on.... well in my case, the internet station I run is STAR1079.com, which is a tribute station to America's First 80s Station, STAR 107.9 FM in Columbus, Ohio. If it sounds a bit retro, that was on purpose as it was and is about the 80s. As for today's stations, it seems more and more of them are parts of big corporations, so the ones who dream of what they can do with a radio station in a local area have been replaced with a suit in an office somewhere who thinks "How can I create a Radio Format Template that I can duplicate throughout all the regions we are in, so I can minimize duplication of effort, and get the most marketing bang for our corporate dollars". Individuality and uniqueness appear to be dieing on terrestrial radio. Maybe this is where Internet Radio will take over.... if they aren't killed by ever increasing royalty costs or bought out by corporate giants and turned into cookie cutter formatted stations.

Well, there is my small addition to your editorial tangent.

 

[northwoods]

I can think of one News/Talk station that does not stream live over the internet, and that is KHVH 830 AM in Honolulu,HI. With two local hosts (Rick Hamada who does morning drive from 5-9 AM (HST-apply your own time zone) and Mike Buck who does the afternoon drive from 3-7pm), this should be a no brainer for Clear Channel (who owns the station) not to stream online since at 5,000 watts, the stations broadcast range does not reach all the Hawaiian islands.

And being a News/Talk station, they don't have to worry about royalties as a music station would.

If anyone can come up with a rational answer why this station cannot and/or should not stream, I'm willing to listen.