Is there hope?
In reply to my last post Is Radio Screwed? my answer is a resounding NO.
The world is changing but it’s changed before. Marconi himself never envisaged radio as a medium for speech or music. It was other inventors who changed radio to the more human friendly sound medium we know today.
In the 50s and 60s television took much of radios golden content and radio once again adapted to the changing times. Now as the internet threatens our advertising lifeblood, radio must adapt once more.
Radio has some evergreen advantages over television and the internet. It’s simple, portable and free. You only need ears to enjoy it, and with a hundred year heritage, radio is an accepted part of everyday life.
It’s not without its faults. Irish station formats are largely based on age profile rather than actual interest. DJ’s still never announce the name of the song that’s just pricked your interest. Radio receivers themselves just aren’t “sexy”.
New digital radios and DAB offer a very bright new future. Building on all the advantages we’ve loved for years digital radios can give you stations based on your interest be it news, jazz, oldies and so on. Most digital radios display the name of the song playing now on the station. Newer digital radios feature a very sexy colour touchscreen. Broadcasters are beginning to use “Slideshow” to display a full colour representation of what’s on air now. That can be anything from artist pictures, station logos, weather maps or God forbid the DJ photo!
Radio as a medium is strong. Digital radio like DAB makes it stronger. It brings our medium into the 21st century with features that people are beginning to expect on electronic devices from televisons to telephones.
Growing and adapting to changing times is a cornerstone of any long-term business. If radio does this we have a future. If we don’t …
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