The same fragmentation we've seen in television is coming to radio, too:
When Wi-Fi hits the car, or whatever type of cheap Internet access deploys in automobiles, Sirius XM will be challenged too. Right now, Sirius XM’s Internet play is laughable.
Most people under age 20 have never experienced good radio. So when baby boomers and Gen X’ers start waxing rhapsodically about their old-time favorites, wanting them to come back, it’s the equivalent of wishing that musicvideos would come back to MTV.
Insiders believe that there’s no revolution in terrestrial radio because the owners know it’s headed into the dumper. They’re just milking it for all they can before it falls off a cliff. So if you’re waiting for format innovation and fewer commercials … you’ll be waiting forever.
I confess to being a part of that revolution. I have an app on my smart phone that builds "radio stations" for me based on the artists I identify as my favorites -- not just including them but other artists who play in the same style. Between that and the music I download to the phone, I can listen only to music of my choosing, not merely the stuff picked by some radio programmer. And I do. In my youth and early adulthood, I listened to music all the time -- it was always there as a p[art of my background noise. In the last few years, I've drifted away from the habit, barely listening to music at all. Now I'm back, thanks to being able to hear what I want and always having it with me.
I've mentioned that I get a kick out of the "Bob & Tom show." It use to be carried on 92.3 The Fort here. I also liked the mix of rock songs played there, so I left the car radio on that station all day except for occasional jaunts to WOWO or NPR for news. When WOWO took over that station, Bob & Tom was moved to 98.9 The Bear. It happens that I don't espcially like their mix of rock songs, so I move to something else as the default station for the rest of the day. And guess what? Don't miss The Bear a'tall.
