Tuesday, September 6, 2011
"Video Killed the Radio Star"
In the past, I could listen to a radio station for ten years and know when I jumped in the car to turn on the radio, I could hear my favorite song (and not the same song every seven minutes like a broken record, which is what radio has become). Today with "the world at my finger tips" and all of my favorite music on my mp3, many consumers like me have forgone the radio play and it is dying. There is a song from the 80's, "Video Killed the Radio Star" which tells the tale of how MTV's launch killed radio ratings the first time around when everyone switched the TV on and their radio off. The long tail has had the same effect on traditional media sources. A typical radio station may only survive three years or maybe even less due to the ever-changing tastes and short attentions span of its listeners. As I browse the stations to find a new source every few months it seems I become more and more frustrated with the lack of choices available. So, I found myself at the local electronic store buying and mp3 player and having satellite radio installed in my car just so I can enjoy an occasional song that I actually like. there is only one problem-TIME, or should I say lack of it. By the time I am able to get the satellite radio installed, figure out how to find my favorite stations and then program the stations the technology will change again. Constantly searching, programming, selecting favorites, saving, renaming--who has time for all of this?! Do I adapt, fight against the techno-abyss and suffer or create my own software program to locate and decipher the mass influx of unwanted choices now available in the infinite long tail? Mass media has become an entire culture of its own. The wide range of choices be they from iTunes, satellite radio or podcast are absolutely fabulous. However, if I do not have the time to preload my mp3 player or find what I am looking for while I am driving how good are the choices actually? It is bitter-sweet. Am I destined to listen to the same songs forever if I do not efficiently learn how to control my devices to harness the plethora of choices the long tail has to offer?
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I totally agree with what you said. It seems that regular radio plays the same 7-10 songs just in a different order throughout the day. You know it's gotten bad when 3 different stations are playing the same song at the exact same time. It only makes me wonder what will become of radio in the future.
ReplyDeleteYou both are right. Radio is one of the mass media without a clear future. Nowadays, everyone can be his own diskjockey. So, if I have the choice, to listen to radio or to my personal songs on my mp3 player, I will definitely decide for the mp3 player.
ReplyDeleteJust for my part, I only used the radio during my side job in Germany. I could imagine that radio is especially used during the job or in the morning for waking up.
I concur with your opinion, Daniel. when I'm given the choice, I will listen to my ipod. With radio, there are endless commercials and very little variety. With an mp3 player, there are no commercials, and all the songs are handpicked according to the individuals taste. That's something good old FM simply cannot do.
ReplyDeleteHere's one of my favorite radio examples:
ReplyDeleteIn 1996 I was driving from St. Louis to Odessa, TX (which is waaay out in west TX) for a job interview. As I was leaving St. Louis, they were playing an Alanis Moirissette song on the "modern rock" station (I forget which song it was, whatever was a hit in mid-96). I fell into some weird time vortex, because about every 4 hours or so, when I would hit a new major-ish town, the SAME Alanis Morissette song came on the radio! Seriously, St. Louis, Springfield, MO, Oklahoma City, Witchita Falls, TX. I heard that song at least 4 times that day, and I think I covered about 600 miles of my journey.
I also agree with this point. FM radio has honestly become either advertising with a little bit of music to break it up, or a random grouping of semi-popular songs from the 1990's that everyone is embarassed to admit they know. If you do take the time to load an mp3, then you can avoid the watered down airplay all together.
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