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Is This The Future of Radio?

9

93QClassic.com

Guest
For months, everyone has been talking about the new technology coming out -- e.g., streaming "radios" about to become standard equipment in new cars. I did a little research, and learned that manufacturers in China are already preparing for the aftermarket demand. They're going to put out "smart radios" that folks can install in any vehicle, upgrading their current radio so it'll be just like the new ones coming out. Activating the new streaming radios will be a lot like the tablet computers -- you'll have to add it to your wireless cell phone plan, ensure you have lots of data, and depending on carrier, either have the device activated or insert a new SIM card.

It occurred to me that these new streaming radios are merely a repackaging of technology that has been available for years. My car stereo already has bluetooth. I have an old cell phone with a cracked screen. I went and bought a SIM card, activating it on T-mobile's $30 unlimited data plan. (You actually get 100 minutes talk and 5 GB of 4G LTE data, then they choke speed). http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tmobile-30-Wireless-Airtime-Card/15443357 When T-mobile lacks good coverage in rural areas, its lets your phone roam onto AT&Ts network.

Earlier this week, I had opportunity to travel up through east Texas. (Our ministry is involved in the construction on a new transitional residence). As I was leaving Houston, I got BOB-FM (KBPA Austin) streaming on the spare phone, and tethered it to car radio via bluetooth. You know, I've been listening to BOB-FM all week long. Excellent sound quality. And on rare occasions when the signal drops (for me, mostly around the Kirbyville, Jasper, and Woodville areas) there is no hissing or static. Just a few seconds of silence while the stream buffers.

When I had satellite radio, I didn't much care for the sound quality or the prepackaged stations they had. At least it wasn't worth what I had to pay for it. This streaming radio, however, is worth it. You can listen to anything you want.

I've been a fan of broadcast radio for most of my life and hate to predict its demise, but I can't see it surviving very long once these streaming radios become integrated in every vehicle. As more people use them, competition will force the cost of data to drop. I think this is the future of radio.

Anybody agree?
 
93QClassic.com said:
For months, everyone has been talking about the new technology coming out -- e.g., streaming "radios" about to become standard equipment in new cars. I did a little research, and learned that manufacturers in China are already preparing for the aftermarket demand. They're going to put out "smart radios" that folks can install in any vehicle, upgrading their current radio so it'll be just like the new ones coming out. Activating the new streaming radios will be a lot like the tablet computers -- you'll have to add it to your wireless cell phone plan, ensure you have lots of data, and depending on carrier, either have the device activated or insert a new SIM card.

It occurred to me that these new streaming radios are merely a repackaging of technology that has been available for years. My car stereo already has bluetooth. I have an old cell phone with a cracked screen. I went and bought a SIM card, activating it on T-mobile's $30 unlimited data plan. (You actually get 100 minutes talk and 5 GB of 4G LTE data, then they choke speed). http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tmobile-30-Wireless-Airtime-Card/15443357 When T-mobile lacks good coverage in rural areas, its lets your phone roam onto AT&Ts network.

Earlier this week, I had opportunity to travel up through east Texas. (Our ministry is involved in the construction on a new transitional residence). As I was leaving Houston, I got BOB-FM (KBPA Austin) streaming on the spare phone, and tethered it to car radio via bluetooth. You know, I've been listening to BOB-FM all week long. Excellent sound quality. And on rare occasions when the signal drops (for me, mostly around the Kirbyville, Jasper, and Woodville areas) there is no hissing or static. Just a few seconds of silence while the stream buffers.

When I had satellite radio, I didn't much care for the sound quality or the prepackaged stations they had. At least it wasn't worth what I had to pay for it. This streaming radio, however, is worth it. You can listen to anything you want.

I've been a fan of broadcast radio for most of my life and hate to predict its demise, but I can't see it surviving very long once these streaming radios become integrated in every vehicle. As more people use them, competition will force the cost of data to drop. I think this is the future of radio.

Anybody agree?
Click to expand...

Pretty good station - its on my presets. It puts a very good signal onto the Grand Parkway and on Fry road, except where a pirate operates at Fry and Morton. Streaming might help on those days when the skip isn't as good.
 
With Cricket's new LTE coverage (and they being owned by ATT anyway; they have better overall coverage than Boost, TMobile, Sprint and others...Verizon is about the only one to outdo them) and their $35 unlimited plan, thats what I would use..(and I will likely be switching to them soon..the PagePlus plans on Verizon work but Cricket is cheaper and gives unlimited data for that)....roaming on ATT from T Mobile is not cheap...

When WLS FM flipped to classic hits in 2012 and had John Records Landecker return, I would listen to him fed into the aux input of my Escape...but since 2013, Cumeless has killed the legend DJs from doing their bits...so its no better than an iPOD or JACK/BOB station...I would rather listen to a station with personality and music...than computer automation playing music...I had enough of that on USB and other media but I dont have the DJs doing the bits which is what makes radio radio..Its music with PERSONALITY......cant get that from a 'Bot' run station.....
 
I hope not. I was never a fan of Pandora, I do listen to above and beyond podcast on my android sometimes, but still I like regular radio no bandwidth required. Of course at work I stream to music and stations only because reception on radio is poor in the building.
 
jras20 said:
I hope not. I was never a fan of Pandora, I do listen to above and beyond podcast on my android sometimes, but still I like regular radio no bandwidth required. Of course at work I stream to music and stations only because reception on radio is poor in the building.
Click to expand...

Try putting your radio by the window - I've got WBAP almost static free in my office at I-10 and Greenhouse.
 
I would prefer brief static than buffering and reconnecting to a stream! I am no fan of Pandora. I tried it on 3 different occasions and was not impressed. If i want to listen to streaming music, I will go to Spotify.
 
I can agree with some of these comments in the sense that bad cell connections are no fun at all. I'd rather have a weak FM signal than have a weak Internet connection where streams buffer constantly... At least with the weak FM you can hear music through the static, when Internet stations buffer, the music just drops for a couple seconds at best sometimes and a minute or two or three at worst!
All that aside, I can't wait until I get a new iPhone 6. Compared to my current 4S it will have, among other things, 4G, hopefully improving quality of Internet radio.
 
Reply to Aonymouse

For streaming audio to your phone, having 4G LTE makes all the difference in the world. I dont know much about the iphones. I have a Samsung Galaxy Note. The android systems let you see in the settings what network your phone is connected to. Even though I have a TMobile SIM card, when I'm out in rural areas the phone will show the network connection is ATT 4G LTE. The only time I had buffering was up through Kirbyville and Jasper. Phone showed it was connecting to an unidentified network and the service varied -- sometimes 3G and sometimes EDGE. Guess those rural towns need to upgrade service....

And part of the buffering issue may be associated with I heart and tune in mobile apps. I built a mobile app for JoeFm.net that is bare bones audio and it plays a lot better that the other services because in addition to audio they are sending your phone song title and artist, album artwork, pop up advertising. Etc.
 
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Just wondering - is there a way to listen to JoeFM.net with a music player on a PC like Windows Media or Winamp? Haven't heard it yet, but I'm a little curious as to what type of music it plays and I don't wanna mess with the flash player on the site. LOL
 
The interesting part of this discussion is now every local radio station is now a national syndicator. People in Houston can now listen to Scott Shannon on WCBS-FM in NYC if they want, or Coyote Calhoun in Louisville. They aren't restricted to their local talent. What does that mean for local DJs who are now competing against the entire country, not just their market, for listeners?
 
93QClassic.com said:
Anybody agree?
Click to expand...
I agree that streaming radio in the car is not the problem some people think it is. Even after my data provider throttles back my speed my in-car streaming does fine, in town or out. As for the the remaining life of terrestrial radio transmitters I can only guess. I have a history of making good predictions but way too early, probably because I'm an early adopter. I read online somewhere today (wish I could remember where) a prediction that by 2020, streaming radio will equal broadcast radio. My guess is that it will be sooner than that but really I have no idea. If I did, I could make life-changing investments.
 
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TheBigA said:
In what? Verizon? Clearly the telecoms are in the driver's seat, not the content companies.
Click to expand...
There are lots of ways to use future knowledge to invest. If the public continues to tune into terrestrial transmitters far longer conventional wisdom indicates, or declines faster, that has implications for the value of transmitters, the companies that own them and the vendors that service them.
 
TheBigA said:
In what? Verizon? Clearly the telecoms are in the driver's seat, not the content companies.
Click to expand...

Gosh no! Whether it is Dallas, Houston, or LA - they stink! My daughter missed a call time to the iCarly set because of bad Verizon coverage in LA. No such problems with ATT. That still doesn't improve cell streaming in the car. The problem is incoming calls and cell handovers. Both make the stream drop and it won't recover automatically. Until that problem is solved, streaming in cars isn't ready for consumer use. It is even LESS reliable than HD radio.
 
TheBigA said:
The interesting part of this discussion is now every local radio station is now a national syndicator. People in Houston can now listen to Scott Shannon on WCBS-FM in NYC if they want, or Coyote Calhoun in Louisville. They aren't restricted to their local talent. What does that mean for local DJs who are now competing against the entire country, not just their market, for listeners?
Click to expand...

True enough. The possibilities are endless. It just takes a bit of internet promotion, and maybe a bit of advertising, and a station in San Diego or Denver could have 'ratings' from various sections of the country.

And not just the rest of the country, you could include the world. There are stations all over the world that have a different take on music than domestic stations do. Some of the European pop stations seem to be more EDM heavy, and play different hit artists than the domestic stations do, for example. The problem with some of them could be the language barrier, but the music itself could make a difference to some listeners.
 
boombox4 said:
True enough. The possibilities are endless. It just takes a bit of internet promotion, and maybe a bit of advertising, and a station in San Diego or Denver could have 'ratings' from various sections of the country.

And not just the rest of the country, you could include the world. There are stations all over the world that have a different take on music than domestic stations do. Some of the European pop stations seem to be more EDM heavy, and play different hit artists than the domestic stations do, for example. The problem with some of them could be the language barrier, but the music itself could make a difference to some listeners.
Click to expand...

The current ratings model is outmoded. When I listen to radio, more than half the commercials are national brands and services. They would be just as effective at selling product 1000 miles from where the station broadcasts. You can buy Geico in Houston, and you can buy it in Great Falls, etc. So the Houston station streamed there should get credit for the sale and the ratings. How they accomplish that - I don't know. Maybe a quick point of sale survey - "where did you hear about us?".

The same arguments apply to high powered AM before the band got cluttered. I remember national commercials on high powered stations - the stations obviously knew they had out of town listeners and their marketing departments were effective at selling commercials based on that. It probably took a bit more work, but an astute marketing person will use any detail like that to sell air time. They should do the same in the new reality of streaming - not sit there with spreadsheets looking at ratings numbers, 60 dBu countours, and "scientific" studies showing details in polished powerpoint presentations. That isn't marketing. Selling commercials is marketing. You do it any way you can, making your station look as attractive as possible. What makes people buy a product or service is not scientific study - it is behavioral study. Understand motivations, needs, wants, and desires - sell to those. Those know no boundaries or markets, they apply across the country. Have a unique format, advertise it effectively on social media, get a substantial streaming audience - then sell commercials to that audience. Get off of powerpoint and into the field and knock on doors, make calls.
 
boombox4 said:
True enough. The possibilities are endless. It just takes a bit of internet promotion, and maybe a bit of advertising, and a station in San Diego or Denver could have 'ratings' from various sections of the country.
Click to expand...

But my question was: What does that mean for local talent?
 
TheBigA said:
But my question was: What does that mean for local talent?
Click to expand...

I don't really know how to answer that. I can just guess.

It's not like local talent never had competition from programming originated in other parts of the country. Look at the long history of networked talk shows. But local shows still survive. I think for a while in the early 2000's the big deal was voice tracking for stations in different metros, stations owned by the same company. I'm not sure if that got rid of many local shows. Here in my metro there are still plenty of locally produced shows.

The average listener probably isn't going to seek out DJ shows from other areas of the country. Music streams, yes. Nationally well-known talk and music shows, probably, if the show is in their field of interest. But I don't think the majority of listeners online are much different from those who listen over the air in this regard.

If the local station plays the music they want to hear, and the presentation is adequate, they won't bother checking the stream of a station 2000 miles away, unless it was promoted and advertised nationally, and there was some compelling reason for them to tune in.
 
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