Streaming cost its self is fairly cheap. Even a piss poor radio station should be able to stream to at least a handful of listeners with out breaking the budget. However, having said that. Royalties could be the killer. Although radio stations know that Internet streaming is no longer the experimental hobby it was a decade ago, there is that haunting royalty that makes the radio execs wonder if it is even worth it. While I still think we need royalty parity, I do think it is worth it. I've been running the internet version of STAR 107.9 - America's First 80s Station since the terrestrial station flipped formats back in 2001 with the growing help of the DJs and the original Program Director. We are no longer exclusively listened to by people sitting at their computers. Listeners have hooked us up to their home stereo systems, and smart phones. We are mobile, depending on your 3G coverage in your area, you can take us on your travel to work. Given that fact, I should look into traffic reports. We already do weather reports on Friday for the weekend.
So why don't some radio stations stream? You'd have to ask them to get their take on it. There is a local AM station that I wished would stream, as I like the music they play, but the static I get when I pass a transformer, or the fade out going under bridges, not to mention they reduce their power at sunset and I can't get them keep me from listening to them on the actual radio for any length of time. Over all, I think that they may believe that it is not worth the trouble, but maybe one day in the near future they will change their mind. After all its not boom boxes we are buying this Christmas, its smart phones and wireless devices. That should tell them where their listeners are going. What I'm saying is, if you are a radio station and you want listeners to listen to you, you need to be where the listeners are going.
(stepping down off the soap box)
Vincent Riley
Program Director
STAR1079.com
