I love radio. I’m an avid listener, pundit, critic, historian and technologist. I believe traditional broadcast radio will morph into something new and incredible, and I might want to help shape its future. Watch this website as my theory on the future of broadcasting unfolds.
Most people still working in “corporate” radio today are probably in their last radio job and may not know it. The future of commercial radio broadcasting is bleak, at best. The bubble has burst, and we have an emerging opportunity to rebuild.
Producers of compelling content will ultimately succeed in attracting audience to sell to advertisers if they relentlessly promote their product. My theory is that many of the same principles used to attract and sustain radio audience 40 years ago will be reinvigorated in next generation broadcasting. Personality driven radio is an incomparable way to build and maintain time spent listening. The business model will change. The barrier to entry will be lower, and the corresponding revenue may be so low because of audience fragmentation that corporate conglomerates may not even want to play. But that’s not to say there won’t be money to be made.
Internet content delivery will reach automobiles in just a few years, and traditional over-the-air delivery will be changed forever when it does. This will be the final nail in AM-FM radio’s coffin, at least in the USA. FCC licensees will be relegated to mere digital transport providers. Content providers will buy transit from competing ISPs. The branded product will not have FCC call letters. 4G LTE and Super WiFi (802.22) will become the next standard broadcast band. Read more…
My money is on next-generation broadcasting, and it has very little to do with radio frequency transmitters and receivers. Thanks for your interest in my theory. I look forward to your comments.