Thoughts on the Current State and Potential Future of Detroit Radio

[Radiobirdman]

A radio provides instant free voice and music almost anywhere, with incredible potential. But a trip down the dial today offers not much more than Journey, The Eagles, Sean Hannity, and endless commercials for roofing contractors. That doesn’t have to be the inherent default. In past days Detroit had a real vibrancy. CKLW was legendary, fueled by shrewd music picks by Rosalie Trombley. WABX brought personalities and content to the air available nowhere else. Think of what WJZZ and WQRS had to offer. And WJR had something for any adult, Jimmy Launce, J.P. McCarthy, Ernie Harwell, Karl Haas, Gene Elzy. The Detroit airwaves today are truly a vast wasteland. Interesting that public stations with actual creative content like WDET and WRCJ are bubbling up in the local ratings. Detroit radio for the most part is General Motors in the 1970s. Uncreative, stubborn, low-common-denominator, afraid to try anything new, complacent, boring, obsolete. We can learn something from Sirius/XM, even with their own trials and missteps. When I ask around work I find more than a few people who listen to XM channels like Deep Tracks and Coffeehouse, enjoying songs that aren’t ever played on FM. You can play XM Chill all the way to Florida on a family trip and no one will complain. Ask any parent of little kids about the value of XM Kids Place Live with their fun announcers like Kenny Curtis and the music that keeps their kids entertained on the way to school. There HAS to be an alternative to the tepid fare on local terrestrial radio that goes beyond “don’t rock the boat” or “well technically we’re profitable for the moment.” AM/FM radio still has great potential but no one seems willing or able to tap into it.

[billmich88888]

I hate to break it to you.....

but this is the state of radio most everywhere.

next up, television as we know/knew it

[TC Talks]

Audiences have left both mediums. Quality, and diversity of programming have found better places to reside.

There's no way to win back people from the Spotify/Netflix model the was things are run today. Interestingly, radio remains strong in Europe and other parts of the world.

[Paul Richards]

The future of radio is here. Streaming is where it’s at and going to be in the future, but not for everyone. I do see that at some point IHeart, Audacy, Cumulus, Beasley and others will eventually sell off their traditional AM and FM properties to lesser companies and go exclusively to streaming services. This scenario may actually be a good thing, it could lead to more variety on the AM and FM dial. This is only a possibility, not everyone will be streaming the radio. Only time will tell. I give radio's current state a few more years before something actually will make a big change to the AM and FM dial as we know it. That something could be allowing smaller broadcasters to own radio properties that were bought up by the big broadcasters back 30 years ago. Maybe traditional radio will be returned to the people and not the big corporate owners.

[stopnswop2]

People have been saying for 20 years now that "everyone gets their music online now", but here we are still

[billmich88888]

people were not saying that in 2004.....certainly not in any overwhelming numbers like today

[Paul Richards]

People have been saying for 20 years now that "everyone gets their music online now", but here we are still

I’m saying possibly and maybe. Traditional radio can’t keep going at it’s present rate for 20 or 30 more years something has to change. Big broadcasters can only lose money for so long.

[Radiobirdman]

Look at the night pattern of our humble WJR:

https://nf8m.com/pattern_maps/current/N ... KHz-1.html

When you can reach literally half of North America who can listen almost anywhere and for free, with radios already in their houses and cars, that's still an extraordinary technology that creative minds and new thinking could tap into some perhaps new kinds of opportunity.

[Graham Wellington]

Look at the night pattern of our humble WJR:

https://nf8m.com/pattern_maps/current/N ... KHz-1.html

When you can reach literally half of North America who can listen almost anywhere and for free, with radios already in their houses and cars, that's still an extraordinary technology that creative minds and new thinking could tap into some perhaps new kinds of opportunity.

Most people don't have radios in their home anymore, and those that do aren't going to be clamoring to pull in some station hundreds of miles away that is full of static and fading in and out. Especially when they can ask their smart speaker to play the same exact programing in crystal clear audio.

[Paul Richards]

Look at the night pattern of our humble WJR:

https://nf8m.com/pattern_maps/current/N ... KHz-1.html

When you can reach literally half of North America who can listen almost anywhere and for free, with radios already in their houses and cars, that's still an extraordinary technology that creative minds and new thinking could tap into some perhaps new kinds of opportunity.

What new kinds of opportunities? It would have to be an alternative to streaming and not a supplemental to streaming because we already have that and it’s obviously not working. Streaming was supposed to be supplemental to traditional radio and apparently it is becoming more popular than traditional radio. The traditional radio audience is getting smaller as each year goes by and the listeners don’t care if they have to pay to hear their favorite station or podcasts online. If you’re under 30 years old chances are you don’t even own a radio. As far as the radio in vehicles most people are not even tuned in to the radio, instead they have the app screen on that vehicle tuned into SiriusXM or have their smartphone tied into Bluetooth and have the smartphone locked in to an app. No one cares that WJR covers half the country, that’s not relevant. Internet radio and streaming is worldwide that is relevant

[SolidGoldDancers]

Look at the night pattern of our humble WJR:

https://nf8m.com/pattern_maps/current/N ... KHz-1.html

When you can reach literally half of North America who can listen almost anywhere and for free, with radios already in their houses and cars, that's still an extraordinary technology that creative minds and new thinking could tap into some perhaps new kinds of opportunity.

I can't think of anyone that I know that has a radio, AM, FM or otherwise. No stereos, no table tops, they're just all gone. Sure, they have them in their cars and it competes with Bluetooth enabled devices.

It isn't free, it's a trade of attention for programming and the scales have been further tipped in favor of the broadcaster with crummy programming and oppressive loads of obnoxious commercials.

I'd listen to radio, but there are no creative minds in the business to give me something worth my time to listen.

[Realist]

Problem you have is that you have a handful of corporations that own the majority of the radio stations currently. You pretty much have the same 500-600 song playlist with the current hits being played every 3.5-4 hours just about everywhere. Only thing different is the imaging and call letters.

Terrestrial radio is for the most part boring. My tolerance for commercials is low. Even with me having SXM, my favorite saying is “shut up and play music” when a self important DJ babbles on and on. I really don’t care what they have to say most of the time

[stopnswop2]

Repetition is the key to mind control