The Future of Radio

Author(s)

Samuel MurrayFollow

Major

Journalism

Minor(s)

General Business

Advisor

Mcdermott, Maureen

Date

5-2018

Keywords

Radio; Mass Media; Broadcast Media; Broadcast Journalism; Communications

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.

Abstract

Since its inception and rise to popularity among major forms of mass media communication, radio has been thought to be the next technology to become obsolete. When television came out people thought radio was going to die out, but alas radio and television coexist to this day. When music videos, and eventually channels like MTV came out, radio was put into jeopardy as music would become more and more visual and the need for the radio would cease. This was not the case. When satellite channels came into being and started getting big name celebrities like Howard Stern to broadcast nationally, it was seen as the end of local radio stations as everyone would purchase satellite channels. But local talk shows and music shows still exist to this day. But why has radio persisted throughout the years? What makes it unique compared to other technological broadcast mediums that have come and gone? Where will radio be say 20 years down the line? I traveled around New England and interviewed members of different radio stations, looking to find everything I could possibly know about their line of work. I observed their business models and discovered what they did to stay afloat. I found out how they have adapted to the different technological changes and mediums that have come and gone over the years. Through my investigation I attempted to discover which model of radio would be the most successful in the changing world of broadcast technology. Which model is the most lucrative? Do specific genres like sports, music or politics affect the level of success a station will see more than others? Which format has the best chance of surviving long term? My intent with this project is to share this information to assist students who wish to pursue a career in radio.