Readers comment on our decade review.
Seeing as how we like to encourage some rousing debate about radio, with this post I’d like to highlight a few of them.
Responding to #11, cash-strapped schools turn their backs on college radio, Seth Thornberry points out:
In another example of the spirit of independent radio, the DJs from KTXT got together and created The Llano Idea which has kept up the volunteer run radio (online, at least).
In response to #6, HD Radio launches, but who listens? Who cares? BrianK finds some hope for the service:
Ford announced today that HD Radio is factory installed in their autos and the at least 4X digital power increase for HD radio is on the cusp of being approved which will give listeners stereo reception upto twice as far as traditional auto FM receivers in noise-free and to my ears much better high frequency response
But Greg begs to differ, noting that,
Ford has been announcing that it would add HD Radio since 2007, but it never materialized. Also, Ford is an investor in iBiquity. … BMW even has an HD Radio trouble-shooting guide, and there are nothing but complaints about HD Radio in BMW Forums, so I’m guessing that it will be the same situation with Ford.
PS. just one little correction: CD quality is really “seedy” quality.
Blue raises an important point in their response to #5 The Age of Pandora:
What Pandora doesn’t offer is anything local, even though they are a Bay Area company, I think. KDFC is the only radio station supporting the local arts community by staying classical. Radio can still be about supporting and interacting with the local community. Pandora is cool for folks whose tastes are outside the mainstream. …
Gary finds some limitations with Pandora, complaining:
As an opera fan, I don’t like how Pandora gives you the “greatest hits” approach.
Commenting on #4 Podcasting, Brian Cox writes:
Podcasts put the power of broadcast in the hands of the people. As an ex radio guy I’ve slowly watched terrestrial radio take a nose dive. Which is because they’ve lost touch with the listener. Podcasts offer the content that terrestrial radio is afraid to play and say.
And Tapeleg asks,
who in commercial radio these days is producing actual content? Aside from your talk shows (politics, sports talk), who is creating actual content that is original and worth achiving and listening to later?
Mike Ryan of Sydney, Australia comments on #2, the growth of Internet radio, letting us know that
Clear Channel block their streams from international listeners. The content companies may wake up to the concept of the “long tail” – ie bigger audience means more opportunities for sales and artist exposure. Thanks to torrents I have just discovered “Northern Soul”. Amazon UK will be getting an order shortly.
Marvin remains skeptical about the internet radio threat to satellite in his response to #1, the birth and troubled childhood of satellite radio:
Although I enjoy the free internet streams (Pandora. ect.. etc) and have tried to stream from the car with an iPhone and aux cable connection, I must say it was a frustrating experience. … Satellite seems to make perfect sense to me – a few orbiting transmitters unobstructed instead of thousands upon thousands of towers with cell and radio transmitters. Also, the clearity of satellite amazes me … so crisp.
While egiscodr argues,
With the price points and tons of content, I do not think Sirius XM has much to worry about from internet or terrestrial radio.
What do you think? Make your comments here or on the original posts. Keep it lively, just keep it respectful.
