theTomWeekly.com - ARTICLES - The Future Of Radio

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One question that occurs to me is: What percentage of consumers listen to radio at home? I suspect that it's significantly smaller than auto or other mobile use. This makes me think that internet radio is almost exclusively listened to in the home, and even then, is probably still at the novelty stage. I'm guessing most home listeners are still tuning in to their local stations - on their stereo or radio. The primary reasons for this are fidelity, familiarity, and convenience (most consumers still don't look at the computer as being as easily accessible as the radio or stereo).

Now, when the day comes when most households have all-inclusive entertainment systems - computer, stereo, television, surround sound, garage door opener, wet bar, sleep number bed (I'm kidding about the garage door opener), all operating from the same integrated/centralized command center in the living room; look for things to change. The name of the game is convenience. However, this will be a mixed bag; everything will be in one place and sounding/looking great, but the remote will be even more difficult to figure out. So we'll continue to need kids to show us how it all works - and the kids keep

COLUMN

wielding more and more power.

In the car, it's a similar issue. Until internet appliances are common enough to be found in autos, cell phones, and the like, local radio is still safe in the car. I realize that internet capabilities are commonly found in cell phones, but again, convenience is the issue. Until there is an easy way to connect your cell phone internet radio output, to your car stereo; or until they start widely building computers into our dashboards; local radio is safe - and satellite radio will still have a chance. Of course, we know the era of computer-car stereo integration is coming. I think that probably will be the death, or at least the crippling of satellite radio. If I could punch up virtually any radio station in the world, in my car - I'd never leave the house.

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