Radio what next? |
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Radio is in the midst of a revolution of sorts. From podcasts to satellite the transition is for everyone to see (or hear?). Podcasting is yet to become a hugely profitable business proposition, but it is firmly in and looks set to stay. Observers predict that about 12 million households will subscribe to podcasting services by 2010. Randal Stross of New York Times News Service has famously said that marketers would soon be counting eardrums instead of eyeballs. In fact, common people are now coming forward to create audio programs for others as they dont have to bother about licenses, frequencies, towers and things like these. While it took some time before the digital revolution got to radio, it is now exploding. And the effect is being manifest in newer forms ranging from web to satellite to cell phones. Listeners are also enjoying more freedom; they no longer need to tune in at a certain time, and within range of a signal, to catch a show or a game. With the digital boom, the barriers to entry, including precious airwaves, are becoming irrelevant. The latest players to join the party include satellite-radio upstarts XM (XMSR) and Sirius (SIRI), new-media giants such as Yahoo! (YHOO) and MSN, and familiar entities like Ibbott. All these developments, quite obviously, have created a sense of panic among traditional radio powers. In any case, bored listeners are now willing to find freedom from those irritating ads on commercial airwaves and looking for fresh alternatives. Apart from podcasting, satellite is also making its presence felt. While Sirius and XM aren't expected to earn a profit until at least 2008, they have geared up with high-priced programming talent and are making an aggressive foray into the car-radio market. Not only that, they are focusing on marketing of handheld receivers that allow people to record shows. These satellite players are placing programs on desktop programs such as Microsoft's (MSFT) Media Player. All in all, radio is hot and going to be hotter. Posted by subhasis on Friday Aug 17 reply Comments |
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