Thing 42: Music 2.0

Friend Eric introduced me to Radioio a couple of years ago and I liked listening to that when I was working late. No longer did I have to lug around cds, there was a website that had a variety of music formats and I could listen to whatever I wanted. If I were willing to pay a fee, I wouldn't even have to listen to the commercials. Lately it seems that connectivity to this site hasn't been great, so as I have been packing up the house this week I've been listening to The Current via the computer. (We no longer have a stereo or boombox, all is packed away). With the advent of the Ipod and podcasts, I've been able to keep up with favorite radio shows that I sometimes miss and that certainly is a boon! For example, we downloaded a whole bunch of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me episodes to listen to in the car when driving to Chicago. If you haven't heard the recent episode where Paula Dean is interviewed, grant yourself this 7 minute pleasure. It's a hoot!

So will internet radio replace broadcast? I don't think so. It seems like the radio stations figured out the importance of the internet connection to their work before the TV stations did. In order to stay in business, they must stay relevant. They do that by having up-to-date content, making their original content available via the air waves as well as the internet and by hiring fantastic on air talent. Doesn't matter how good the news reporting is on NPR, if the on air talent isn't any good, no one is going to listen. Plus at this moment, the radio stations do have the advantage of a poor economy on their side . . . HD radio is a luxury for many people and in these times, it might one thing to forgo. Remember when new cars came with Sirius radio connections? They were fabulous, but how many people continued the subscriptions?