This Week in
Small Market Radio
SMARTPHONES TO BECOME MOBILE GATEWAYS according to U.K. media analysts Frost & Sullivan. They say that within five years, at least 5 million North American vehicles will be equipped to connect to the Internet via their owners’ smartphones.
FCC: HERE TO HELP. The Commission now has a new online help center at www.fcc.gov/consumers. Spokesman Joel Gurin explains, “Our new Consumer Help Center makes it easy for consumers to learn about our work and take action. Here, in one place, consumers can read about consumer issues, get practical advice for avoiding problems, file a complaint, comment on our rulemakings or read what our FCC experts are saying in our Consumer Blog.”
ULTIMATE FM GUIDE RE-RELEASED. Bruce Elving has published the 21st edition of the FM Atlas, with maps and directory listings of some 10,000 FM radio stations, translators, boosters and low power FM stations. Included are specific listings of stations having HD Radio, stations having RDS data subcarriers and other programming available to specially modified FM radios. The latter includes stations reading to blind people, and those with ethnic programming. Covering the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the FM Atlas is $22 postpaid (checks, charge cards, money orders) from FM Atlas, P.O. Box 336, Esko, MN 55733-0336; by calling 1-800-605-2219; or with PayPal at FmAtlas@aol.com.
 MEGA-STUDY REVEALS WHAT WOMEN WANT. Alan Burns & Associates has released its new landmark study of female radio listeners, “Here She Comes: Insights Into Women, Radio, and New Media.” Judging from some of the responses, the report could have been subtitled, “The More Things Change. . .”
Case in point: when asked to name things that would make radio more enjoyable, 68% said “fewer commercials”; of that group of whiners, nearly 90% more specifically complained about obnoxious commercials. Of the total group, 37% wanted more information on songs and artists; 37% wanted more new music; 36% wanted less music they’re tired of.
Twenty-five percent reported that they’re listening to radio more lately; 28 percent said they’re listening less, most saying, “there’s no radio station that sounds like it really understands them.”
“Adult Contemporary listeners have a harder time imagining life without radio than do women 15-54 in general,” said Burns & Associates CEO Alan Burns. “AC’s audience contains fewer early adopters, thus the format has so far been less impacted by iPods, streaming music, and song downloading. Only one in every six AC fans has ever downloaded an app to her cellphone.”
AC has been “a little more insulated” from the effects of new media, Burns said. “Not immune, but less sensitive, so there’s been less loss to digital media to date. Nonetheless, two thirds of AC women are likely to be using Internet-only music streams within the next year or two.”
For more information, visit http://www.burnsradio.com. |
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