Future of Radio
There has been lots of talk about AM radio being removed from automobiles or that the young don’t even have a receiver in the home.
Something not mentioned during the handwringing is technology has expanded the reach of radio, and analog is just an early part of how radio is heard. See all those devices in the above graphic? That is how radio is now heard.
Streaming opened up niche stations to the world, and WPVM has seized upon that asset, and we have regular listeners from around the world. Our combined digital and analog listeners are around 10,000 that tune in at least once a month. The map shows all countries that have visited our website in the past month.
BUT commercial radio does face some serious competition; this reflects several problems with radio…too many commercials that dominate most of the hour, with stations playing the same music over and over. The threat of AI replacing live radio personalities is looming. This only makes community radio even more attractive to listeners who appreciate the personalities and content a station like WPVM freely shares. They appreciate hearing about a new writer, a local musician, or band, or a community leader on the air. And people do love being invited to be on the radio.
But back to the looming removal of AM from automobiles….Many automakers are moving to subscriptions,……including entertainment, along with plans to charge subscriptions for your heated seats, steering wheels and other premium perks.
Radio transmission is a magical medium and an art form that has been exploited & abused since its beginning to be a cash cow. WPVM views presenting the best of what radio can be as our main mission. As the major patron of WPVM, management is committed to funding the station as long as we have quality programmers,……interviews, live in the studio, and more are excellent for spreading the good word about our unique station.
