Thanks, I also used to be a keen short wave listener. I hope the internet
radios will have buttons and be accessible. Also not sure what the situation
in Africa is as radio is still a useful medium, just like most of the
members of the library for the blind here aren't online, apparently
thirty-eight million South African radio listeners. There are still a few AM
radio stations here in South Africa. My phones have FM radio but I don't
think I can take calls at the same time and it takes up battery, I don't yet
have a smart phone. Digital radio is there, not really in South Africa yet
though one can access audio by getting an audio bouquet on DSTV (digital
satellite television) for which one needs a decoder but I don't have that,
however, during my recent trip to Perth in Western Australia, I heard about
digital audio broadcasting or DAB all the time on radio and they encouraged
one to get a brand new radio, twenty additional stations though not sure if
these radio stations are geographically limited, one particular one kept
mentioning being IHEART, streaming and DAB. There are quite a few AM
stations too, including Vision Australia's own one broadcasting to three
areas in Australia.
Ricky Lomey
-----Original Message-----
From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
<[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Terri Hedgpeth
Sent: Monday, 03 February 2020 00:04
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VICUG-L] Do you think that radio will ever go totally on line?
Thank you Bill for your insight on this topic. As far as I'm concerned you
are the knowledgeable source when it comes to radio. Also, this is most
definitely on topic for this list do to the nature of radio today.
Best,
Terri Hedgpeth
-----Original Message-----
From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
<[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Bill Pasco
Sent: Sunday, February 2, 2020 2:07 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VICUG-L] Do you think that radio will ever go totally on line?
I was a career broadcaster, 42 years in the business. Though a lot of what
Ted said is correct, there are some small pieces of misinformation in his
post I'd like to correct, and also give my view.
First, I think this actually is on topic. Why, because we are confusing
terms a little bit here. It is the portability of an audio local information
source that you would mostly miss if conventional radio died out. This is in
fact being replace by your GTE wireless devices.
The iPhone and Android phone already have the hardware ability to get
conventional radio signals, but the manufacturers have purposely left it
turned off because the evolving GTE cell network make it obsolescent and not
really necessary. Being tied to the web does not mean being hard wired.
Nearly all local radio stations already have web based streaming services
through Tune-In, Pandora, I-Heart radio, or directly through Amazon's Alexa
app. I have a hunch that Google and Apple also have these services. Nearly
everyone under the age of 60 already has a smart phone of some kind, and
many older folks do too, though not all.
Most folks keep that phone with them 24-7. Web services are easily
compatible with other functions of that phone, so even while listening you
can take or make calls, surf the web, check email or whatever.
It is actually not true that conventional radio does not pay artists for
using their music. They do not pay directly, that is true. But every radio
station has to have ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC licenses. Based on what is played,
these organizations collect fees for those songs, and it is then paid to the
artists who are a part of those organizations as artists. If the artist is
totally independent, then he has to take care of his music rights himself,
and that doesn't work so well.
FM and AM both are already available through digital. Not every area has it,
but most major cities do. FM HD, which is just a branded term for digital,
features a simulcast of there standard FM signal, and then also often adds
one or two additional HD channels to the signal. You must have an HD radio
to hear it. There are portables and table top HD radios out there, and all
car radios now have this ability. It has been slow to catch on, but it is
still out there.
AM also has HD. It makes AM sound prety darn good, but it has very limited
range. AM frankly is very expensive to operate, and by todays standards, it
is just to limited technically. It will die eventually.
ShortWave is already dead. The only conventional short wave stations still
around are religious. Everyone else has gone to digital web based systems.
The only other thing still using SW are some digital text and video services
which you cannot decode anyway.
So, conventional analog broadcast radio will slowly die out, but the
stations will still exist, and you will still be able to reach them using
some form of over the air digital. I predict that it will all eventually
migrate to your personal device, sometimes called a smart phone. I honestly
think satellite based radio will die too, Serius XM already offers a robust
streaming service and they are having trouble making money with the
satellite audio service. Satellite will mostly be used to relay services and
signals to local hubs for distribution through the cell network. Guess
what, we'll all still call it radio.
Technically, it is still radio. Signals being transmitted through the air
but digitally encoded.
The problem with local verses national information is really not related to
radio in itself. It is related to ownership of content producers. Local
ownership is almost gone. Conglomerates own most of the distribution
capability of content. So, my friend, as usual, it comes down to a question
of money.
Hope this was helpful. Sorry for the length, but it is a complicated
subject.
Bill
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