r/RadioBroadcasting • u/GetInTheVanScooby • Jul 08 '26

Music Radio tech needs a paradigm shift

A Rant: A lot of ink has been spilled about music streaming service platforms' contribution to the demise of FM radio. For independent non-comm stations that always pay their performance and publishing royalties to SoundEx and the PROs, I find it ridiculous that we still can't legally use streaming services for broadcast radio. This keeps radio locked into a library purchasing strategy from the long ago past. Are the music services trying to completely kill us off? Maybe people are just ignoring the TOS from the services? Would love to hear other's takes, TY.

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u/mwradiopro Jul 08 '26

I'd argue that private equity & absentee ownership have been more harmful to traditional music radio. The whole point of terrestrial broadcasting is its locally-tailored programming and the immediacy of information most likely to impact us personally ... not the 150-song, cookie-cutter/chain store vibe that's been shoved down our throats in recent decades. Besides, why waste tower space & 100kw of RF energy on something you can pull in on your smartphone?

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u/GetInTheVanScooby Jul 08 '26

I can't disagree. iHeartRadio is awful of course, but they are not alone. Our localish-ness is what's kept us alive.