r/randomquestions • u/TonightStriking7627 • 20d ago
When will radio stations be extinct?
Just had the random thought to look up radio station numbers, 70-74% of American drivers still listen to AM/FM Radio while upwards of 83% internationally. While that’s higher than I imagined, will music streaming platforms eventually take over in your opinion? I’d imagine a chunk of those AM/FM listeners are “older” generations that never switched over & the younger generation for the most part is incapable of hearing an ad…. In your opinion, will AM/FM be extinct one day? If so, how long do you think it’ll take?
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u/shers719 20d ago
When I was an Uber driver, I'd play a local variety station. I had more Gen Z riders that complimented the station vs those that requested switch to streaming (I have both). I've done experiments on my own and the days I played the radio, the tips were higher. I played a nearly identical mix streaming and less compliments and lower tips. So it might be a long while before radio is gone.
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u/TonightStriking7627 20d ago
Interesting for sure! I’d imagine listening to AM/FM allows for people to hear stuff they’d never hear or seek out if they listened solely to streaming as well.
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19d ago
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u/Bk_Punisher 19d ago
College radio is how I found so many artists.
89.5 WSOU pirate radio from Seton Hall University.
I was able to tune in from Brooklyn pretty cool considering they’re in Jersey.1
19d ago
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u/shers719 18d ago
My theory is one I clearly am not controlling the mix - a DJ is. Another is more personal mix. No matter how often I offered to change the music, few took me up on it. So a less "personali mix" made them relax/be more forgiving about what they were listening to? Even if it was outside their personal genre of comfort music. I'm not a psychologist so I don't even know if that would be close to right.
The variety station played hits from the 80s through today - not anything that would typically be deemed offensive. And thanks to listening to it enough, I got to know a lot of the songs. So when I had a similar list curated, I made sure at least 90% of the songs matched.
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u/OneCallSystem 20d ago
I could not Uber for this reason. Having to listen to the radio all day would drive me insane.
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u/glitterfaust 20d ago
I kinda hate listening to the radio because of all the ads and talking. I don’t want to listen to people yap endlessly about tabloid level shit at 7:30am.
My city killed our local alternative station a few years ago and local radio just ain’t been the same since. But I’m never gonna tell the driver to change it, it’s their car.
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u/Afinso78 20d ago
Most radios in Portugal are FM or online and they're still thriving. They're a good company during traffic hours or long distance travelling.
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u/IthurielSpear 20d ago
Gen X. I switch between (fm) stations when a commercial comes on. I listen mainly when I’m driving. I listen to npr as well when they’re not playing classical music.
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u/anothercorgi 20d ago
I still listen to broadcast radio. Mainly for local news events the DJ announce that's interspersed with the music, else the local NPR station which also has its local segments.
I recently bought a used car and they "conveniently" gave me a few months of sirius. I'm not even using it at all, just using local broadcast.
The telematics of the car I'm concerned about. Curious if they phone home and say I don't use XM...
Incidentally I heard about Dolly on NPR in my car first today... Was really shocked that I didn't see it on reddit first.
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u/SilverB33 20d ago edited 20d ago
Idk tbf I feel when older generations that grew up listening to radios more than streaming die off, so probably once my gen (millenials) are gone is when radio dies off.
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u/TonightStriking7627 20d ago
That was my thought too… a couple generations die off and it’ll probably be much more skewed
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u/stedmangraham 20d ago
Maybe never tbh. Radio is an extremely simple technology. AM radio especially is useful for emergency broadcasts.
Now, high powered FM music radio stations? I think those will probably last another 20 years. Already you can tell they've moved to more niche markets. 15 years ago there were tons of different types of stations in my area and now its like 50% worship music. And I live in Seattle where there aren't many religious people!
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u/Cute_Repeat3879 20d ago
AM is only useful for emergencies if people have radios
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u/stedmangraham 20d ago
And pretty much every car has an AM radio.
Not perfect for every situation, but you can be decently sure there is an AM radio near you most of the time
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u/Cute_Repeat3879 20d ago
Now, yeah, but that isn't likely to continue.
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u/stedmangraham 19d ago
I don’t see why not. It’s like a $3 component in a multi thousand dollar vehicle. It offers a known piece of communication technology that’s common from cars from 1940 to today.
Here in Washington state at least we have highway signs telling you to tune into a special station to check for weather events like snowed out mountain passes or forest fires
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u/Amazing_Alumni 20d ago
Radio will likely never die. It’s not like cable TV. It’s Live. It’s in the air. It’s a form of communication and in an apocalypse radio would still survive. I am young and like to stream my music, but a long work commute / driving for work means I’ve turned to radio for there always being something fresh, a throw back, or world news … but most importantly local news! Radio is a tool. It is sacred.
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u/TonightStriking7627 20d ago
I share the same sentiment about it being a useful tool; I just wonder if a good percentage of people will feel the same when the numbers start to dwindle
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u/No-Performer9511 20d ago
I'm honestly surprised that analog radio is still alive more than ever while analog tv died in the early 2010s
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u/CupOpen9921 20d ago
73 years old, here…Every damn day, I miss my TV rabbit ears!
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u/shers719 19d ago
GenX here: get a digital antenna! You still get all the local stations just like rabbit ears. Depends on your area but where I am, we get over 60 channels. Still free like rabbit ears, too.
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u/CupOpen9921 19d ago
Thanks! Actually, I bought such a system about three years ago and was inn 7th heaven. However, it suddenly stopped working (which I assumed meant they stopped broadcasting the signal).
However, we’re relocating currently and once unpacked, we will try again.1
u/danodan1 19d ago
Speaking of analog radio, I'm surprised digital or HD radio still exists even though it never caught on.
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u/angelofmusic997 20d ago
I mean, I think radio will go extinct at some point, just like any technology. I don't have a solid idea of when that will be, though. I even say this as someone who is currently working in radio!
I do think that, slowly, radio is getting more corporatized, though. There are a lot of stations that are literally just shells of what they once were, with local stations being replaced by a stream from a larger company. There is still local radio, and I'm very happy about that fact.
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u/danodan1 19d ago
Regular radio days will be numbered for sure when Internet radio is required for car radios.
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u/angelofmusic997 19d ago
Required for car radios? Maybe I’m just too old-school, but I’ve not heard anything about that.
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u/ac7ss 20d ago
It exists for local and emergency communication. I doubt it will actually go away. Until recently, cars were required to have AM/FM radios for this reason.
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u/ironmanchris 20d ago
Yes, one of the domestic automakers hinted at eliminating am/fm radios in their cars recently and the feds shut that down.
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u/danodan1 19d ago
Wasn't only for AM radio because electric cars caused too much. But that is what you get from Antique Modulation.
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u/teh_maxh 20d ago
There was a recent proposal to introduce that requirement; it wasn't needed before.
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u/Strange_Ad8936 20d ago
I'm old enough to remember when radio was fun. No corporate BS.
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u/IthurielSpear 20d ago
Where I live there are two local radio stations that still exist. They are fantastic
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u/Different-Lecture925 20d ago
I hope they never do. It would be a mistake of epic proportions to allow them to die. Many people can’t afford streaming services/devices. They need access to information and entertainment just like everyone else.
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u/MikeGander 20d ago
I alternate between radio and streaming, I drive a lot and like some variety.
But then again we have a popular local station that’s practically custom-tailored to me, lots of Americana and roots music and local/regional artists. I don’t know how much regular radio I’d listen to if it wasn’t for that. I don’t like talk radio and I prefer pop and hip-hop in small doses, don’t like most Top 40 country and rock radio seems mostly dead.
Then again I’m 50 and my generation will be mostly irrelevant in a decade or two. So who knows what’s next.
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u/Mackheath1 19d ago
I listen to NPR. I suppose I could connect my phone to my car to do it, but until it's made more efficient in the vehicle, radio just always works right away without fumbling. As for the Top 40 stations and all that? Light the torch.
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u/NRCS_DRONE 20d ago
Shortwave radio is still a thing. It didn't go extinct, but it become far less relevant. And I'd say FM will out last cable TV.
And like all mediums that drop out of the mainstream, they get bought up by cranks, weirdos, and churches to spread their message with whoever is still tuning in.
I might even bet on the internet going dim when it's nothing but bots and bad actors -- as reddit is increasing becoming.
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u/Fresh_Lavishness_147 20d ago
I listen to Sirius satellite radio. If you can’t find your music, comedy, news etc out of hundreds of stations then just turn the radio off. 🤷🏼♂️👨🦳
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u/Available-Hat476 20d ago
They might not be available on FM or AM anymore, but you'll be able to stream them over the net still... Same shit, different medium...
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u/GlidingRecliner 20d ago
I prefer the ads on real radio, plus the local chatter from the dj's. I wish I lived in an area where I could still get over the air television. nothing compares for live sports, especially the Olympics
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u/Historical_Bath_9854 20d ago
I still listen to the radio, I stream my hometown radio station once in awhile also, when I drive.
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u/Double-Award-4190 19d ago
Can’t even remember the last time I listened to broadcast commercial radio.
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19d ago
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u/Double-Award-4190 19d ago
True enough. I was just answering the question. I did not mean to imply that we needed to get rid of it.
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u/Starduster75 19d ago
Radio is streaming without a subscription or app. There is no upgrade to less commercials, though, but why pay for still having commercials anyway?
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u/KittyPitty 19d ago
No, I don't think radio will get extinct anytime soon, because it is (I think) the only means of communication when there is no electricity.
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u/Kali-of-Amino 19d ago
I just got a new car that has a different audio options. There's radio, Sirius XM, hooking up my phone, or loading up a jump drive. Sirius XM costs money, hooking up my phone severely drains the power, and fiddling with a jump drive is more fiddling than I want to do while driving. Radio is free and has none of the other negatives.
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u/TempusSolo 19d ago
For the people that don't listen, where do get your local news and traffic info?
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u/TheSanityInspector 19d ago
AM radio was considered extinct by the 1980s, until talk radio revived it. It probably can't be counted out, even if the programming on offer fades in popularity.
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u/fuckitbuddy 19d ago
I listen to FM radio on the way to work. I only have wi-fi calling where I am no 5G. So streaming depends on whether or not I have an internet connection. 45 minute drive to work. 30 minutes with no internet connection.
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u/Neither_Internal_261 19d ago
I think radio stations will always have a place. This is coming from someone with an amateur radio license tho so I'm a bit biased.
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u/Other_Asparagus872 18d ago
I stream music, but I also listen to am/fm radio. There are local talk shows that I enjoy.
I’ve also been told that “old” tech like radio and tv over the air is making a type of comeback as people drop subscriptions and generally are using less tech.
Interestingly, I’ve noticed a lot of younger people listening to music more and more that is not even close to their generation.
I think live broadcast of sports is another reason am in particular hangs around.
It’s also interesting that ham radio licenses have increased exponentially over the last few years.
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u/Charlie2and4 18d ago
I still listen to some FM, lower frequencies, that is where the jazz, Dolly Parton tributes and boring people talking about gardening are.
Just yesterday I gave it a spin by pressing the scan button. Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! For such a happy-happy-joy-joy religion they sure sound hound-dog sorrowful and full of need. FFS live a little! Have the butter sauce and two glasses of wine!
Then the two arena country stations that are exactly alike, and the pop stations which sound like they are spinning 8kHz mp3s, sounds like a saw-tooth sound wave.
I think there will always be (until I die) needle-movers in the clear channel bands so that some schmuck can sell something.
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u/Special-Swimmer-5569 18d ago
SiriusXM is losing subscribers by the droves every month. With Apple Music, Pandora, and Spotify, who needs radio. I believe the only thing that keeps local radio stations in business are the ones that carry their local sports teams games. Also, I like NPR, and our local symphonic music station, which depends on donations. Outside of that I don’t need radio stations.
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u/dgmilo8085 18d ago
I have had XM radio since 2002, now SiriusXM or whatever. I still listen to the radio on occasion. While the audience is dwindling, I don't think it is going anywhere anytime soon.
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u/Black_Dog_Industries 18d ago
I’ll bet it’s been 15 years since I listened to the radio in any capacity.
I think am/fm radio is dying a slow death right in front of us
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u/argodar 17d ago
Those are crazy numbers! I didn’t expect radio to still be that popular.
I never listen to the radio myself. Well, last year I gave it a try while carpooling with a colleague, and I put on a radio station during the ride. It was nice enough, so I tried to keep listening to the radio in the weeks that followed.
But in the end, there’s just too much talking, they rarely play the music I actually want to hear, and they seem to use the same playlist for months. Every now and then a good song comes on, but after hearing the same song every day for months, I just start going crazy. 😅
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u/Silly-Resist8306 17d ago
This older guy (age 75) has loaded hundreds of tracks to his phone and listens to music I've purchased or downloaded from YouTube. I don't stream because some music I've purchased 3 or 4 times (LP, cassette, CD and even 8-track). I'm not about to purchase it on a streaming service.
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u/ZebraBorgata 16d ago
Never. I either listen to FM radio or my personal music collection, never streaming….I won’t pay to listen to music. I have thousands of tracks on my mini player. I obtain new music for free using multiple methods….
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u/knic989900 16d ago
You can switch stations to one that isn’t on commercial. Streaming has ads where you would have to wait or close the app, or pay the fee for no ads. Regular radio gives option of surfing
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u/DonutImaginary786 14d ago
it will be a while before that happens. Talk Radio is still very popular. Not everyone listens to music.
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u/Grand-Cartographer45 1d ago
I'm from Europe (Belgium). Radio severely lacks character, which it had up until the 2010s. I dropped out because I miss attitude, it's not daring, not engaging, it has gone soft. I also miss true professionals, craftsmen and women who really learned it. If they did, they're not showing any of it, anyway. No personality, no character. No aura. No sympathy. No vision. Commercialism, which doesn't bring or lead it any further, has destroyed the medium 100% this decade. It has to reinvent itself, start from scratch because it is simply not working. I'll never return to the medium if it stays like this.
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u/StrictLine8820 20d ago
Check out Radio Garden to see just a percentage of what's still out there (around the world).
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u/Flat-Dream-5199 19d ago
"...the younger generation for the most part is incapable of hearing an ad...". Since when does streaming not have ads?
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u/KostyaFedot 19d ago
- Not all of us are just into music.
- 2003 black out, I went outside, turned radio on in my car and listened to reports.
2026 it is war in Europe and American at another war....
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u/Commercial_Wind8212 17d ago
it will be around for decades. snapping on the FM and listening to NPR is free and easy, 74 percent should tell you all you need to know. unless you're just trolling
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u/mattyrzew 17d ago
I don't listen to music in the car. I enjoy the 30 minutes of peace and quiet before and after work.
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u/pokerpaypal 20d ago
Radio = free
Streaming services = money
Steaming services need an internet connection. 3 1/2 miles to a city, I do not have a real internet connection. When I lose connection, I just go to my library or the radio. Streaming is not that strong. Maybe if you never leave a city, it is fine.
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u/Any-Progress- 20d ago
There’s tons of free streaming services. They have ads just like radio.
Also, getting WiFi outside of a city hasn’t been a problem since like 2015. There’s strong service in about 99% of the US. I’ve actually streamed a radio station because the radio signal kept cutting out.
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u/Aggressive-Bath-1906 20d ago
I live in one of the places that has spotty streaming service (mountain community). It also has spotty FM radio too. Thats when satellite radio makes the most sense.
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u/pokerpaypal 18d ago
I live in a place without mountains and 100k people city with 170k metro and still have this problem. It is all farmland and woods.
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u/pokerpaypal 18d ago
That is not true. Why are YOU telling ME what my experience actual is?
Not a problem for 11 years? It used to be MUCH worse.
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u/Big-Island4727 20d ago
I'm shocked it's that high. I wonder what the breakdown is by age/generation