[BC] The reason for having Satellite Radio

[Steve]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: SteveOrdinetz 
To: broadcast at radiolists.net 
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 7:29 AM
Subject: Re: [BC] The reason for having Satellite Radio

It's simply a matter of the pie being sliced into more pieces...someone's 
gonna end up with a smaller piece than before...there are only so many 
listeners to go around.

FRAGMENTATION. I remember double digits in the rating books. Saw those erode as more FM's lit up and populations increased and more stations made the audience aware of their formats. As you point out Steve, we're basically in the same place. So you make it (or don't) with smaller shares. This is nothing new.

My brother in law 
(truckdriver) has XM, but he finds it sterile after a while & needs a dose 
of "real" radio too.  Also, not everyone wants yet another subscription 
service..."pennies a day" adds up.

While people say they hate commercials and interruptions it would seem, as in your example above, they find the need for some sort of human contact and a sprinkling of "what's going on" as part of their listening. I'll take it one step further (this example goes WAY back in my career). I've never seen an automated station really make it. I believe people pickup on the fact it's a machine and no matter how many tricks the broadcaster pulls out of the bag it's still perceived as just what it is...a machine. (auto-assist is just an easier way to deliver the product. We simply replaced the turntables and cart machines. 

Someone else mentioned Ipods...other than being a little more convenient 
they're nothing more than the 00's version of the Walkman.

That's all. So we're back to the top. FRAGMENTATION. Just another jogging device that needs refreshing and people will get tired of refreshing it and that will become a dinosaur. IMO. I could be wrong but the last time I was wrong was in 1958 so my numbers are pretty good. <G> JK

I was going to answer this one last night but decided to opt for sleep.

Steve
Steve Walker Productions