Radio: Dead or Alive?

Now, with more ways than ever to listen to only the music you want, anywhere you want, has terrestrial radio become nostalgic? Is internet radio the only radio of the future? Can satellite radio, local, and college stations maintain their listeners in the coming years?

Basically, is the radio still important?

This is just something I’ve become curious about after seeing a lot of young people around my age (I’m 19, by the way) reject radio because, “They always play the same songs over and over.” “There’s too many commercials”, or they just plug in their iPod.
With this seemingly mass movement of anti-radio young people, why does it remain so essential to the breaking of new bands and record sales?

Radio of any kind remains somewhat important because it still is a status symbol. Regardless of whether or not you have an issue with KROQ playing too much Chili Peppers or Foo Fighters, if your band gets on that station you could see a record deal overnight.
Radio can still set trends, Denver’s KTCL has seen local acts The Fray, Meese, Flobots, & Tickle Me Pink all receive sizable deals (and success) so far, and Boulder, CO hip-hop act 3oh!3 is probably on the same path (“Don’t Trust Me” is either lyrically genius, or lyrically awful, you decide.)

What Radio can still be, is a sign that a band has “Made it”.
Though it seems that today, you need a video on MTV or any other channel and any further TV/movie placement to legitimately “make it” and sell some records.

Radio can be still the be the key to new listeners and one of the biggest perks of being signed to a major label.

What I want to know is, where do you see radio headed in the future? Is it already dead? Will you ever go an hour without hearing a song from Sublime or Nirvana? Is the internet to radio what “Dip-N-Dots” is to Ice cream (Calling itself the future of the industry, but never seemingly getting there)? Does anyone not have an issue with Clear Channel? And most importantly, will it remain important?

Now, check out some international up & comers:

Before The Worst by The Script (UK based Phonogenic Records)

Dust by Royworld (Virgin Records)

I Don’t Wanna Love Her by Brinck (Copenhagen Records)

‘Radio: Dead or Alive’ is written by Dallas who currently attends San Francisco State University and works on the Live 105 (KITS) Action Team.