The role of radio in the modern digital era

What changes does the radio industry need to compete with other new media of information?

(Image Source: Canadian Journalist For Free Expression)

Radio, the earliest mass communication and information media since the 1890s, has developed into a huge industry today.

By the mid 20th century radio became one of the main sources of information and entertainment, and almost all nations had their own national radio stations.

Then a new media of information was established, which introduced color television. However, radio still functioned as the main source of information.

In the beginning of the 21st century, people started getting to know the internet where they can gather information more conveniently.

It shifted the position of radio again, but radio still had its listeners although the number has decreased over time.

Yahoo, Bing, Google and Social Media have replaced radio’s function, as we entered the digital era.

Today, we also have podcasts which are considered as the new version of radio. This led to many radio personalities creating their own podcasts.

Some experts said that digitalization which we see today will slow down radio, because from now on all information and entertainment services will be connected by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet.

On the other hand, some radio personalities still believe that radio will never die. This is because the industry is very mature and flexible.

“The role of radio in the modern digital era will be the same, but we have to admit it creates a lot of changes,” said Aditya Putra, a radio announcer in Motion Radio Jakarta.

The changes include how we can get information from various sources and how we can share information to others through different platforms.”

For him these add new challenges for the radio industry, but he also believes that it will bring new opportunities as well.

He believes that the opportunity will come, when the radio and people within the radio industry are willing to go with the flow.

“For example on social media, many radio stations today have social media accounts such as Instagram and Tik Tok where they share the latest news and other entertaining content,” he adds.

They are doing these exclusively to gather new audiences from different platforms, to get them interested in listening to their radio channel.

Social media can bring these radio stations closer to their market which consist of the young generations.

Given that the largest market is millennials, the content should be related to young generations, for example current music hits.

“The opportunities are not only for the radio as an industry, but for individuals who work at the radio as well such as radio announcers,” he continues.

“Some radio announcers today have their own podcasts and bring their radio influence to it where the content is more exclusive than on the radio.”

Aditya said that these radio announcers used podcasts for one reason only, that is to keep their popularity and bring their podcast audiences to radio.

“For example, if you love a podcast in which the podcaster is a radio personality, you are most likely curious about his/her radio show.”

It makes you want to listen to them on the radio,” he said.

Furthermore, he said that the radio industry can continue competing with original concepts, but radio should also continue to adapt to the development of the digitalization era.