What Radio Sells
When coming to being “informed” about who did or didn’t do what (read: the news), radio sells convenience. As it requires half the attention that TV demands.
That’s a virtue that radio relies on when competing with most mediums.
You can access all songs that will be played on radio today. If not on a playlist on your PC or iPod, then on YouTube. With the advancement of digital distribution and accesibility, the only song that you can not listen to, is one that is not recorded yet.
Ever noticed how you tend to “feel” a song that, say, some car goes by playing? A song that you have had for ages, but haven’t played in ages?
Not knowing which song will be played next, is what makes radio, radio.
Though consumers have evolved into creatures that demand control; not having control over what is- and when is it played, makes this ancient medium compelling.
When coming to music, all that radio sell is surprise.
(Listeners’ surprise, turns into attention. Their attention is then sold to advertisers.)
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— October 25, 2010.