What is the future of FM

gmfgmfgmf1

Active Member
Will streaming kill FM

I have a couple McIntosh tune tuners but rarely use them

Where I live FM station programming is poor and getting worse

Opinions?
 
Owning an FM station isn't much of a money-maker anymore. When FM stereo first became technically feasible, the government issued a limited number of broadcast licenses. Given the limited airwaves and the capital in building a station and creating a market niche, owners had something of a protected local market. There were few competing sources of news, music and entertainment both because of technical developments and government licensure.

Today, new technology has exploded the available bandwidth for consumers.

I see commercial interest dying out and non-commercial broadcasters fighting to keep the FM frequencies dedicated to traditional FM uses. That means the political battles will be fought between the huge corporations that want to encroach on the EM frequency allocated to FM and the non-commercial broadcasters like NPR.
 
It's been brought up before, I've even heard it brought up on radio stations. I think we're OK, I hope so. The appealing thing about FM is that it's free, in the practical sense. If ever the commute to work is solved with some kind of Star Trek-like tech, that might be a threat to FM radio. Many do their radio listening in their cars and don't want to pay for satellite. I'm not of fan of gov subsidies but it might be the case that if FM really got in trouble then the gov might do something like that to keep FM alive for people that don't have internet(?)
 
I suppose as long as advertisers are willing to pay for commercial time, it'll be ok. Lots of local businesses that can't necessarily afford TV time are still writing checks.
 
Without cars, radio would be dead already. But younger people tend to connect their iPhones to their car audio systems.Also, radio is increasingly less of a default option in the big center entertainment cum nav screens, aka automobile ipads, in today's cars. I think talk radio will survive [right-wing and sports] but long term, I don't see much hope. FM might hang on long enough for the demographic that reads AK, but not long after we're dead, I think fm will be gone, too.
 
I do not see it going anyplace soon. I listen to it in the car almost exclusively. There are quite a few great stations here, it is free, and you do not need a cell connection (which is weak in many areas) to use it, you do not have to tap 500 times on your phone to play something, etc...
 
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I can see it living on for sometime yet. Mostly in larger towns and cities. If I'm in a more populated area I listen to it. Where I live it's kind of a fringe area between two cities. Stations tend to fade in and out while driving here so I don't listen to FM too much while driving around my area. At home having an outdoor antenna is a must unless you want to listen to the local AM station or the Spanish speaking FM station.
 
We have a great npr station here in Louisville that is actually three stations. A news station,wfpl, a classical station wlou,and a station that I really like that plays a good mix of older and newer music Wfpk. I think they have a lot of members and are well supported by local businesses. They promote concerts and local music. I just hope they don’t go to streaming only, because the over the air analogue is much better.
 
I live just north of Austin Tx in Cedar Park and I pick up 29 FM stations but I'm only interested in listing to 6 or 7. There isn't much room in the range for another station around here. I can't imagine no FM around here.
 
I find FM compelling sometimes - letting someone else choose the selections. We have a good classical music college station that avoids most of the talk some stations seem to have chosen as their path. A classic rock station that I'll linger on for two or three songs sometimes, but a better rock station that mixes some old in with the new. Three or four country stations I hit once in awhile - Christine's favored genre. Another rock station that's hit-and-miss. So I have a few I like.

The classical gets the most attention, as it's non-commercial, and they broadcast a good signal. The one I called the better rock station gets second-most play. Together those two stations get about, oh, 85% of my FM play.

Most days I listen to FM radio for at least an hour, and sometimes three or four. So a tuner is very much a part of my home system. Now if only we had a 24/7 jazz station... I'd hit that.
 
My FM listening is limited to the news/traffic station or the FM modulator plugged in to my phone. None of the other stations give me a reason to listen. The selection of music isn't that great and it seems the minutes of ads to music is "becoming equal".

In all honesty, I listen to a local AM station that's been on "life support" for the last couple years that's basically just "classic hits" 22 hours a day. No DJ's, no ads, just music. I'll flip through the presets I put on my radio for FM...and occasionally I'll listen to something; but it's just a few minutes later that I'm feeling the need to change.

I think the future of FM can be glimpsed from looking at AM...and then go looking at what other countries have done.
 
From the fringe of the San Francisco bay area, and in spite of the mountains, I receive lots of FM stations playing lots of good music.
 
I thought about selling my MD90 tuner a few years ago and am glad I didn't. Really glad.
I like college radio and npr and even though they stream, they sound better over FM.
As long as college radio and npr are around, I think FM will be relevant.
 
I find FM compelling sometimes - letting someone else choose the selections. We have a good classical music college station that avoids most of the talk some stations seem to have chosen as their path. A classic rock station that I'll linger on for two or three songs sometimes, but a better rock station that mixes some old in with the new. Three or four country stations I hit once in awhile - Christine's favored genre. Another rock station that's hit-and-miss. So I have a few I like.

The classical gets the most attention, as it's non-commercial, and they broadcast a good signal. The one I called the better rock station gets second-most play. Together those two stations get about, oh, 85% of my FM play.

Most days I listen to FM radio for at least an hour, and sometimes three or four. So a tuner is very much a part of my home system. Now if only we had a 24/7 jazz station... I'd hit that.


This is a big reason I like FM also, ....not knowing what's next, surprise me, music, info, news, while I'm doing something else. I still don't know what it is though, about 'some' stations changing something to do with their broadcast that causes gongs and chime sounds in music. Sounds something like a really low res mp3 they're sending out at times.
 
Why do we need FM if FM is becoming all talk like AM? Unfortunately, I live in a dead zone where there are only a couple of college stations but they run NPR talk. I cannot remember the last time I ever heard jazz on a radio. Someone in the BarterTown forum from the Benton Harbor, MI was getting rid of his MR80 tuner because he listened to Chicago FM and he claimed it has turned to trash. When you can't find anything to listen to in Chicago it's pretty sad.
 
Will streaming kill FM

I have a couple McIntosh tune tuners but rarely use them

Where I live FM station programming is poor and getting worse

Opinions?
It's frustrating when someone comments about something "in their area" without putting it in with their avatar.
 
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