Internet Radio Fills Role Played by “Wireless” During Great Depression
One-Fourth of Americans Have Heard Internet-Only Radio

Phil Christie in WHAV’s on-air studio, as seen from the newsroom. WHAV’s First Webcast 5 Years Ago Proves Prophetic WHAV went to a largely Internet-only form five years ago. Its parent company has since launched a second station and plans additional online offerings. Back in 2004, the decision took some by surprise. Over the last decade, Tim Coco, president of COCO+CO., an advertising agency, witnessed two migrations that he believed would profoundly change how his clients interacted with their customers and prospects. He graphed both the movement of audiences and, more importantly, advertising dollars away from traditional media. “The numbers were unmistakable, but few people either believed, or perhaps wanted to believe, that upheaval was in the works,” said Coco.  “Amazingly, the folks most in denial were representatives of traditional media.  The Boston Globe, projected to lose $85 million in 2009, turned down opportunities to invest in online classified advertising – and then lost that business to Monster.com and others.” WHAV was placed online both as a community service project and to demonstrate audiences would follow fresh, multimedia content to the Web. Meanwhile, large media chains – with the help of well-greased palms in Congress (learn about the Telcommunications Act of 1996) – rolled up traditional radio and television stations. Those investments have since gone south. In fact, Las Vegas-based radio giant Citadel Broadcasting was delisted recently by the New York Stock Exchange after audiences and advertisers pursued online interests. The WHAV experiment has proven the hypothesis and demonstrated online radio growth even while traditional media has declined.

Many parallels are being drawn between today’s economic collapse and the Great Depression of the 1930s. Here’s another: Internet radio today is performing the role the infant over-the-air radio played then. An unprecedented number of Americans are again turning to a new medium for free, high-quality entertainment.

A survey, released last week, shows that more than a quarter (27 percent) of Americans say they have listened to Internet-only radio on an Internet site. This includes nearly half (47 percent) of young adults 18-24 and about a third (34 percent) of those under the age of 50.

“Online radio is an increasingly important medium,” said Edward F. Seeger, chairman of American Media Services, Charleston, S.C., the firm that commissioned the study.

Then and Now
– Listening Over the Air

Like its last century counterpart, Internet radio is becoming increasingly wireless. Already, more and more people are listening to WHAV and StreamingSuperstation on their mobile telephones (learn more). And in the wireless world, vehicles could be the next frontier – for both Internet connections and audience growth for Internet-only radio. There is an increasing desire among Americans to have Internet service in their vehicle.

• The number expressing interest in having this service in their vehicle has increased from 37 percent in the September 2008 AMS survey to 46 percent in the latest AMS Radio Index.

• Among those who have listened to Internet-only radio, nearly half (46 percent) expect to listen to it in the future on an Internet connection in their vehicles, and nearly three-quarters (74 percent) say they would listen to Internet-only radio more if their vehicle had an Internet connection.

• Even among those who have never listened to Internet-only radio, nearly half (48 percent) say they would be prompted to listen to it if they had an Internet connection in their vehicle.

Generally, they prefer to have access to Internet-only radio at no charge.

World Wide Web-Based Media Ousts Traditional Media

During the Great Depression, radio displaced other forms of entertainment such as vaudeville. Today the Internet, as a whole, is displacing other media. The New York Times is threatening to close the venerable Boston Globe newspaper, while the Seattle Post-Intelligencer recently ended its print run in favor of a Web-only product.

Music Charts

(Listed alphabetically by performer)

• Pocketful Of Sunshine, Natasha Bedingfield

• Viva La Vida, Coldplay

• Crush, David Archuleta

• What About Now,Daughtry

• Bleeding Love, Leona Lewis

• Everything I Own, Greg London

• The Climb, Miley Cyrus

• I‘m Yours, Jason Mraz

• Love Remains The Same, Gavin Rossdale

• Love Story, Taylor Swift

WHAV Listener Picks

• Signs, Five Man Electrical Band

• It Takes Two, Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston

• Tired Of Waiting For You, Kinks

• Whenever I Call You “Friend,” Kenny Loggins

• Everybody Plays The Fool, Main Ingredient

• The Joker, Steve Miller Band

• You Baby, Turtles

• My Cherie Amour, Stevie Wonder

• Gimme Little Sign, Brenton Wood

• Time Of The Season, Zombies

What’s your favorite?  Complete the Listen & Win form or call (978) 374-2111 with your favorites and be entered to win free stereo headphones .