Week Eight 2/23-2/27

SiriusXM to Air Daytona 500, Announces Addition of Hoda Kotb

http://radio.about.com/od/SiriusXM-Programming-News/fl/SiriusXM-to-Air-Daytona-500-Announces-Addition-of-Hoda-Kotb.htm

Deitz, C. (n.d.). SiriusXM to Air Daytona 500, Announces Addition of Hoda Kotb. Retrieved February 24, 2015, from http://radio.about.com/od/SiriusXM-Programming-News/fl/SiriusXM-to-Air-Daytona-500-Announces-Addition-of-Hoda-Kotb.htm

   In this article is talks about how SiriusXM has announced they have added new stations to open the variety of listeners they have. They have added a Daytona 500 station, Hoda Kotb, Player's Tribune for baseball, Golf tips from a pro, and a six week series about love, marriage, and LGBT community. SiriusXM has now over 27 million subscribers and continues to grow. 

"SiriusXM Satellite Radio has partnered with NASCAR for some time now and will offer subscribers coverage of the 57th Daytona 500 including the race along with multiple channels featuring in-car audio from many drivers."

"SiriusXM has launched a new weekly show where listeners can connect with an athlete-inspired media platform. It’s called The Player’s Tribune on SiriusXM."

SiriusXM has partnered with the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) to launch a new show that examines and analyzes the role statistics play in baseball. It’s called Behind the Number: Baseball SABR Style on SiriusXM and airs Sundays at 7:00 p.m. ET on MLB Network Radio"

  I think SiriusXm is doing a great thing by adding on a variety of stations to grab attention from all age groups and genders. This will help widen the popularity and increase the amount of people who purchase SiriusXM. So far SiriusXM has over 27 million subscribers and adding NASCAR, Baseball, marriage, and Hoda Show will fosure increase the popularity. 

  I'm excited to see what else is in store for SiriusXM, and what else they could possibly create.  SiriusXm has become the largest radio broadcaster and has created a large competition for other broadcasters to keep up. This may cause others to loose business and  even fall apart. 

Week Seven 2/16-2/20

App Will Make Listening to Streaming Audio: Simple Radio

http://radio.about.com/od/softwarereviewsandinfo/fl/App-Will-Make-Listening-to-Streaming-Audio-Simple-Radio.htm

Deitz, C. (n.d.). App Will Make Listening to Streaming Audio: Simple Radio. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://radio.about.com/od/softwarereviewsandinfo/fl/App-Will-Make-Listening-to-Streaming-Audio-Simple-Radio.htm

In this article it talks about how online radio listening has grown and 47% of all Americans 12 years or older have been listening. Since many have smartphones, it makes it easier for people to listen to radio on their phones just by downloading a simple app. Many people would agree they would rather just press a download button instead of opening something out of the box and following instructions. 

"The Simple Radio app gives the user 25,000streams in the palm of their hands. “Handhelds and tablets have brought about multiple benefits for radio listeners. They now have access to thousands of radio stations, better audio quality and almost ubiquitous portability. "

"Until now, no other mobile app on the market offered the simplicity of a traditional radio tuner. Simple Radio immediately fixes that problem by making it easy to find and listen to global radio stations anywhere," said CEO of Streema, Richard Monte, in a prepared statement."

"The Simple Radio App is free to download and there are no fees. But, you should expect some banner ads to be served up along with an introductory ad prior to a stream beginning. The ads are not an issue for me and it’s a reasonable trade-off for the value you receive Simple Radio"

   It is becoming more and more normal to have easy access on your smartphones. First you see the traditional radio loose ratings due to Pandora and Satellite Radio, and now were seeing a Simple Radio app. It is crazy to think how easy we have it just by pressing a simple download button on our phones. Audience behaviors are definitely shaping  the media industry. They are changing there ways completely to meet our generation's needy needs. 

  With this Simple Radio app it makes it easy for people to skip around the the genre they want to listen too, and to skip to songs they want to listen too. With a traditional radio we don't get those luxuries. Traditional radios will definitely see a decrease in their ratings and be negatively affected by these new apps and gadgets. 

Week Six 2/9-2/13

Does Talk Radio Move Political Agendas and Help Win Elections?

http://radio.about.com/od/radionews/i/blTalkPolitics.htm

Deitz, C. (n.d.). Does Talk Radio Move Political Agendas and Help Win Elections? Retrieved February 11, 2015, from http://radio.about.com/od/radionews/i/blTalkPolitics.htm

In this article it talks about how talk radio is popular and how it can influence people in many ways.According to Arbitron: "47 million listeners each week via 1,503 stations, News/Talk/Information (N/T/I) has a bigger audience at any time of day and more outlets than any format except Country."  Arbitron also says "43.5% are college graduates, 62.8% make over $50,000-a-year, and 90.1% of the listeners are other than Black or Hispanic." Talk radio has become so popular that many think it is powerful enough to direct political agendas. So we ask ourselves, can a talk show on the radio really influence people?

  I think that after awhile of listening to something so long you start to believe it. After hearing on the radio something over and over again about politics for example, you start to think if what there saying is really true. The media presents itself in ways to make their audience believe it's true even if its not. As it was mentioned in the article Air American Radio was launched during a national election year. Many argued that it was put on the air in favor to help defeat George W. Bush. 

   Is the media suppose to manipulate the audience to make them believe things they want them too? Many media sources such as the radio for example, frame things in certain ways so that is what happens. Even though the television and radio broadcaster are suppose to follow the federal policy "Fairness Doctrine" there is a lot of debate over whether they follow it or not. They are suppose to present contrasting viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance. 

Week Five 2/2-2/6

Shake 108 FM: New Non-Profit, Local Radio Station Launches in Miami

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2014/09/shake-108_fm_radio_station_miami_2014.php

Shake 108 FM: New Non-Profit, Local Radio Station Launches in Miami. (n.d.). Retrieved February 2, 2015, from http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2014/09/shake-108_fm_radio_station_miami_2014.php

In this article it talks about a 44 year old man who wanted to start up his own radio station. He talked about how "When I first looked into opening my own station, I found that it's pretty much impossible,"  Stebbins remembers. "You need about $20 million to start a Y100. I didn't have $20 million." Stebbins looked into alternative ways to start up his radio station but everything seemed impossible. "Then Congress passed the 2010 Local Community Radio Act to give small-time radio operators a chance against the Clear Channels and Cox Radios of the world. " After his opportunity came around Stebbins took advantage of it and created shake 108 FM. 

"So I started to think about becoming a pirate [radio operator]. And then I thought about opening a station in Bimini -- they get our signals, so I thought maybe I could open there. But it turns out I would have to build a really tall antenna."

I think it's crazy to think how to start a radio station it seems impossible to an ordinary person. Then again with all the new technologies and competition you need to know the best to be the best. There's a lot of production and distribution involved to put together a whole radio station. Not everyone gets a special chance to build up there own radio station if they just feel like it. That's why its was a good idea to have a law passed in 2010 called the Local Community Radio Act. It gives small time radio operators a chance against the big popular companies. That way getting there voice out there can open doors full of new opportunities for people. 

Week Four 1/26-1/30

Country music has a new radio station: 'The Bull' 93.5-FM

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-07-25/news/fl-the-bull-country-station--93-5-fm-has-gone-20140725_1_country-music-tortuga-music-festival-new-radio-station

Country music has a new radio station: 'The Bull' 93.5-FM. (2014, July 25). Retrieved January 27, 2015, from http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-07-25/news/fl-the-bull-country-station--93-5-fm-has-gone-20140725_1_country-music-tortuga-music-festival-new-radio-station

Since South Florida's popularity has  grown for country music a new radio station called "The Bull" has formed. This new radio station combines Kiss Country and South Florida Country station's styles. Stars like Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Blake Shelton will be played on this new radio station. The people in South Florida have spoken out they want more country. From the help of "The success of the two-year-old Tortuga Music Festival along Fort Lauderdale beach and the arrival of four new country bars in Broward and Palm Beach counties this past year point to a region that's hot for country" have helped show how these demands are being fixed. From the popularity of concerts and bars, it helps produce marketing for radio stations and give them more opportunities to succeed. 

"Country music and artists are now topping the charts and ruling pop culture," said Tear, noting that younger country stars like Taylor Swift are appealing to more mainstream audiences. "Today's country music is young and exciting."

"Now that music is more diverse in its integration of multiple music styles and artists across genres, the potential to appeal to culturally diverse areas has significantly grown," Hasford said. "As a result, regions like South Florida will experience a rapid increase in the popularity of country music. I would expect additional growth in South Florida in the near future, ranging from more country bars to a greater number of country stations to more country concerts and festivals in the area."

   I agree with the article that music is more diverse these days. It's great to add a new country station to South Florida since it's something fairly new and popular. "Country music and artists are now topping the charts and ruling pop culture." The Tortuga Music Festival on Fort Lauderdale Beach, and the recent Chili Cook off has opened the country world to South Florida. Since the People of South Florida found a new interest in this music, distributors thought it would be a strategic move to create this new radio station. 

   I think it's a very smart idea of the producers to introduce an area to certain type of music and then have concerts and bars to keep the trend going. After they see the consumers react in a positive way they create a new radio station that "will reflect the energy and fun of our music."

Week Three 1/19-1/23

Top 5 Digital Radio Trends for 2014 and 2015

http://www.socastsrm.com/blog/top-5-digital-radio-trends-to-hold-on-to-for-2014-and-2015

Top 5 Digital Radio Trends for 2014 and 2015. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2015, from http://www.socastsrm.com/blog/top-5-digital-radio-trends-to-hold-on-to-for-2014-and-2015

In this article, it summarizes five digital radio trends that happened in 2014 and will continue in 2015. Radio has always been a trendsetter with it's sports highlights, and release of new hit songs. Keeping the five trends of Insights for drive radio, mobile friendly matters, build an interactive ecosystem, stay in tune with new technologies, and understand your audience's habitats will  help keep the radio in tune for 2015.

" In fact, 72% of people who stream radio expressed a strong willingness to provide registration information in exchange for access to station streams. "

"Being “mobile first” allows stations to ensure that content is both is compatible with all users, and crafted with them in mind! The majority of today’s listeners are tuning from their vehicles, and probably looking for casual entertainment or information. "

"Not only is your audience consuming more digital content than ever, they’re expecting more of it all the time. Meet this need through creative, strategically placed content across your social media outlets, and drive conversations across all digital platforms- like in on-air programs! "

   Creating an organized list of trends we need to continue to keep up with is a smart and well-panned idea to keep being successful. I think the most important trend is stay in tune with new technologies.  Researching and reporting on how consumers want their products is the most important thing. Markets and brands need to understand how their consumer's behavior is so they can change to be the most effective. 
   I think the second most important trend is build an interactive ecosystem. Not only is your ecosystem consuming more but their expecting more from the producers. Having social media everywhere at any time is very important.  Producers need to meet this need in order to be creative and be able to compete and strengthen their brand. The more satisfaction they get the more popularity they get. 
   

Week Two 1/12-1/16

Who Will Benefit Most from the Proposed SIRIUS - XM Satellite Radio Merger

http://radio.about.com/od/radionews/i/blXMSIRIUSMerge.htm

Deitz, C. (n.d.). Who Will Benefit Most from the Proposed SIRIUS - XM Satellite Radio Merger. Retrieved January 13, 2015, from http://radio.about.com/od/radionews/i/blXMSIRIUSMerge.htm

In this article, it talks about the pros and cons of combining the popular stations of SIRIUS and XM satellite  radio. Having both companies combined has many pros such as providing better financial performance for investors, but can be expensive and time consuming.  

"Allowing both companies to operate as a single entity could simultaneously create new positive and negative repercussions."

"XM and SIRIUS claim such a merger would be to everyone's advantage, but some critics claim programming and choice will be subjugated to business expediency."

"...less service, less affordability, less diversity, and less choice in content and hardware," according to a report released by the Carmel Group in Apri, 2007.

Due to the significant technology increase, I can see why popular companies like Sirius and XM Satellite would want to converge together to become the most popular and financially stable company.  The owners who distribute these stations can see the great ratings, and how merging these companies together would be a good marketing technique. I think more companies like this will catch onto this great idea, even though it will take money and time it will benefit them in the long run. Hopefully local audiences will like the idea of merging the companies together, even though there is a chance of less diversity and less affordability.