Global Q&A: ‘What do you think the future of radio will look like?’

Radio is here to stay, albeit with a diminished presence, that could eventually become an emergency communication tool only. This is what Epoch Times reporters from New York to Lima gathered from various responses when they asked locals:

New York, USA Ryan Alexander, 25, Music Industry I think the future of the radio is going to slowly decline and less people are going to start using it. And [they will] use digital platforms like cellphones that have Spotify or Pandora; it’s just a different type of radio. But I think AM/FM radio is slowly going away; I would say in the next five years. There’s XM satellite radio. I’m sure they’re going to develop ways to hook gear on your phone, like with Bluetooth, or some type of technology, and stream it through your service.

Dalby, Sweden Peder Andersson, 50, Systems Engineer I think that analog radio will disappear in the near future and will be replaced by Internet-based radio. I think more people will listen to their mobile phones, you can see these kind of processes already in today’s society.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates Beth Asuncion, 21, Student There’s a lot to explore and discuss about the future of radio and the challenges they are faced with, but I guess simply, in my opinion: I'd rather hear the news and other current affairs, than read it. That way I can do other tasks and still get updated. And think about it, when a disaster strikes say a zombie apocalypse, and technology and the Internet go down, radio will still be there. Maybe not for news, but definitely as a valuable means of communication! Viva radio!”

Zaragoza, Spain Roberto Pascual Poyato, 34, Auto Mechanic The future of radio, I have heard, can give a lot of versatility—ensuring its survival. For me, the greatest strengths of the radio are that you can tune almost anywhere, and you can listen while you do other things, like work, or drive. With respect to the Internet, I see that moment in time when the radio is tuned only online, because the quality of the signal has to be extremely good, to avoid a cut in transmission.

Bangalore, India Angana Sripur, 20, Bachelor of Media Studies Student Radio, which was one of the most sought after forms of passive entertainment up until the 21st century seems to have taken a hit globally after the advent of the iPod, mp3 player, and the smartphone. .... The future of radio seems to be declining, however these are some aspects that might emerge strongly: Online radio, as the Internet now rules the roost; Local emphasis, radio will get more local in its approach to win over listeners; ever-increasing advertisements, in order to earn more revenue, however, this will only put off listeners.

Lima, Peru Marlene Espinoza, 48, Contadina I believe that radio will never disappear. It is useful, for example, to people working because while performing their tasks they can listen to the news without being distracted. Listening to music is relaxing. With no radio, I think we would be bored and uninformed. We also have the advantage of not watching very unpleasant news scenes as seen on television. There are distant villages where radio is the only form of receiving news, and is therefore essential.

Puerto Montt, Chile Jessica Contreras Canas, 29, Teacher Well, I think the radio since its invention, has been indispensable to the community. When television came and it was extremely popular, there was talk of whether it would disappear. But, radio’s essential role has become indispensable to society. Its future is linked to technological progress that is in the DNA of the community.

Sunshine Coast, Australia Mark Hodson, 38, Bachelor of Science Student and Painter It’s going to go more online definitely, but I personally will support Triple J, because they support local live music where the other commercial stations, they tend to play a lot of American music on high repeat. Triple J is a radio station that promotes local Australian musicians who write their own music. ... As long as car stereos are common, people will still listen, but with all music available on the Internet (YouTube) radio won’t be as popular.

Look for the Global Q&A column every week. Epoch Times correspondents interview people around the world to learn about their lives and perspectives on local and global realities. Next week’s global question: “What do you enjoy most about being a senior?” The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 21 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.