The End of Traditional Media
The CBC documentary, The End (click to watch), discusses how the traditional media of radio, television and print are coming to an end. Despite what many people like to think and argue, print media is going to be around for as long as any of us will be alive. With that said, I will focus this article on the issues surrounding radio and television.
Radio
Traditional radio has been declining in popularity rapidly over the last decade. The CBC documentary, The End, outlines the numerous alternatives to radio as a reason for this steady decline. Podcasts, satellite radio, internet radio and easily accessible downloadable music all contribute to the younger generations moving away from radio. The documentary points out (without any statistical analysis of course) that teenagers just do not own radios anymore. I for one, do – that being said, it is also an iPod docking system. The only time I use my radio is for my alarm, which I’m sure is the same story for many others out there.
Say goodbye to radio kids.
Radio no longer has the listener base to attract advertisers, and therefore will not be able to continue being self-sufficient. Inevitably, radio will lose its funding and gradually fade out of existence. Maybe an online system will take its place, but what is more likely is that the alternatives mentioned above will become the main sources of music.
Television
I will keep this argument short as little evidence or argument is actually needed. Similar to print media, television will be around for a very long time. Television is not merely a source of entertainment. Television is a social convention around which many generations have grown up. Countless families will eat dinner in front of the TV, while others leave it on for background noise. In each situation, television is not being used as a media source but a social lubricant.
TV will continue to be the family hearth.
An overly used reference to the TV as the family hearth will hold true for many years to come. Whether or not we continue to use it in the way we do now, it will remain at the center of nearly every living room in the Western world.
Carson Shold is a freelance graphic and web designer born in Victoria, BC and living in London, Ontario. He is a ‘for hire‘ designer that wants to help your business stand out – the right way. You can connect with him and his thoughts on twitter or check out his portfolio at carsonshold.com.
I disagree with your analysis of radio. If by radio, you mean audio specifically transmitted over radio waves, then yes, it will disappear. But, aren’t your examples of satellite radio, podcasts, and Internet radio just an adaptation of radio.
Many radio stations already put there programming on the Internet, either streaming or through downloadable podcasts. Like radio adapted when television came around, radio will be around in different formats.
At first I did mean radio being transmitted over the air waves, I probably should have clarified that.
But now that you mention it, I think the way we listen to it is coming to an end as well. Other forms of radio, satellite radio for example, have changed the format of it all together. There are no longer morning shows or 5 minute commercial breaks, just music after music.
Yes, it will still be considered radio, but not the radio that we have come to be used to through our am/fm tuners.