So, recently we wrote about how here in Fort Wayne, IN, the average worker spends about 40 minutes driving to and from work each day, and how about 85% of those drivers are listening to the radio while commuting. Sounds like a good deal for local radio stations, who have the rapt attention of over a 100,000 drivers for almost an hour every day. Still radio managers and owners are worried, and what their worried about is the internet. More and more car companies are offering internet services on the dash board, and that means that commuters will have choices other than their local radio stations. As you know, you can listen to almost any radio station anywhere in the world on line, or on your smart phone. And a lot of people listen to music services like Pandora or Spotify, but until now, you needed to be tied to a desktop computer or use your phone to listen to these. Over the coming years, that will change fast, as internet service becomes common in the American automobile.
Anyway, 83% of the radio managers surveyed said they thought internet radio would be a threat to local radio. What do you think? If you had the option right now, would you spend your 20 minute ride to work listening to local radio, or something on line?
