Adam Bowie said at May 14th, 2007 at 11:40am

So if the stories about daytime Xfm are true, she’s going to love it even more!

Suw said at May 14th, 2007 at 4:34pm

James, just to clarify, it’s not that I don’t discover new music first on the radio, but that’s not *why* I listen to the radio. If all I wanted was to discover new music, then there are more efficient ways to do it than listen to the radio, such as use Last.fm or Pandora. Or, even more pragmatically, just borrow my fiance’s iPod!

I’d wager, however, that most people who listen to the radio are doing so because they want to be entertained in some way. For me, the most important part of that entertainment is the DJ, probably because I work mainly from home and so I like hearing another voice in between the music. (Can’t work through talk radio though. Yeah, I know, fussy.) So I’ve ended up being caught between banal DJs and limited playlist (XFM) and absent DJs and a bit more of a playlist (Virgin Xtreme). Still undecided which way I’m going to go long term on this one though.

Adam, stories? Erk, that doesn’t sound good. What stories?

Paul Easton said at May 14th, 2007 at 9:23pm

A wise man once told me that while it’s the music that brings in the listeners it’s the bits inbetween that keep them listening.

Paul Easton said at May 16th, 2007 at 7:16am

It looks like the stories about XFM are true, judging by John Plunkett’s piece on the Media Guardian website this morning. No presenters on XFM 10.00am - 4.00pm.

Adam Lynch said at May 18th, 2007 at 5:18am

They are getting rid of DJs from 10 - 4 pm on all Xfm Stations. Hmmm

Rusty Hodge said at June 3rd, 2007 at 7:31pm

I manage SomaFM, a mid-size net radio service. I think the people who listen to internet radio now listen to it for completely different reasons than people listen to over-the-air radio. Net radio listeners are looking for less DJ chatter and more music. It’s almost like a background music service. We tried doing more DJ talk and personality, and our audience complained loudly. We also asked them in a survey what they wanted and didn’t want, and one o the least asked for things was more human DJs.

I think this is because most people listen to internet radio at work. We know that from seeing our stats: the work day is when most people tune in. And when people are at work, they’re around other people, and are probably talking to each other.

Compare that to a typical over-the-air listener, who is in their car, quite possibly alone. They’re looking to the radio to keep them company.

There are two uses for radio that seem to work: radio to keep you company, and radio as a musical background service for the other things you’re doing.

The bits between the music don’t have to be DJs talking; they can be other personality elements (liners, sweepers, dropins etc).

People are using music much more than they did in the past, so I think we’ll see a variety of different formats that are successful. I don’t think there is one “best” way to do “radio” anymore.

Rusty / SomaFM