Local radio leaves a lot to be desired. If you\u2019re a fan of good music \u2014 that is, if you like anything other than top-40 pop pabulum \u2014 chances are that, like me, you\u2019ve largely given up on music radio. But the Internet is promising to turn the industry on its head.<\/p>\n
I love my iPod. Other than Primedia\u2019s Talk Radio 702 \u2014 great for news updates and traffic reports \u2014 and the soothing sounds of Classic FM, there\u2019s not much worth listening to on the FM dial in Gauteng. There\u2019s Radio Today, which plays good music at night, but it\u2019s on a weak, medium-wave signal and the crackles and pops make it hard to listen to. During the day, the station appeals to the retirement village market.<\/p>\n
Big regional music stations such as Highveld and Jacaranda broadcast the same retreaded tunes day after day. I\u2019d rather be shipped off to Guantanamo Bay than be subjected to another song by James Blunt. Being water-boarded sounds more appealing.<\/p>\n
Before I get accused of being too old or simply uncool, I know plenty of people my age and younger who bristle at the dreck on local radio. We may be a minority but there ought to be greater diversity \u2014 music and talk \u2014 on the SA airwaves.<\/p>\n
Why do we have so few radio stations? In the US, even small towns have more stations jammed into the FM dial than we do. And countries that have supplemented analogue FM broadcasts with the more \u201cspectrally efficient\u201d digital audio broadcasting \u2014 still a distant prospect for SA \u2014 have managed to license even more.<\/p>\n
Yet Johannesburg, Africa\u2019s richest city, doesn\u2019t even have a commercial station dedicated to rock music. Since the SABC restyled Radio 2000 from an eclectic (and sometimes very good) rock-orientated channel into an \u201cadult contemporary\u201d station, the popular rock genre has virtually died on SA airwaves.<\/p>\n
So, the iPod it is. But this has its disadvantages. Because I\u2019m listening to music I bought, I\u2019m not being introduced to new artists. Unfortunately, there are few, if any, music shows available as podcasts. The BBC has an excellent range of podcasts, but restrictions imposed on the British broadcaster by the record labels prevent it from distributing its music shows outside the UK.<\/p>\n
There may be another answer to my problem, though. Recently I have become excited about the possibility of delivering radio content over 3G cellular networks. My interest was piqued by news of new software from US Internet giant AOL that allows Apple iPhone users to select from more than 200 radio stations that are streamed over the Internet.<\/p>\n
The service spans more than 25 genres of music and more than 150 CBS Radio stations in the US. I haven\u2019t tried the service yet, so I\u2019m not sure how well it works in practice, especially when driving. You\u2019d also want an all-you-can-eat broadband plan from your operator otherwise costs will quickly mount \u2014 these plans are common in the US but aren\u2019t yet available in SA.<\/p>\n
On the face of it, though, it\u2019s an idea that could revolutionise radio. Without a regulatory authority exercising tight control over the airwaves \u2014 online broadcasts are unregulated \u2014 anyone with a bit of cash could launch an online radio station.<\/p>\n
Vodacom CEO Alan Knott-Craig is already thinking along these lines. The cellular operator recently launched Yebo Radio. The idea is eventually to offer the station streamed over Vodacom\u2019s network to cellphone users. For now, though, it is available only as a channel streamed into Vodacom retail outlets.<\/p>\n
Online radio doesn\u2019t have to be live, of course. With 3G networks, users can download podcasts over the air or stream and store material to their phones for later playback.<\/p>\n
None of this will kill radio but if, like me, you have had enough of the schlock that passes for music on the local airwaves, it can\u2019t get here soon enough.<\/p>\n