Facing the Future of “Radio” in the Mobile Village

Artman, N.
PCA/ACA 2022
April 2022, Virtual

Once defined by its mass broadcasts, radio has undergone a shift of focus from the mass to the individual. Innovative mobile digital technology provides consumers with the tools of self-determination. Under these changes, audiences have increasingly abandoned the broad focus of conventional radio formats. Traditional block programming has given way to individualized control, as epitomized by the user-created playlist, tailored streaming channel, or niche podcast market. As a constantly connected environment via the Internet and mobile technology, the mobile village reconstructed the means by which content reaches a mass audience (Stiegler and Artman, 2017). To successfully navigate this environment, audiences must adjust to the new dynamics imposed by mobile technologies. Many proclaim the death of radio as traditional broadcast formats become antiquated, however, thanks to increased hardware mobility and bandwidth speeds, podcasts and music streaming services continue to draw listeners. This presentation discusses a reimagined radio industry in an attempt to assess the practical impact of the mobile village on the production, distribution, and consumption of audio content.