Opinion: Why Idaho Radio Is More Important Now Than Ever

People tune into radio stations for different reasons.

From weather forecasts and contests to local news and humorous banter between personalities, radio listeners are creatures of habit and follow daily routines consistently. While programming has changed dramatically in the past 30 years, our reasons for listening to the radio have not.

On-air personalities talk much less these days, unless you listen to a talk format. Most radio stations' success these days is measured by things like app downloads, social media interaction with the community, and the time and volume of content people consume while scrolling through digital ads and pages of information shared by local and national content creators.

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The Appeal Of Local Radio Is Stronger Than Ever For Many Community Members

Credit: Greg Jannetta

The romantic age of radio — the reason so many of us got into it to begin with —is 'Memorex.' But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

This new radio hybrid of round-the-clock community news, sports, business promotion, content streaming, politics, local interviews with city officials, and state social media interaction offers a great deal more than what was served up to radio consumers decades ago, and it's all in one program at your fingertips on your phone.

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Radio staffers of leading media companies in America are journalists first and foremost- this metamorphosis began roughly 20 years ago in an effort to grow the brand--and "jocks" second. Just about any bozo can talk into a microphone, but bringing a community closer through the optimum utilization of resources is a future many radio fans should look forward to.

Song requests might be harder to come by nowadays, but community essentials and cohesiveness aren't.