Is FM Music Radio Dying?

I come from a radio background.  It’s in my DNA,  but nowadays musically,  I’m all about Apple Music.  The infinite selection,  no ads,  good sound quality,  zero chatter.  Track information.    Musical bliss.

But I still have a soft spot for “the radio experience.”

I still listen to old air checks for entertainment. 

A glorious experience where you felt tied into the world at the moment.  It was literally the soundtrack of America.  You were part of something.  Amazing songs with the voices of cool doing shows not shifts,  interspersed with sound ranging from jingles to mind bending production and wild tracks. but the reality is clear.  That was a long time ago in a romantic pre digital era.  

In 2026,  to under 50’s,  radio is a tired old technology…more about 1960 than the modern and exciting digital era,  and creatively radio is stuck in some 1980’s focus group time warp

So…going through some notes and thoughts:

Radio’s Reality-

Radio holds an undeniable position of strength in terms of accessibility. Yet, as a fan of radios history, I see significant potential for its long-term extinction in its current form. While this may sound overly dramatic, numerous red flags demand immediate attention.

1. Mergers, Wall Street, and the Focus on Deals

The conversation surrounding the radio industry is almost exclusively focused on the economic side—deals, acquisitions, and finances. While this is understandable, it has come at the expense of discussing programming. When was the last time you heard about a programming war or a station reinventing a market with a new sound?

If the primary excitement in radio revolves around corporate transactions, where does that leave the listener? "Death by deal" is a real possibility. As media’s focus drifts so far from content, the industry risks losing the ability to compete in the Google and Apple era. Business makes it rock, but programming makes it roll—both are essential. Deals will always happen, but true progress comes from the magic emanating from speakers and screens. That aspect needs to be part of the conversation as much as the economics.

2. An Outdated Playbook

I recently heard a "new" rock station that felt like a relic of the 1970s. It relied on:

· A "big voice" screaming about how hard they rock—a tactic from 1979.

· Star Wars laser sound effects and filtered vocal effects, decades past their cultural relevance.

· Blocks of music, two-fers, and commercial-free sets—concepts from 40 years ago.

· Themed lunches ("retro lunch," "electric lunch"), a stale programming crutch.

· A station van—a symbol of cool in 1971 that now feels dated.

This station was operating on autopilot, relying on focus-group data from a bygone era. In an age where competition from other music sources is on steroids, radio too often leans on clichés that have become fodder for parody. Stations should install cliché buzzers—three buzzes and you’re fired—to thwart "new" ideas like yet another themed lunch.

3. The Stars of Radio

The radio industry has seen its leadership shift over the decades:

· 1950s: Deejays

· 1960s: Program Directors

· 1970s: Consultants

· 1980s: Researchers

· 1990s: Group Heads

· 2000s–present: Bankers and new media

While bankers are essential, the industry is facing a creative crisis as much as an economic one. It is time to recruit, enable, and inspire creative content stars—not just talk hosts, but true content creators. Radio tends to hire for operational aptitude, driving those with heavy creative aptitude to other industries. A 19-year-old creative star today is unlikely to see television or radio as a desirable destination. This is a critical problem if media wants to compete in the content war. We must transform our media companies into creative oases where thinkers can thrive.

4. Balance, Not Bullshit

We are in a content war, and Apple and Google currently hold the advantage. But radio and television still command the audience's eyes and ears. Without a balanced configuration of people and functions, failure is inevitable. We need stars in:

· Business

· Revenue

· Technology

· Operations

· Creative

I recall walking into a TV station whose lobby mission statement promised cutting-edge innovation and leadership. When I asked the General Sales Manager if it was true, he smirked and said, "No, it’s complete BS." Such statements are common throughout media.

When you hear "Content is King," be wary. It’s not. Revenue is. But content drives revenue.

5. Denial and Arrogance

Common refrains in the industry include:

· "Spotify only has a small share of listenership."

· "Radio is great. When a tornado hits, you don’t go to Spotify."

· "We’re #1."

These arguments may be fine for agencies and Wall Street, but internally, they are dangerous. This is not the time for self-congratulation; it is a time for war. We need to put aside denial and arrogance, pull out the weapons, and start creating content that wins on 21st-century terms. The situation is more critical than in newspapers, where some still operate as if it’s 1935.

6. The Digital Excuse

Digital is the present and future, but it is often used as an excuse—a shortcut that avoids addressing the real issue: dated, tired content rooted in the 1980s. A new app won’t magically fix a dull station, yet that seems to be the prevailing logic.

I recall a newspaper raving about its digital innovations, but when I asked about the printed paper, I received blank stares and was told, "We can’t touch that; it’s sacred." The same attitude exists in radio and TV. What comes out of the speakers or screens is the problem, and it won’t be fixed by migrating it to online or mobile platforms. Fix the product first, bring it in sync with 2020, and then focus on the delivery systems.

7. The Secret Conspiracy: Stagnation vs. Innovation

There seems to be an unwritten rule that technology companies can innovate daily—Version 2, Version 3, constant upgrades. Radio, by contrast, relies on the same playbook with new slogans. Even television and fashion have "new fall seasons." At a time when thriving in the Google/Apple era requires daily innovation, radio remains on innovation autopilot.

Radio has become a stagnant commodity, hoping a new app will solve the radio problem while tech companies fully embrace the 21st century need for constant innovation.  

8. The "Local" Myth

The claim of being "local" is often overstated. While stations like WGN and WLW breathe local character, most are generic. As a kid, driving from Chicago to Miami, every city had stations with distinct personality. Today, that same trip reveals a generic wasteland where everyone sounds the same. A local morning show or an annual blood drive doesn’t constitute true localism. Stations should conduct a "local audit" of their sound and marketing; they’d find hundreds of missed opportunities.

9. You Can’t Abbreviate Magic

New station launches often consist of little more than an AM drive show, a billboard, a tested library, some promos, and an app. This is insufficient.

You can’t design the future without understanding the past. Look at groundbreaking stations like KHJ, KCBQ, The Loop, and KFOG. They created complete plans—Schwartzkopf-style planning with a mission, down to how the receptionist answered the phone. Some call this old-fashioned, but is media so full of itself that a great reinvention plan is no longer viable? Imagination is free. The most passionate, gifted people are not motivated by money, yet media is driving them away.

Todd Storz had a timeless line: "First program…then sell." Media is entertainment, not just utility. In a cluttered environment, relying on call letters, history, and an abbreviated plan will not win.

10. Media and Information Is the New Rock ’n’ Roll

Rock music as a cultural driver may be on life support, but the thinking behind it is timeless. While Elvis drove culture, today it’s driven by Facebook and news. The world is having a nervous breakdown, and media and information are at the center. We need rock ’n’ roll thinking, regardless of format or style. Its key characteristics include:

· Eccentricity, all the way to the bank

· Innovation as a driver in everything

· Attitude and spirit

· Swagger and confidence

· Newness—the struggle to be first

· Mass appeal

· Reinvention—creating fans, not "users"

· Culture-moving power

· Constant forward momentum

· Competitiveness

· Artfulness—creating commerce through art

· Instinct over yesterday’s data

· A rebellious, fighting spirit

· Intelligence with mass appeal

· Non-elitism

Summary

It’s time to get real.   It’s a 50 plus medium but among those radio friendly,  it’s back to the roots—to focus on what listeners and viewers experience through speakers, screens, and on the streets. Stop the excuses: the economy will improve, we have a new app, we’ve been here since 1942, we’re local because our tower is here.

Radio has one incredible advantage: reach. Everyone has a radio. Radio and TV are in a position of strength. Imagine if everyone owned a Mac—would Apple call it quits? These mediums have, in many ways, given up the content fight at a time when the magic of what comes out of the screens and speakers is more powerful than any technology. Combined with technology, it becomes untouchable.

It’s time to INSPIRE  and start creating magic on 2026 terms….it’ll never be what it was,  but it’s life can be prolonged by doubling down on its natural ( older ) audience that still tunes in,  and getting back to delivering magic.  With today’s limited and overtaxed staffs,  intense economic pressure and lack of visionaries,  not sure it’s possible, but it’s not an option in terms of long term sustainability in a world that’s grown past radios golden years.