Has internet killed radio?

You’re driving down the road on a warm autumn day. The windows are down, and burning leaves scent the air. The speakers pipe in “Video Killed the Radio Star,” and you drum your fingers on the steering wheel in time with the beat. But wait a minute … video didn’t really kill the radio star, did it?

The end of radio has long been prophesied, but the marching bands march on. Television did have a huge impact on music and, as a result, radio. Ditto for the Internet, Napster, iTunes, and Spotify. Indeed, the rise of streaming and on-demand music is reshaping the radio industry as we know it.

Nov. 2, 1920, marked a momentous day for music and technology when KDKA-AM Pittsburgh, the first commercial radio station, launched. This kicked off the era of commercial radio. But now, traditional radio stations are falling to the wayside as more folks get their tunes over the Internet.

In the early 20th century, radios ranked among the premier electronic devices, allowing folks to tune in to music, news, and other entertainment from around the world. Now there are billions of electronic devices, and increasingly, these devices tune into the world wide web, not radio waves. The Internet probably won’t kill the radio star, but it will change how radio stations operate.

Some radio stations are adapting and putting listeners in charge. You can still listen to radio stations, and you don’t even need a tuner — just a reliable Internet connection. Smartly run radio stations can benefit. iHeartMedia partnered with radio giant NPR to promote Disgraceland, a popular true-crime podcast. The results? Disgraceland went from 200,000 downloads to over 2 million a month.

What’s more, with some on-demand web radio stations, you can often rewind, fast forward, and skip songs. Folks want music on demand, and if they disagree with the DJ’s selection, they’ll simply change the tunes or tune out.