Despite the fact that traditional radio still receives reasonable acceptance among people, its future remains uncertain due to the dominance of modern communication technology, a recent study shows.
The 63-page study, the contents of which were released by the Gulf Radio and TV Corp. (GRTVC) and carried by the Saudi Press Agency, touched on the impact of modern communication technologies such as Internet radio, iPod, MP4 players, and smartphones on the traditional radio.
The study, prepared by Saud bin Salih Katib, a media professor at King Abdulaziz University, reviewed in depth the nature of competition between the modern media channels and traditional radio, and to what extent the latter could retain its audience in light of such competition.
The author recalled a controversial issue raised decades ago on the change that could come about when shifting from the analog system to digital audio broadcasting.
Currently, options are becoming more diverse than ever thanks to digital audio systems, which captured the attention of traditional radio listeners, particularly the younger generation, the study said.
For his part, the director general of GRTVC, Abdullah bin Said Abu Ras, stressed the importance of the study, as it deals with a topic that matters to operators of traditional radio in the Arab world, who heavily invested to get new FM licenses.
Modern media threaten the radio
