Internet Radio Station
The regular FM radios have lost a lot of their advantages in the competition with Internet radio stations that can require only online connection and a computer. The huge dimension of the world wide web broadcasting has determined the Copyright Royalty Board to impose fees for broadcasters who want to use the Internet for radio stations; what is further to the disadvantage of the radio owners is that they have to pay retroactively for all the entire period during which they have activated online. Some people say that this could be the end of Internet radio and that only very wealthy corporations will be able to pay the price.
Would this be goodbye to Internet radio stations? The problem is that many Internet radio stations are operated by hobbyists or enthusiasts that promote new music and revive the oldies on request. Many of the programs cannot be found with corporate-owned stations that sometimes lack the emotion and the passion a small broadcaster puts in the work. A huge media upsurge occurred after this news was released and blog comments all over the Internet protest against the Copyright Royalty Board that would bring about the closing of many small radio stations.
Neither the public nor the artists benefit from the crippling of such a groundbreaking online presence. In order to be able to pay the fees and stay functional on the profitable side, Internet radio stations would have to incorporate a lot more advertising into their formats. Commercials are considered the main cause for popularity decrease that corporate radio stations face, and the absence of such breaks in the broadcast actually guided some listeners towards online shows. So, where a radio station runs a commercial now, it will run two in the near future to come, and a very positive aspect of online broadcasting will be compromised for good.
Hope remains that smart guys will always find a breech in the system, or that the system itself will improve and allow us to move to the next stage of radio broadcasting. Presently, there are hundreds of sites that provide all sorts of complex listings with Internet radio stations worldwide. Resources for detailed info on various aspects of the Radio and Entertainment Industry are also present with many such web pages. The main good bits about online broadcasting is that for the time being the restrictions are pretty reduced and they can be accessed and enjoyed anywhere in the world if you have a computer and network connectivity.
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