LOOK! IN THE SKY! IT'S---the future of radio?

It's not difficult to understand the downfall radio is experiencing in modern America. Very few people even utilize the radio anything besides a space filler on their dashboard. Is this the end of the line for what used to be the main way to premier new music?

In Bruce Elbert's book The Satellite Communication Applications Handbook, the author discusses the technicalities of XM Satellite Radio. He outlines the specifics of the program and its beginning stages when the satellites were first sent into space. Humorously enough, the two satellites are named "Rock" and "Roll"...well, I thought it was funny. The XM Satellite Radio service operates as a subscription program where users pay a monthly fee to gain access to the many music channels offered by the company.

For XM to replace the soon-to-be hole left by the demise of traditional radio, they are going to need an overhaul on their subscription fees. As the situation currently stands, most families are not inclined to pay the required amount of money in order to keep what is usually a free trial and installation of the satellite radio. A shift in XM's pricing will give more individuals the opportunity to engage in the new form of radio.

Viva la (concept of) Radio

When was the last time you actually listened to the radio? Not talk radio featuring your daily dose of angry old men spewing and spitting about things they can't change, but the actual radio with music? If you're like most Americans, you probably can't remember the last time you tuned in. Unfortunately for indie music artists, the positive developments in radio licensing fees will have little of the desired positive effect on them because of...well, because of your neglectful listening habits. But don't worry too much about it; there is a new frontier emerging for both indie and major label artists alike.

The television battlefield is quickly replacing what the radio has done for so long: artist promotion. The next time you watch t.v., pay attention to the commercials and count how many new artists are being featured in the background. Or, when you're watching Grey's Anatomy or CSI, listen at the end of the show and notice the fresh new music displayed. Luckily for new musicians on the scene, only one airing of a popular television show featuring their music or a single commercial can shoot them to the top of the charts with dizzying speed. Also, the fees for having one's music on television is much more affordable than the ridiculously steep price for radio airtime.

I think this shift from radio focus to television focus was imminent, but not really a doomsday kind of imminent, either. People will always have new mediums on which they place their attention, with television being the current one. Judging by the success new artists have enjoyed due to television placement, I would say that most everyone involved is benefitting.