The use of traditional radio seems to be decreasing as alternatives such as Spotify, iTunes, podcasts and more grow. But, studies show that traditional radio remains popular, with 42,940,000 Americans still listening to radio stations of Cumulus Media Holdings Inc, a radio broadcasting stations company, according to Statista.

For more than a decade, new forms of entertainment have slowly been replacing traditional radio. People have been choosing to listen to podcasts, which are convenient and accessible. There are thousands of podcasts available on the internet, as opposed to a very small number of channels on a standard radio. The startup costs are very minimal for podcasts compared to radio.  

Spotify, and other music subscription services have shown to be an effective, favorable way of listening to music, according to Rainnews. These services offer a platform for online advertising and millions of songs at the click of a button. For example, Spotify has over thirty million songs to choose from.

The famous voices of radio, such as Howard Stern, Imus, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, are all older. Unlike with television, a fresh face is not required. The seasoned voices of radio started their careers when radio was more popular. However, when famous radio personalities were in their prime, the new alternatives we have today did not exist.

More than a third of Americans have listened to podcasts at least once in their lives, and 15 percent of Americans listen to podcasts weekly, according to Newsweek. Podcasts have also inspired other mediums. For example, the television series, ‘The Disappearance of Maura Murray’ is based off the podcast ‘Missing Maura Murray’. Blink Publishing in the UK turned ‘Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder’ podcast into a book.

“Audio is an inherently intimate medium, and ‘The Daily’ allows listeners to form a much deeper connection with our journalists than they tend to get from print,” said New York Times editorial director of audio Samantha Henig.

Radio Club is a popular club at CHS. 90 students are on the email list, but the actual participants are found in the shows that air live on the WCHS radio station, and are posted on the WCHS Mixcloud account. Each show usually has 3-5 members. Although some people may feel like radio is dying, others still appreciate the radio industry.

“Sometimes you have to let the radio choose your music, it’s a little boring to have everything set on a playlist all the time.” said junior Kevin Clark of Spring Lake.

“Radio is still relevant since most shows discuss current things like news or entertainment. Plus, it’s nice to hear other opinions and expand your horizons. In my opinion, this is one of the best aspects of listening to radio.”said freshman Leigh Lustig of  Manalapan.