Satellite Radio vs. “Free Radio”

Ok, I was listening to my talk radio program this morning on WTAQ. I heard one of the ads they play regularly about why free radio is better than satellite radio (ie, XM or Sirius). To suggest that free radio is better than satellite radio, they used arguments like, “Satellite radio has too much profanity, and I worry about my kids,” and “Free radio cuts out too much when I’m obstructed by things like tall buildings or a mountain,” and “Free radio gives me local news and sports,” etc.

Alas, the marketing industry in this nation just doesn’t get it! We all understand that free content is paid for by advertisers, and we have no problem with viewing reasonable ads in exchange for free content, but there is a limit to our patience. This has already been made evident on the Internet. People are installing ad-blocking software like never before. Do they really have a problem with viewing ads in exchange for content? No way, but they do have a problem with being abused by advertisers. Things like “fly-in” Flash advertisements and annoying animations push the limits of our patience. I don’t mind viewing banners or AdWords, and I occasionally click on ads that relate to my interests, but shoving animated casino and “punch the monkey” ads down our throats just doesn’t cut it.

It’s the same with radio. We don’t mind paying for satellite radio because free radio has begun to abuse its listeners much like the Internet. I listen to WTAQ and hear the same ad telling me how they can lower my farm taxes by just giving them a call, with annoying elevator music and some pretentious blonde finance major telling me I’d be stupid not to use their service. I am not a farmer. If I was, I probably would have been convinced by the first 1000 times I’ve heard the ad. Similarly, the talk radio industry has sunken to the lowliest of advertisers, from get rich quick to lose weight in 7 days with no exercise and no diet change. We don’t mind your ads at a reasonable interval, but please, we get the point – “Investing in gold through Swiss America is my ticket to fame and fortune!”

Finally, they suggest that signal loss is a frustration among satellite radio converts. I ask you – is losing your signal when you go under and overpass any worse than WTAQ’s record of playing commercials over my radio program, censoring content because it doesn’t agree with their political agenda, or cancelling my radio program in favor of sports programs that talk about the previous day’s game and what you already saw while watching it?

*sigh*, I need a political talk radio that doesn’t cater to farmers and meat heads. Free radio has become the whore of the advertising industry, just like the Internet.

Disclaimer: I am not a subscriber to any satellite TV service, but for reasons stated above I’ve been seriously tempted. I also have nothing against farmers, but sometimes I feel like WTAQ is out of touch with their a large portion of their demographic. Perhaps they need to spin-off the politics from the sports/farm report. “Look ma’, hog futures are up 2 points, Favre sealed the Viking’s fate with a 60 yard bomb, and Rush Limbaugh thinks liberals are intolerant!”

December 24th, 2004  Entertainment & Media, News & Current Events   Tags: advertising, clueless, flash, opinion, Radio, satellite, sirius, Television, wtaq, xm, more...