Re:America's rural radio stations are vanishing
by Johnny555 on Monday June 10, 2019 @01:14AM
(#20144082)
There is a significant section of the population that relies on broadcast media to get information about their community. The fact that you do not does not mean that locally-owned, locally-focused broadcasters are a waste.
I never said they were a waste, I just pointed out that they (like newspapers) are much less relevant to most people than they used to be, which is why they are dying and getting bought up.
The low-income people that can't afford a cell phone or home internet, are not the kind of listeners than can support an advertising supported radio station.
One solution could be for the government to subsidize local broadcast stations, though I think a better solution would be to subsidize internet access (or even smart phones) because those without internet connectivity miss out on a lot more than the highschool football scores, and no subsidized radio station will improve that.
I never said they were a waste, I just pointed out that they (like newspapers) are much less relevant to most people than they used to be, which is why they are dying and getting bought up.
The low-income people that can't afford a cell phone or home internet, are not the kind of listeners than can support an advertising supported radio station.
One solution could be for the government to subsidize local broadcast stations, though I think a better solution would be to subsidize internet access (or even smart phones) because those without internet connectivity miss out on a lot more than the highschool football scores, and no subsidized radio station will improve that.