Those are some interesting questions and points you bring up, Fred.  Though it's difficult to measure the overall consensus of the radio industry itself, it certainly appears that many in that business are choosing to ignore Internet radio and other IP technologies.  Remember Kurt Hanson's report (which I mentioned in recent posts)?  According to Kurt Hanson's report from this year's NAB show, it appears Internet radio was all but ignored by radio heads.  Perhaps it's fear of the inevitable?  I mean, they've got to know the times are a'changin' - do you suppose they're too frightened or lazy to invest the time/money in embracing IP technologies?

I don't want to generalize here; there are certainly *a few* in the radio biz looking towards the IP future (and present).  Yet NAB (and the radio industry, in general) is going to seem ridiculously outdated and irrelevant if they don't begin paying more attention to Internet radio, and more specifically, wireless Internet radio ( includes streaming *and* podcasting, in my opinion).  Look how fast podcasting is taking hold - NAB should have *at least* had a panel on podcasting and its ramifications.  (They should have also had one on emerging wireless technologies.)

I don't believe the radio industry is going to disappear or anything, but Internet radio  - as it becomes more portable and interactive (and more personalized and dictated by the desires of the listeners) - will eventually replace today's radio industry if said industry doesn't integrate it more entirely.  Just throwing up a live stream on a radio station's website and calling it a day won't cut it.

Harold J. Johnson
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