Radio, however, clung on until early this century, when naysayers once again prophesied the end of radio, this time in the hands of the Internet, which youth have adopted and adapted to in droves.

But, have young people really forsaken the radio? After all, legendary rock band Queen did shout “Radio, someone still loves you!” in their song “Radio Ga Ga”.

“I was once asked this question by a journalist for a magazine when the Internet was in its nascence. Nobody was able to answer the question definitely at that time, but I felt that the Internet would not kill radio,” Junas Miradiarsyah, the general manager of Prambors FM, said.

Instead, he saw the Internet providing a new means of tuning in to radio stations: digitally, through online radio streaming.

“And that’s what is actually happening right now. The radio has not died. The Internet has helped it instead,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Prambors FM, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, is one of the many Jakarta-based radio stations streaming their broadcasts through their websites in addition to conventional airwaves.  

Their listeners run the gamut from high school students to young workers.

According to Junas, Prambors provides a streaming service in light of the high Internet penetration among youth.

Based on data from the Communications and Information Technology Ministry, around 65 percent, or 28 million Internet users, in the country are between 15 to 29 years old.

“It can be said that it is the method of consumption that has changed,” he pointed out.

Devita Triwardhani, the group station manager for MRA Broadcast Media Division, has noted an increase in the number of listeners to its two youth-oriented radio stations, Trax FM and Hard Rock FM.

Based on a survey by AC Nielsen, Trax FM experienced a twofold increase in audience within three years, with numbers reaching 343,000 listeners a week in 2011. Although Hard Rock FM experienced a slump in listeners last year, their numbers have climbed this year with 350,000 listeners tuning in every week.

The survey also shows that the number of radio listeners in Jakarta has gone up from 12.6 million in 2009 to approximately 16 million in 2011.

“Our fear that the Internet would overcome the radio did not materialize. This is because the radio succeeded in adapting by heading to the Internet. Thus, [listeners] did not leave us,” Devita, or Evi, said.

For radio stations, adapting also meant adopting social media networks as their lifelines. Radio stations these days have both Facebook and Twitter accounts through which they interact faster and more directly than ever before with their audience.

Evi pointed out that radio stations and listeners are “way past” interacting conventionally on the phone or through text messages.

“The reason why the radio still exists today is because we can use the media [listeners] currently use. Hence, they can remain close to us because we keep abreast of the advancements in the technology they use,” she said.

Marco Anjasmoro, the program director of Hard Rock FM, said both Twitter and Facebook have become integrated with their on-air broadcasts since the station utilizes its accounts to inform listeners about the tracks being played.

Hard Rock FM has nearly 70,000 Twitter followers and almost 1,800 people “liking” their Facebook
fanpage.

“So even though they are not listening to conventional radio, they can search what song we are now playing or what topics [are being discussed] by going to Twitter, Facebook or our website,” he said.

Tio Prasetyo Utomo, the assistant program director of Trax FM, said that Twitter has closed the gap between listeners and radio hosts since comments and song requests are now just a tweet away.

“Trax listeners are younger so they are more forthright. They will complain, like, what song is this?” he said, chuckling.

Trax FM’s Twitter account, with around 76,000 followers, does buzz with teen-style conversation, with a variety of emoticons and terms such as “wkwkwk”, denoting laughter, popping up on their tweet feeds.

In addition to accounts on social networks, Tio added that Trax FM utilizes live video streaming of their hosts in action in the studio to build a feeling of closeness with listeners.

“There’s been quite a change because we can greet listeners visually as well,” he said.

Junas also pointed out that digital media has become part and parcel of activation programs launched by the station. He pointed out that Prambors has blended on-air, off-air and online efforts to promote and get listeners involved in their activities, such as the contests and festivals the station holds.

“The radio is more one-way [communication] so online helps in facilitating two-way interaction,” he said, adding that digital media has helped stations analyze their markets.

The swelling importance of the Internet has led radio stations to transform themselves internally as well. All three stations have formed special divisions that specifically attend to the stations’ online and digital media affairs.

Evi added that the system of recruitment of hosts at Trax FM and Hard Rock FM has changed as well since webcams captured the hosts in action. The stations now look to recruit talent not only gifted
with radio voices but also pleasant appearances.

“We ask our hosts to dress nicely and not act as they please in the broadcast studio because there is a webcam,” she said.

Junas said hosts have been told to steer clear of provocative messages and negative remarks such as racial slurs.

“We brief our hosts that as opinion leaders they have to be role models even outside their on-air time because listeners can follow their lives anytime through digital media,” he told the Post.

Marco added that hosts were reminded that they were the brand ambassadors of the stations.

“We remind them that what they do out there will impact the brand itself so they have to behave, meaning that they have to be cautious so that people will not associate their actions with the brand they carry,” he said.

With all the factors to consider, radio stations agree that they have to work harder to make a program successful.

“The level of creativity has to be more off the charts, more sophisticated,” Junas said. “We have to think two to three times harder in making a creative program.”

— Photos By JP/Mariel Grazella

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