The Year of Internet Radio

Internet radio has been around for years, but it would appear that it's finally coming into its own. A number of copanies introduced new lines of home internet radio devices last year. Now, via Inside the CBC comes word that the people who officially study media trends, for lots of money, are catching on as well.

“In 2009, Internet radio may not just reinvigorate the medium of radio. It may reinvent it.” This prediction comes from the consulting firm Deloitte, which has published annual reports on upcoming media trends for the last eight years.
If the report is correct, 2009 will see much more widespread adoption of WiFi enabled internet radio sets (like the one pictured above). These sets, which retail for about $200, are designed to connect to digital radio signals from around the world via the internet.

My expectation is, in a down economy that people will begin dumping satellite radio anyway (except maybe a few who drive for a living). For those who want radio at home this provides a great alternative. Instead of 100 stations for $15/month plus the cost of the device, they can get tens of thousands of stations as part of the internet connection they already pay for. For those on the road their upgrade from satellite to internet radio will come at the same rate they adopt 3G phones. Nokia is just one of several companies already experimenting with internet radio for cell phones.

It's come alot faster than I originally thought but the age of satellite radio is over. Within two years there won't be enough subscribers left for satellite radio companies to continue operating and television is following closely behind.