“Visual Radio” Is on the Rise
Since its invention, radio has been an audio-only experience, but that’s changing fast as broadcasters are racing to be seen (and heard) in the very auto dashboard that gave dominance in consumers’ minds for decades.
As podcasting increasingly goes visual and car dashboards evolve into full-blown digital screens traditional radio is being forced into a new era: visual radio.
They are prioritizing live studio feeds to synchronized visuals that show up on in-dash displays. And with automakers, tech vendors, and ad buyers all leaning in, the shift from sound to sight may be radio’s most important transformation in decades.
Radio stations are embracing video formats (“visual radio”), adding camera feeds, studio graphics, and synchronized visuals to broadcasts.
Jacobs Media, the soothsayer of in-car entertainment reports that video is rapidly appearing on car dashboards making phone-accessible videos a new standard in modern vehicles.
In the rush, radio stations and owners may not only be missing the point but doing damage to a trend that could help them out of the doldrums – the evidence is mounting.
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Didn't we decide about a century ago to call this "television?" In fact, one of the earliest terms for the medium was "radioptics." I chose that name for my TV writing projects. I know we're talking about streaming, not going over the air, but regardless of *how* it gets there, it's still just television.
Driving is just a distraction from a car's real use, serving as an entertainment center with video and texting. Distracted drivers are happier drivers. /sarc
I speak as someone who redid the finish on his car when I scraped the side on a signpost because I thought looking at my phone was more important than driving. Thankfully, it was just some scratches but if that sign had been a kid, I'd probably just be getting out of prison. It scared the s*** out of me and I was old enough to know better, too.
If the visual dashboard is going to include video content for drivers I believe we're going to make cars less safe.