Implication Analysis of Radio Industry Development from the Conventional Era to the Digital Era: 1996 – 2016

Abstract

In the digital world, the role of conventional radio increasingly challenging. The future of radio is unpredictable. Digital technology has in many ways transformed the development pattern of the conventional radio industry. This situation posed challenging for its survival. Conventional radio may not be relevant in the next few years because radio all over the world is facing massive disruption in the digital era. Thus, the purpose of this study is (1) to map out the development of the radio industry in the digital era; and to (2) understand how digital technology had implicated the development of the radio industry as well as (3) foreseeing the direction of radio industry in Malaysia. This study uses a qualitative approach with in-depth interview and reviewing significant documentation as a method of data collection. The chosen informant is the individual with authority and knowledgeable on the radio migration issues in Malaysia. The mapping of the radio industry in the digital era is relatively gradual triggered by the refusal to change (digital resistor) and uncertainty among industrial players such as the government and private sector radio station due to no specific business model for radio industry. As a result, this refusal caused the saturation of Frequency Modulation standard and profound implications on radio eco system.