OPINION | It’s time to retire the outdated “internet radio” label

Brent Jones
January 20, 2025 at 8:54 PM

Like many ‘Squid Game’ fans, I sat down to binge the second season within hours of it being released over the Christmas holidays.

Of course, I wasn’t alone.

Season two is the third most-watched Netflix series of all time with 152.5 million views, and IMDb has ‘Squid Game’ ranked as the fourth most popular television show in the world.

Notice that I said television show, not internet television show, even though the only way to watch ‘Squid Game’ is to stream it online using the Netflix app.

The same goes for shows like ‘Bridgerton’ and ‘Love Is Blind.’

Calling these programs internet television shows would make about as much sense as asking what channel Netflix is on, which is why I grow tired of the “internet radio station” label.

Aside from it stinking of condescension, there is a certain implication that because content is distributed online, it is somehow less legitimate than its analog equivalent.

Fort Erie Radio, like thousands of other internet radio streams, operates in essentially the same fashion as any other radio station. We use much of the same equipment and playout software as terrestrial broadcasters; long gone are the days of cart machines and spinning vinyl records on the ones and twos.

We monitor trends and statistics and develop new content, shows and hourly clocks to satisfy the wants and needs our listeners. We pay licensing fees to SOCAN and Re:Sound for the tracks we air, a carefully curated library of music that is likely to keep our audience tuned in.

We employ broadcasters and journalists, and we generate revenue through ad spot sales and sponsorships. We engage with our local community through in-person events, contests, and by taking texts and calls on our station hotline.

And we are live and local, which sadly is something that fewer and fewer legacy broadcasters can honestly claim.

However, much like Netflix and other streaming services, our content is available digitally only.

But why shouldn’t it be? We are in the year 2025, after all. Last I checked, nobody adjusts their rabbit ears to get clearer reception on the television, and nobody turns the antenna a few degrees to pick up the hockey game.

Analog television is a relic of the past, and soon too will be analog radio.

Why? For starters, internet radio streams are generally available without geographic restrictions and without degradation to the original broadcast quality. In other words, you don’t need to be within 50km of our transmitter to get a clear signal.

In fact, internet radio stations have no need for power-hungry transmitter towers, which can be subject to acts of vandalism.

And Bluetooth technology allows internet radio to be easily streamed through car speakers, the very spot where 8 in every 10 adults consume live radio.

That isn’t to say that analog radio isn’t still enjoyed by many, but that number is rapidly waning.

Many traditional radio stations, including some right here in Niagara, are now reporting higher listenership through online streaming–website, app, and smart speakers–than through AM/FM signals.

In several countries, including the U.K., internet radio is outpacing terrestrial radio in listenership.

I concede that much like starting a YouTube channel or an Instagram account, the barrier to entry into internet radio is relatively low and that means that production value will vary.

But as the saying goes, don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Virtually every legacy broadcaster is pushing its listeners, at least once an hour, to download some proprietary app, or “take us everywhere you go” by streaming the station through their website.

Why? Because digital streaming is not just the future, it’s the present.

After all, if ‘Squid Game’ season two had been released on DVD or Blu-ray, it wouldn’t have racked up 152.5 million views in less than a month.