But the harsh reality is that for content providers such as broadcasters, no model exists for short-term financial returns from an Internet investment. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find more than a handful of radio station Web sites that are making a profit. Before you get depressed and scrap your Internet plans, some recent developments offer good news for the radio industry. The study also found that these listeners are far more likely to buy something while online. Furthermore, radio stations have built-in advantages over many of their online competitors.
Radio stations have that built in.
We are local, and even if it is a national story, we can tell it from a local perspective. It's not difficult to see that the trend points to profitability down the road-but getting there will not be so simple. To attract and retain an online audience, broadcasters will need to offer more than a simple electronic station brochure. Visitors will expect and demand more. That's why some companies have been slow to jump in with both feet.