It's no secret that it's hard to get into radio. If you are like me and dreamed of getting on the airwaves, you may be disappointed that it's not easy unless you're okay with being a pirate station. Part 15 FM is great for Christmas music, part 15 AM can go a mile or so if you're lucky. With the FCC not opening a filing window for AM, FM or LPFM broadcast licenses not anytime soon or ever - the only other option is to purchase an existing station with a license. That's even out of reach based on how expensive it is. Even without studio equipment you're looking at 200K easy it seems like and that's on the cheap side.

So that leaves no options besides internet radio which can arguably not be an option to someone truly wanting to be on the airwaves as having an internet connection on the beach, in a boat, etc...Is expensive, to say the least, or you'll use all your cell phone data with a hotspot.

So what does that mean for AM and FM radio? I feel it means what is out there now will be it basically. AM will die because people simply won't listen based on it is basically a copy of what a station is playing on FM but with worse quality. FM will be run by the big media companies who are buying up all of the existing stations/licenses.

I feel the small local family owned and operated radio stations will die and radio may die with it. People don't want it to go this way but with the state of things that may be the truth, unfortunately.