Life may be a series of choices, but when it comes to media and technology, an "old medium" – television – remains on top. Despite having hi-tech options to choose from, three in ten Rock radio listeners pick TV as most indispensable, besting the Internet, cell phones, FM radio, and iPods.  While a difficult theoretical question to answer, the results of Tech Survey III point to the power of compelling content.  Despite the plethora of cool, cutting-edge technology, a plurality of survey takers opt for the good old tube as their top choice. This says a lot about the medium’s ability to create ‘must-see TV’ in an increasingly crowded media environment."

However, new technology is very much in the game, and actually comes out on top among younger respondents. In fact, 18-34 year-olds opt for the Internet and mobile phones over all other choices.

Respondents had a tough choice to make. Of all the new and old media/technology choices, which one could they not live without? The choices included FM radio, television, the Internet, cell phones, iPods/mp3 players, video games, TiVo/DVRs, and satellite radio.

Overall, TV emerged as the winner (30%), besting all other hot new technologies. Television was the top choice among both men and women, 25-54 year-olds, and fans of the Classic Rock format.

But the Internet was a solid number two for one-fourth of respondents (24%), with core strength among 18-34s, as well as Alternative radio listeners (who made it their top choice, along with cell phones).

Mobile phones are also perceived to be highly dispensable, chosen by one-fifth of the sample (20%). Women, Alternative fans, and 18-34s are also more apt to feel their cell phone is the "can’t live without" technology.

Even among these core radio fans, FM radio is far from a top choice for indispensability. Only 13% of the overall sample opt for FM radio as the medium or technology they cannot live without. Classic Rockers are a bit more likely to view radio as a must-have.

The radio story is still a promising one.  While some may take radio for granted, it still bests hot new technologies like satellite radio, iPods, and DVRs. And radio has the ability to have presence in two of the hottest tech areas – the Internet and cell phones. Via streaming technology, content-rich FM radio has the potential to become a major part of how consumers entertain and inform themselves for decades to come.

While some new technologies have grown in importance over the years, their lack of ubiquity among sample members limits their indispensability ratings. Less than 4% of all respondents indicate that video games, iPod-type devices, DVRs, and satellite radio are the most critically important devices or media in their lives. Notably, satellite radio subscribers in the survey are more apt to say that FM radio is the most important medium or technology.

Jacobs Media’s Technology Web Poll III is the largest study of its kind, conducted in late February/early March 2007, among more than 25,000 respondents across 69 different Rock-formatted stations. It is the third annual Technology Poll, conducted among Rock radio listeners who are predominantly members of station email clubs. Participating stations represent Mainstream/Active Rock, Classic Rock, Alternative, and Triple A outlets in markets around the U.S.

Of course, this is a web poll, and cannot replicate all radio listeners or even all Rock radio listeners. As with all Internet-based research projects of this kind, the results reflect only those who chose to participate in the survey, and do not necessarily represent the views of all Rock radio listeners in the country. Still, the 69 radio stations that invited their listeners to take the survey are a broad cross-section of Rock stations, from large and small markets, as well as those that play the newest Rock music and those that play only Classic Rock.

Jacobs Media is the largest Rock radio consulting firm in America, providing research and consulting services to major radio broadcasting companies. The company created the Classic Rock format, and works with Alternative, Active Rock, and Triple A formatted stations.

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