In an 'On-Demand' iPod World, Something's Gotta Give

Marc Fisher writes:  "... About half of Americans age 55 or older have bought "Me Media" devices, such as TiVo and iPods, that put the consumer in the control booth, but according to a new survey by the Arbitron ratings company and Edison Media Research, about 90 percent of everyone younger than 55 is already on board. And though iPod users do download monster hit songs online, they buy and trade a much more varied mix of music than can be heard on the air.  ¶  For radio, that means a huge generation gap is developing. The iPod, Apple's digital music player, is more like the transistor radio than any other gadget in media history, in that it is making a powerful entrance into the American home mainly through the teen market. The Arbitron/Edison study found that about a quarter of American teenagers own an iPod or other portable MP3 player, a far higher percentage than in any other age group. That's what has led Infinity Broadcasting, one of the nation's largest radio companies, to convert an AM station in San Francisco to KYOU. ..."  Link:  Washington Post.