Internet Tech Boston

Ever notice how Radio Stations have some of the worst websites on the Internet? In a world where the Internet has reshaped the way commercial music is distributed, paid for, and listened to, the major radio stations continue to treat their websites as little more than online billboard for on-air personalities. These websites look they were designed and maintained by the world’s slowest interns.

Pictured above, WBCN.com is at the top of the list. Each of the content areas you see in the thumbnail above contain moving pieces. I nearly had an epileptic seizure upon visiting the homepage.

The website for WYSP in Philadelphia has a splash page. It looks half-way decent, in that I don’t feel the need to consult my doctor after viewing their website. These days, however, it is customary to have more than 1 page on your site.

KROQ in Los Angeles is one of the better sites I saw, but still not that great. Too much content (scrolling way down below the fold), and some placeholders for features that just didn’t work, such as “Now Playing.”

Curious as to what I assumed was a Rock-Radio-Internet-phenomenon, I did some Google searching on “worst radio station websites” and found a link to “Radio Mall: Programming Your Radio Station’s Website,” pictured above, and all became clear. Evidently, everyone in radio has taken this guy’s course. By the looks of his own site, he clearly is neither a designer nor a programmer. Nobody will fully know how many Radio Stations have been contaminated by this online predator, but in looking at the overall landscape, I’d say quite a few.