Video Killed the Radio Star. Or Did it?

The year is 1980. Apple had just released the Apple III, a business-oriented personal computer. CNN is created and begins broadcasting. The Rubik’s Cube hits toy stores. HMA Public Relations (then known as Ed Moser and Associates) opened for business. The Buggles had just released their cover of one of music’s biggest hits, Video Killed the Radio Star.

But could video really kill the radio star?

While I wasn’t around during this time, I remember my mom telling me stories of how she would have to visit her friends’ house to watch TV with color. Since it was a relatively new concept, some families couldn’t yet afford a color TV – something we now would consider a staple in every room of the house.

Enter cable television and the advent of MTV.  Video Killed the Radio Star was the first music video aired on this upstart broadcast station. But rather than kill radio, MTV and other variations of music broadcasting have actually kept radio even more relevant.

Radio programs morphed into TV shows. And although families may not have gathered around the transistor to listen to the news, the portability of radio meant we could hear news virtually anywhere.

When YouTube began gaining popularity, videos had a new home. Apps like TikTok and Snapchat have made it even easier to create stars through posting and sharing of videos.

So no, video did not kill the radio star. Alive and well in 2021, the star now has other formats and other ways to reach fans.

Even with our ever-advancing technology, there will always room for the radio star.