Rediscovering Relevance: The Key Role of Websites in Maintaining Radio Station Popularity
##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.main##
Published
Mar 13, 2026
Abstract
In the age of algorithmic hegemony, traditional radio must contend with competition from music streaming services and independent podcasts. To survive and remain relevant, radio must conduct digital transformation by surfing on the wave of the Internet, and websites serve as the “anchor.” This study examines the extent to which websites promote and sustain radio stations. It focuses on three metropolitan stations in Indonesia: Sonora FM Jakarta, PRFM Bandung, and Suara Surabaya. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected with in-depth interviews with station managers, digital ethnography in a professional forum (FDR Indonesia), and content analysis of the stations’ digital properties. The study found that the website is not merely an option but a required “digital face” that enables a supportive symbiosis across platforms. By adding streaming radio, news archives, and podcasts on demand, stations turn passive audience members into active interactors. In conclusion, a radio station can best maintain its public and brand image by providing nonlinear material and hypermedia experience through a robust website
##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.details##
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Hak Cipta :
Penulis yang mempublikasikan manuskripnya di jurnal ini menyetujui ketentuan berikut:
- Hak cipta pada setiap artikel adalah milik penulis.
- Penulis mengakui bahwa Ranah Research : Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development berhak menjadi yang pertama menerbitkan dengan lisensi Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (Attribution 4.0 International CC BY 4.0) .
- Penulis dapat mengirimkan artikel secara terpisah, mengatur distribusi non-eksklusif manuskrip yang telah diterbitkan dalam jurnal ini ke versi lain (misalnya, dikirim ke repositori institusi penulis, publikasi ke dalam buku, dll.), dengan mengakui bahwa manuskrip telah diterbitkan pertama kali di Ranah Research.
How to Cite
Harliantara, H. (2026) “Rediscovering Relevance: The Key Role of Websites in Maintaining Radio Station Popularity”, Ranah Research : Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 8(2), pp. 1110-1121. doi: 10.38035/rrj.v8i2.1959.
References
Akiba, T., Shing, M., Tang, Y., Sun, Q., & Ha, D. (2025). Evolutionary optimization of model merging recipes. Nature Machine Intelligence, 7(2), 195–204. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-024-00975-8
Bente, B. E., Van Dongen, A., Verdaasdonk, R., & van Gemert-Pijnen, L. (2024). eHealth implementation in Europe: A scoping review on legal, ethical, financial, and technological aspects. Frontiers in Digital Health, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2024.1332707
Bhatia, K. V., Pathak-Shelat, M., Sinha, S., & Mishra, T. (2025). Global influencers’ content creation strategies: Negotiating with platform affordances to practice vernacular creativity. Media, Culture & Society, 47(1), 130–153. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437241276408
Brannon, W. & Roy, D. (2024). Speed of news on Twitter (X) versus radio. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 11939. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-61921-7
Damayanti, N., Fardiah, D., Junaedi, A., & Kurniadi, O. (2025). Exploring Teachers’ Communication and Engagement with Digital Media in Education. Mediator: Jurnal Komunikasi, 18(2), 349–362. https://doi.org/10.29313/mediator.v18i2.7679
Erokhin, D., & Komendantova, N. (2024). Social media data for disaster risk management and research. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 114, 104980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104980
Febriana, K. A., Fanani, F., Fitriyanti, A., A, F. Kf. Ff., Febriana, K. A., Fanani, F., & Fitriyanti, A. (2021). Pelatihan Kepenyiaran Radio bagi Siswa SMK N 1 Semarang. E-Dimas: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 12(1), 95–99. https://doi.org/10.26877/e-dimas.v12i1.4433
Feng, Z., Li, L., Zhang, J., & Feng, X. (2024). Towards a Communication Ecology in the Life of Rural Senior Citizens: How Rural Public Spaces Influence Community Engagement. Sustainability, 16(10), 4256. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104256
Fidler, R. (1997). Mediamorphosis: Understanding New Media ; Journalism and Communication for a New Century: The Pine Forge Press Series. SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452233413
Harini, C., Wulan, H. S., & Agustina, F. (2022). UPAYA MENINGKATKAN VOLUME PENJUALAN MENGGUNAKAN DIGITAL MARKETING PADA UMKM KOTA SEMARANG. Jurnal Manajemen Dayasaing, 23(2), 90–96. https://doi.org/10.23917/dayasaing.v23i2.16860
Harizi, A. & Trebicka, B. (2023). The integration of social media in integrated marketing communication: A systematic review and theoretical framework. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 12(6), 159. https://doi.org/10.36941/ajis-2023-0161
Idiz, D. R., & Poell, T. (2025). Dependence on the online screen industry. Media, Culture & Society, 47(2), 375–393. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437241286725
Karadimitriou, A., & Papathanassopoulos, S. (2024). Public Service Media in the Platform Era: The Cases of Britain, Denmark, and Greece. Journalism and Media, 5(2), 646–670. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia5020043
King, G. (2017). History of Struggle: The Global Story of Community Broadcasting Practices, or a Brief History of Community Radio. Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.16997/wpcc.227
Laor, T. (2022). Radio on demand: New habits of consuming radio content. Global Media and Communication, 18(1), 25–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/17427665211073868
Li, W., Zhang, X., Li, J., Yang, X., Li, D., & Liu, Y. (2024). An explanatory study of factors influencing engagement in AI education at the K-12 Level: an extension of the classic TAM model. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 13922. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64363-3
Mathe L. and Motsaathebe G. (2025). Reconceptualizing multilingualism on African radio: a multilingual accommodation theory. International Journal of Multilingualism, 22(2), 558–573. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2024.2316847
Nofiard, F. (2022). Komunikasi Politik Digital di Indonesia. Al-Hiwar : Jurnal Ilmu Dan Teknik Dakwah, 10(2), 31. https://doi.org/10.18592/al-hiwar.v10i2.7548
Rahmadian, E., Feitosa, D., & Virantina, Y. (2023). Digital twins, big data governance, and sustainable tourism. Ethics and Information Technology, 25(4), 61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-023-09730-w
Rahman, M. F., & Hossain, M. S. (2022). The impact of website quality on online compulsive buying behavior: evidence from online shopping organizations. South Asian Journal of Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAJM-03-2021-0038
Rehman, A.-U., Ullah, H. Multi-modal anomaly detection using audio and visual cues. O. A. (2021). Multi-Modal Anomaly Detection by Using Audio and Visual Cues. IEEE Access, 9, 30587–30603. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3059519
Røsok-Dahl, H., & Kristine Olsen, R. (2025). Snapping the news: Dynamic gatekeeping in a public service media newsroom reaching young people with news on Snapchat. Journalism, 26(9), 2000–2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849241255701
Schramm, H., & Mayer, F. (2024). Challenges to and Perspectives on Mainstream Music Radio Programs in Germany. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 68(1), 107–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2023.2276805
Schultheiß, S., & Lewandowski, D. (2020). “Outside the industry, nobody knows what we do” SEO as seen by search engine optimizers and content providers. Journal of Documentation, 77(2), 542–557. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-07-2020-0127
Strauss, C., Harr, M. D., & Pieper, T. M. (2025). Analyzing Digital Communication: A Comprehensive Literature Review. Management Review Quarterly, 75(4), 3119–3157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-024-00455-8
Tochukwu Ignatius Ijomah, Courage Idemudia, Nsisong Louis Eyo-Udo, & Kikelomo Fadilat Anjorin. (2024). Innovative digital marketing strategies for SMEs: Driving competitive advantage and sustainable growth International Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research, 6(7), 2173–2188. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijmer.v6i7.1265
Yang, Q., Huo, J., Li, H., Xi, Y., & Liu, Y. (2023). Can social interaction-oriented content trigger viewers’ purchasing and gift-giving behaviors? Evidence from live-streaming commerce. Internet Research, 33(7), 46–71. https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-11-2021-0861
Yujie, Z., Al Imran Yasin, M., Alsagoff, S. A. B. S., & Hoon, A. L. (2022). The mediating role of new media engagement in the digital age. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.879530
Zhang, J., & Xu, C. (2024). A grounded theory-based model of information communication in cultural heritage digital reading on the social media from the perspective of the embodied theory. Heritage Science, 12(1), 208. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-024-01313-2
Bente, B. E., Van Dongen, A., Verdaasdonk, R., & van Gemert-Pijnen, L. (2024). eHealth implementation in Europe: A scoping review on legal, ethical, financial, and technological aspects. Frontiers in Digital Health, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2024.1332707
Bhatia, K. V., Pathak-Shelat, M., Sinha, S., & Mishra, T. (2025). Global influencers’ content creation strategies: Negotiating with platform affordances to practice vernacular creativity. Media, Culture & Society, 47(1), 130–153. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437241276408
Brannon, W. & Roy, D. (2024). Speed of news on Twitter (X) versus radio. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 11939. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-61921-7
Damayanti, N., Fardiah, D., Junaedi, A., & Kurniadi, O. (2025). Exploring Teachers’ Communication and Engagement with Digital Media in Education. Mediator: Jurnal Komunikasi, 18(2), 349–362. https://doi.org/10.29313/mediator.v18i2.7679
Erokhin, D., & Komendantova, N. (2024). Social media data for disaster risk management and research. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 114, 104980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104980
Febriana, K. A., Fanani, F., Fitriyanti, A., A, F. Kf. Ff., Febriana, K. A., Fanani, F., & Fitriyanti, A. (2021). Pelatihan Kepenyiaran Radio bagi Siswa SMK N 1 Semarang. E-Dimas: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 12(1), 95–99. https://doi.org/10.26877/e-dimas.v12i1.4433
Feng, Z., Li, L., Zhang, J., & Feng, X. (2024). Towards a Communication Ecology in the Life of Rural Senior Citizens: How Rural Public Spaces Influence Community Engagement. Sustainability, 16(10), 4256. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104256
Fidler, R. (1997). Mediamorphosis: Understanding New Media ; Journalism and Communication for a New Century: The Pine Forge Press Series. SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452233413
Harini, C., Wulan, H. S., & Agustina, F. (2022). UPAYA MENINGKATKAN VOLUME PENJUALAN MENGGUNAKAN DIGITAL MARKETING PADA UMKM KOTA SEMARANG. Jurnal Manajemen Dayasaing, 23(2), 90–96. https://doi.org/10.23917/dayasaing.v23i2.16860
Harizi, A. & Trebicka, B. (2023). The integration of social media in integrated marketing communication: A systematic review and theoretical framework. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 12(6), 159. https://doi.org/10.36941/ajis-2023-0161
Idiz, D. R., & Poell, T. (2025). Dependence on the online screen industry. Media, Culture & Society, 47(2), 375–393. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437241286725
Karadimitriou, A., & Papathanassopoulos, S. (2024). Public Service Media in the Platform Era: The Cases of Britain, Denmark, and Greece. Journalism and Media, 5(2), 646–670. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia5020043
King, G. (2017). History of Struggle: The Global Story of Community Broadcasting Practices, or a Brief History of Community Radio. Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.16997/wpcc.227
Laor, T. (2022). Radio on demand: New habits of consuming radio content. Global Media and Communication, 18(1), 25–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/17427665211073868
Li, W., Zhang, X., Li, J., Yang, X., Li, D., & Liu, Y. (2024). An explanatory study of factors influencing engagement in AI education at the K-12 Level: an extension of the classic TAM model. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 13922. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64363-3
Mathe L. and Motsaathebe G. (2025). Reconceptualizing multilingualism on African radio: a multilingual accommodation theory. International Journal of Multilingualism, 22(2), 558–573. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2024.2316847
Nofiard, F. (2022). Komunikasi Politik Digital di Indonesia. Al-Hiwar : Jurnal Ilmu Dan Teknik Dakwah, 10(2), 31. https://doi.org/10.18592/al-hiwar.v10i2.7548
Rahmadian, E., Feitosa, D., & Virantina, Y. (2023). Digital twins, big data governance, and sustainable tourism. Ethics and Information Technology, 25(4), 61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-023-09730-w
Rahman, M. F., & Hossain, M. S. (2022). The impact of website quality on online compulsive buying behavior: evidence from online shopping organizations. South Asian Journal of Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAJM-03-2021-0038
Rehman, A.-U., Ullah, H. Multi-modal anomaly detection using audio and visual cues. O. A. (2021). Multi-Modal Anomaly Detection by Using Audio and Visual Cues. IEEE Access, 9, 30587–30603. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3059519
Røsok-Dahl, H., & Kristine Olsen, R. (2025). Snapping the news: Dynamic gatekeeping in a public service media newsroom reaching young people with news on Snapchat. Journalism, 26(9), 2000–2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849241255701
Schramm, H., & Mayer, F. (2024). Challenges to and Perspectives on Mainstream Music Radio Programs in Germany. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 68(1), 107–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2023.2276805
Schultheiß, S., & Lewandowski, D. (2020). “Outside the industry, nobody knows what we do” SEO as seen by search engine optimizers and content providers. Journal of Documentation, 77(2), 542–557. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-07-2020-0127
Strauss, C., Harr, M. D., & Pieper, T. M. (2025). Analyzing Digital Communication: A Comprehensive Literature Review. Management Review Quarterly, 75(4), 3119–3157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-024-00455-8
Tochukwu Ignatius Ijomah, Courage Idemudia, Nsisong Louis Eyo-Udo, & Kikelomo Fadilat Anjorin. (2024). Innovative digital marketing strategies for SMEs: Driving competitive advantage and sustainable growth International Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research, 6(7), 2173–2188. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijmer.v6i7.1265
Yang, Q., Huo, J., Li, H., Xi, Y., & Liu, Y. (2023). Can social interaction-oriented content trigger viewers’ purchasing and gift-giving behaviors? Evidence from live-streaming commerce. Internet Research, 33(7), 46–71. https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-11-2021-0861
Yujie, Z., Al Imran Yasin, M., Alsagoff, S. A. B. S., & Hoon, A. L. (2022). The mediating role of new media engagement in the digital age. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.879530
Zhang, J., & Xu, C. (2024). A grounded theory-based model of information communication in cultural heritage digital reading on the social media from the perspective of the embodied theory. Heritage Science, 12(1), 208. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-024-01313-2