While Radio in Australia has so far held its own in the face of an onslaught from online and other new media, latest research from the United States suggests that Radio there may not be faring so well.

An article in The Tennessean points to the annual Country (music) Radio Convention held recently in Nashville where they presented audience survey data indicating that while country listeners remain among radio’s most loyal, they are increasingly dividing their attention among a growing array of tech-driven options.

For example, country radio listeners are just as likely to wake up to a clock radio as a smart phone or cell phone alarm. One solution would be for local radio stations to fight back with “wake-up apps” or face a possible loss of listeners for country radio stations’ breakfast shows.

Great idea – not only does it keep Radio in the game for those thinking of abandoning their trusty clock radio in preference to their smart phone, but it adds a new dimension for travellers who now have the potential to wake up to their favourite station when interstate and even overseas. Just pray they pack their Nielsen diaries to take with them.

It got me thinking, what other utilities could stations bundle into their aps? Or indeed, what currently available apps would benefit from having a radio station attached?

How about the ability to type in a song title and find out exactly when it is scheduled to be played next? And if its not on the playlist the app suggests a similar song that is.

For talk stations maybe the ‘spirit level’ app can be calibrated to measure bias from left to right in real time.

If you have any bright ideas, serious or funny, post them here. Radio needs all the bright ideas it can get.