Radio is definitely banking too heavily on the fact Zune added HD to their next model. According to the Radio industry, they think this decision is going to add leverage to their iGroveling at Steve Jobs feet...
Microsoft may help radio with Apple Microsoft's decision to include HD Radio in the new Zune HD is seen as a "validation" of radio's digital move. The company is likely to help iBiquity with its mission to get HD Radio on all portable devices -- including Apple's iPod.
Ummm... YEAH. Because Apple is constantly copying Microsoft's every move.
"On behalf of radio broadcasters across the country, National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) applauds Microsoft for recognizing the value of free, local radio," NAB executive VP Dennis Wharton says. "Today's announcement gives America's 235 million weekly radio listeners yet another platform to enjoy our free service, and it uniquely positions the Zune HD at the forefront of entertainment products."
I'd like to see a survey of how many people own HD Radios in comparison to how many people own Zune players. As pathetic as both of these products are, I actually think Zune might be the one to benefit on this deal. If three out of 10,000 people own an HD Radio, I gotta believe that only ONE out of 10,000 has even HEARD of the Zune!
The Public Doesn't Know What They Want, Until They Want It.
From today's InsideRadio:
Wi-Fi hits the dashboard Radio’s reign as king of in-car listening may not be over, but there’s a new threat. Autonet Mobile has begun selling Wi-Fi for the car at more than 3,300 stores nationwide, including Best Buy. But a Jacobs Media survey finds just 6% want Wi-Fi in their next car. Most prefer an iPod connection.
There are two things very wrong with this post... #1: Innovative progress rarely comes from asking the public what "they" want. To wit, this quote from Henry Ford: "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." Nobody seemed to want MP3 players until the iPod, no one saw a market for home computers, and the head of a certain film studio once remarked (in regard to the emerging 'talking-pictures' technology) that no one would ever want to hear an actor speak.
#2: Do you think it's possible Jacobs Media might have a vested interest in making that statement to further pimp their iPhone app services?
So I get cc'd on an email from a station PD to his GM sharing a link to an article about the NAB's President (David Rehr) writing to Apple COO (Timothy Cook) "encouraging" him to add Radio to all future iPod, iPhones, and related devices.
The vibe I get from the email is that the PD is pumped-up because with the all powerful NAB making the request, it is a foregone conclusion that all existing iDevices will be immediately recalled so they can have not just an AM/FM Radio added to their features -- but an HD Radio as well!
MY take on this is as follows: Rehr either heard a whispered rumor that Apple was going to add a Radio to the next iThingy and wants to claim credit for geting it done, or he just wants to appear to be "doing" something.
If it's the latter, I wouldn't expect much. Radio has been whining and moaning to Jobs and company to add Radio since version 2.0 of the iPod -- they completely ignored version 1.0 because this fad couldn't possibly last.
Attention Radio: it doesn't matter how many devices get manufactured that are capable of tuning in your station if all you're producing is content that belongs in the iToilet. See HD Radio.
It streams EVERY station on the planet, or so it seems. I'm talking about every station I've ever listened to. It has stations I've picked up while listening at night as a kid. It picks up the stations I listened to commuting in New York and New Jersey and in Pittsburgh. It even has the station I used to listen to to find out whether or not my school would be closed due to snow.
In the age of Pandora and last.fm and iTunes, terrestrial radio has taken a back seat. But for me, as someone who has always enjoyed the thrill of the hunt - picking up a distant AM station at night -- this brings me back to my childhood. And it brings me to places I can't be -- like to my favorite afternoon drive DJ in Pittsburgh.
I almost forgot ... the stations that use RDS (Radio Data) will show what's playing and who's on the air when you search for the station.
i.Beat cebrax RS Integrated RadioStation™: music played on your MP3 player can be transferred wirelessly to any radio in the vicinity - whether in your car, at home or during sports activities. Playable file formats: MP3, WMA, WAV.
Not only does the broadcast industry need to worry about people using their OWN iPods and MP3 players to replace traditional broadcasting, they now need to concern themselves over users "hi-jacking" their programming delivery vehicles -- the radio itself!
This threat is to Radio what VCR and DVD players were to Television. Control over personal, on-demand, programming. Radio's only intelligent strategic response should be to create compelling content -- but we both know that won't happen.
They're too busy coming up with lame new names for lame old marketing (Audio Anchored Advertising? Really??)
Apple says it's planning an HD Radio push. While some were surprised to see the latest generation of iPods did not include a traditional Radio tuner, the iPod could converting itself into an ally for the HD Radio initiative.
Apple will reportedly unveil HD Radio-equipped boomboxes with iPod docks at the Macworld Expo in January. These new units will be iTunes Tagging-ready, allowing users to more easily turn songs heard on the radio into purchases via the iTunes store.
iLounge.com reports that Apple VP Greg Joswiak says they're pleased with the "strong support" they're getting from the radio industry (duh!) and CBS Radio, Clear Channel, Cumulus, Cox, Entercom and Greater Media have begun encoding stations for iTunes Tagging.
While some in the broadcast industry are apparently getting excited by the fact encoded HD stations would get a share of iTunes music sales revenues, I think the sum would be paltry compared to the fact this is the potentially first device to meld the HD albatross with something else people might desire -- an iPod boombox. I also find it funny that the big broadcast boys are also so quick to turn their HD signals into low rent shills for iTunes. What can they truly expect on a share of revenue... 5 or 6 cents? They can already make that with iTunes affiliate programs on their websites. Are they seeing lots of revenue from that option? I doubt it. You know why? Because few people discover any new music on traditional Radio these days. If they like the song a station is playing, chances are they probably already own it because Radio is afraid of playing anything unproven and untested.
Hell, the local station in my town keeps bragging about how "you probably recognize that Fiest song we just played from the iTunes commercial."
Great. Radio is programming their playlist from iTunes commercials.
According to Inside Radio, five more groups have commited to encoding their HD Radio signals to include the Tagging technology. CBS Radio, Cox, Cumulus, Entercom and Greater Media are joining Clear Channel in adding the tag that allows listeners who hear a song on a HD Radio station to preview, buy and download it later on iTunes.
Cox CEO Bob Neil says "Empowering our audience with more information and choice has been a cornerstone of Cox Radio's new technology efforts, and this exciting opportunity is a natural extension of that."
Whatever. As far as this concept goes, this is a great way for a profit to FINALLY be made off HD Radio. At least for iTunes...
You want to earn a little bit for Radio? Allow the tags to include the iTunes affiliate code. Stations could earn a whopping penny (or two!) for every download made from their tag.
You want a wake-up call? Wait until Radio sees just how many downloads were actually made off their HD Radio tag. My guess is ZERO.
In a brilliant act of confronting Apple with its own words (and then making them eat those words) a YouTube user with the screen name "KeeptheiPhoneFree" created a video mashup of all the third-party iPhone software that was effectively rendered useless when Apple released the firmware update 1.1.1.
The real act of brilliance was in using the audio from Apple's groundbreaking "Think Different" campaign. Listen to the narrator (who I think is Richard Dreyfuss) call out Apple's salute to "the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently." According to Apple's script they have no respect for the status quo -- yet that's just what Apple is trying to maintain by fighting the iPhone hack that allows for greater user ability by these self same "Crazy Ones."
So, according to Apple it is okay to Think Different -- just don't think TOO different from them.
The entire iPod product line is receiving a major overhaul, but Radio is not part of their remodeling plan. InsideRadio argues that it is because Apple is in the music download business, but one of the new features is in partnership with Starbucks that allows iPod users to locate and purchase any song they heard played in a Starbucks location via wireless access to a special WiFi version of iTunes. Seems like this could have been executed through a partnership with terrestrial broadcasters had the interest been there. But it wasn't.
Since the new iPod has WiFi access and a built-in Safari browser, perhaps we'll see the same sort of hear-it/buy-it feature connected to Webcasters and Radio stations who are streaming their programming.
Perhaps. But I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for someone from Radio to approach iTunes in order to get this concept in motion -- because according to InsideRadio Steve Jobs is just "in the business of selling music as well as listening devices."
I'd say he's in the "Kicking Radio's Ass" business.
A little peeved about Apple releasing that new version of the iPod mere weeks after you finally broke down and shelled out a couple hundred bucks for their OTHER "new" version?
Until now you would have been stuck giving that older iPod to a friend or younger sibling as a hand-me-down and taken the loss of upgrading. Or, you could have posted your iPod with a (bazillion others) on eBay and kept your fingers-crossed, hoping you'd make back a few bucks if some random buyer was gullible enough to think buying a used iPod from someone they didn't know qualified as a "good idea." But now there's Beyond The Pod.
BeyondThePod.com is a spin-off "let-us-do-it-for-you" online auctions company The Drop Spot. Beyond The Pod specializes in a single focus of operation -- buying outdated iPods from Steve Jobs worshippers like you.
Just visit BeyondThePod.com and go through their simple step-by-step iPod valuation process to arrive at a firm cash-money value for your iPod. They'll accept most any model, and pay a sliding value based on condition, age, accessories, etc. Right now they'll pay up to $47 for a Shuffle, $174 for a Nano, $96 for a Mini, and $253 for an iPod.
The best part is that you don't have to buy a damn thing to take their cash, and if you elect to be paid via PayPal, you'll get your cash within two days of their receiving your iPod at their office (you'll have to wait a little longer if you want to be paid by check.)
What do they do with the old iPods? It went to go live on a farm and play happily with a bunch of other iPods, Timmy. WHO CARES? All you need to know is that you have the cash needed to go pray at the iPod altar.
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