RadioUpdate3

__Australia Adopts Kenwood Digital Car Radio__
The first car radios with built in digital radio broadcasts (DAB) are finally coming to Australia making digital radio more accessible to the public. Mobile Media Update 3 posted By: Sydnee Brooker March 10, 2011

__Clear Channel To Launch A 'Pandora'-Like Application__ Radio behemoth Clear Channel has recently bought the cloud-based music service Thumbplay. In keeping up with the trend and success of personal radio services such as Pandora and Slacker radio, Clear Channel plans to launch their own. They plan to combine it with their iheartradio application so you can listen to radio from any device. Users will be able to listen to their personalized radio on their computer, cell phone, and Toyota's new Entune radio entertainment platform. It is estimated that digital radio accounts for 3% of total listening and is on the rise. It makes sense that Clear Channel would want to get in on the new, popular, rising formats of radio technology.

To Read The Article [|Click Here] = = //Posted By: Alicia Burcham// //3/2/2011//


 * __The New Radio Youtube__ **

Posted By: Noah Kipnis 03/02/2011

Throughout the decade, the Internet has brought us social networking sites like Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. But are we going to be using these methods of communication forever? Apparently, a new type of communication style that combines social media and the spoken word is starting to become popular in England. A London based companies Audioboo and Said.fm have allowed users to share short audio clips, which they call “boos” which turn into online audio files that could be shared.

A similar company like Audioboo and Said.fm is being started up in America too. Broadcastr, a Brooklyn based company went live on public beta sites. The whole idea of the website is to collect audio clips from sources around the world and pin them to physical locations for others to listen. They also have created playlists, which could be formed, based on subject matter or sources. Project founders Scott Lindenbaum and Andy Hunter have already found success in they’re testing phase and believes that the site could be used for both the public and also journalists to communicate information and news.

To check out the site click __ [|here.] __

To read the article click __ [|here.] __

Back to Radio. = =

=__** Federal Budget May be Targeting Public Radio **__=

Republicans in Congress working on the federal budget have been proposing cuts to the public broadcasting budget. The house has approved a bill for 2011 that zeros out the financing for public broadcasting in 2013. This is the first time in history such a bill has been passed that completely destructs the financing for a public utility. However the democratic controlled senate is sure to push back, as president Obama has already proposed a 2012 fiscal budget that would increase the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s annual allotment of the budget by $6 million. This will be a challenge to republicans trying to make cuts in every arena despite the threat of the unemployment rate. NPR’s vice president of policy and representation Mike Riksen says that this is “the most determined, organized and sophisticated challenge to federal funding for public radio — ever.” At a time when radio is already a dying medium and television news becomes less and less reliable, these cuts can be seen not only as a threat to the medium of radio but a threat to quality journalism provided by NPR, who some see as the last reliable mainstream source of news media. It will be interesting to see what will happen in Congress as the left fight the right for continuation of free American public media. [|Read more on the budget here.] // Posted by: J.T. Katavich // //3/2/11//

Back to Radio.

=BBC May Replace Local Radio with 5 Live Broadcasts=

This article describes a current dilemma occurring with radio in the UK. In attempt to bounce back from loss in revenue caused by last year's license fee freeze, the BBC wants to cut out all of its local radio programs and replace them with content from national news and sport station known as BBC Radio 5 Live. Although the adoption of such a concept appears to save money, many union leaders despise the idea because it will lead to a loss of more than 700 jobs.

Many are arguing against the termination of local radio stations. The National Union of Journalists said this proposal would "spell the death of local radio." NUJ general secretary said, "local radio plays a crucial role in keeping local communities informed. These proposals would rip the heart out of local programming and effectively sound the death knell for local radio."

It will be interesting to see how this proposal works out.

Read the article [|here].

//Posted by: David Ritchie// //March 10, 2011//

= The Local Radio Freedom Act Starts Anew in 2011 =

Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson introduced a resolution declaring that Congress should not impose any new performance fees or taxes on local radio stations. The Senate action is cosponsored by John Barrasso of Wyoming. The same effort was introduced in the House by Reps. Mike Conaway and Gene Green of Texas. The resolution picks up from previous efforts to bar any efforts to require terrestrial radio to pay performance royalties to record labels and artists.

From the resolution: "The Local Radio Freedom Act resolution would help protect the symbiotic relationship that has existed between the broadcasting and sound recording industries for more than 80 years. In this relationship, the record labels allow the performance of music by local radio stations for free, and the radio stations provide the studios' artists with free exposure and promotion. The artists are introduced to the public, build their fan bases, and get free over-the air advertising for their records, concerts and merchandise."

This is very important in keeping local stations alive and running. Radio is on a downward spiral so with paying royalties it'll die even faster. Public radio should be free.

Read the article [|here.]

//Posted by Erica Ferguson// //March 10, 2011//