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"Game over for music radio"

I received the following email yesterday:

"Terrestrial radio is in bigger trouble than ever, I am convinced. I just finished driving down a highway in rural (state), listening to streaming music on the free Pandora Radio app for my upgraded version 2.0 iPhone. This was via edge, not 3G.

Pandora plays randomized songs. But when an all-you-can-eat music service (maybe Apple's, someday) has this same kind of app, it's game over for music radio.  I'll be able to listen to any song I want while driving, and won't even have to load it on my iPod before leaving. Sent from my iPhone"

If you are unfamiliar with Pandora, it works like this: I enter the name of a song or artist. Pandora creates a "station" that plays music like the example I submitted. I "like" or "dislike" each song and Pandora keeps tweaking my play-list accordingly. I can have as many stations as I choose. Just music. No annoying DJ's. No commercials.

If I'm the program director of an "only the hits" radio station, should I be concerned about this technology? I can't please all the people, all the time. But all of the people can please themselves, all of the time. What is my Plan B?

Rediscovering high school football

Cover story on Broadcasting & Cable looks at how some local TV stations are "rediscovering" high school football:

"Vital to high school football's rise in popularity is the fact that technology has finally reached a point where the typical teen, raised on YouTube, can easily upload video and share highlights from that night's game. Station managers say the interactive nature of new media -- whether it's user-generated video, scores or trash-talking -- is a critical component of their school content.

Hearst-Argyle Television has taken the interactive concept a step further, training students in seven markets to be “sideline reporters” for its social-networking platform High School Playbook. A total of 60 students shoot high-def cameras, edit and post their work on the Web site."

The good news --and the bad news-- is this is no longer the turf of any medium. I know TV, cable and newspapers are jumping in. I hope there are radio stations doing them same. How hard would it be?

Let's say there are 10 HS football teams within the range of my station's signal. I recruit and train 10 reporters (and 10 back-up's) on how to shoot/edit game highlights. They upload same to the station YouTube channel (sponsored, of course) and we promote like mad. Incentive? Maybe some pocket money. Best video of the season wins a video iPod (others get iPod Shuffles and iTunes gift cards).

HD Radio looking for iTunes hook

From INSIDE RADIO: "Polk Audio will announce the next generation of HD Radio tuners that will establish a direction connection between HD and iPods -- and in the process bring e-commerce to HD. In an alliance with Apple, Polk’s new I-Sonic ES2 HD Radio will include an iPod docking station that features a “tagging button” which will allow listeners to buy songs they hear on HD Radio stations via iTunes. The advancement requires HD stations to encode their signals and insiders say eight radio groups have committed to encoding."

I don't know. Maybe.

Rediscovering songs of John Lennon

Instant Karma (The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur). And even more surprised at how many of the songs/versions I like.

R.E.M., Christina Aguilera, Corrine Bailey Rae, Flaming Lips, Black Eyed Peas, and others. Listening to these interpretations reminded me what a brilliant song writer John Lennon was.

This is the kind of purchase I would never have made before iTunes. I stopped buying CD's a looonnng time ago. For the most part, I had stopped listening to music. The iPod/iTunes has brought me --and a bazillion others-- back.

Hide your iPod in a gutted Zune case

Amusing gag site: "You made a smart choice in choosing an iPod. And now you can protect it from theft and still enjoy using it in public with the new Hide-a-Pod anti-theft case.

It’s really very simple. Just tell us what iPod model you want to protect and we provide a gutted and hinged Zune with our custom molded iPod casing adapter."

And they "only use brown Zunes for the maximum anti-theft protection." Ouch.

Playing with George's iPhone

"The iPhone will flop because it doesn't work with corporate email." Yep, that's a problem. For some folks, not for me. I don't use Outlook outside of the office. If I want to check  my corporate email from home or on the road, I log in to our Exchange server from a web browser.

At tonight's Mac user group, George logged me in from his iPhone and --while you can't sync-- you can check your corporate email from the iPhone. [Video runs 2 min]. This little snippet doesn't capture the cool... I offer it here just to mess with Phil (head of Learfield IT).

As good as the (pro) Apple demo videos are, they do not capture the...experience. You gotta hold this thing in your hands. I don't recommend that until you're ready to buy.

Should we call it iHD?

Mark Ramsey wonders: "Apple moved more iPhones in three days than the radio industry has moved HD Radios in three years. Now, strictly speaking it's not fair to compare a tech phenomenon to the many that are not. Then again, very few tech gadgets have hundreds of millions of dollars of complimentary on-air support and the power of the radio industry behind them.

The consumer is speaking volumes with numbers like these. Are you listening to what he's telling you? Sure, HD Radio chips will be tiny and efficient enough to slip into mp3 players and mobile phones by 2008. But has anyone asked whether or not consumers will want them there?"

Negative impulse control

When George left me at the Coffee Zone Saturday morning, his iPhone lust was coming off him in waves. And he found the cure. Tuesday night's meeting of the local Mac users group should be fun, with several of the regulars packing The Hot New Thing.

MiPhone

Dave Morris took the plunge and writes an excellent review of  his new iPhone:

"How many phones do you have, and am I too late?" It was 5:55 pm, a full FIVE MINUTES before the doors opened. He gave me this little wink that was simultaneously geeky and cocky... and one of those dorky tongue clicks. The only thing missing was the finger-as-pistol "Shooter McGee" motion. He fished around in his pocket. This was his moment to shine!

"Here ya go." He handed me a voucher that guaranteed me the right to purchase a phone. A little quiver passed through my body... much the same feeling as when you find out your application for auto financing has been approved."

iPhone Line: 10:00 a.m.

I stopped by the Jefferson City (MO) AT&T store to see if anyone was waiting in line for the new iPhone. James Whitehead was first in line. He says he's been on-site since Wednesday but was staying in his truck until this morning. James --from Lake Ozark, Missouri-- describes himself as a "technology whore," and is buying the iPhone mostly for the cool factor. He's not even a Mac user (yet).

There were four hardy (geeky) souls in line and I left them my umbrella since it looks like it could pour at any moment. I'll post some more video this evening, once James has his prize. [video runs about 3 min]

Early reviews of the iPhone

Crunchgear has links to some of the first reviews of the new iPhone (NYTimes, WSJ, USA Today, Newsweek). I'm planning to hang out at the nearby AT&T store on Friday to see if I can catch an interview with someone waiting to buy one of these.

iPod just a fad. Cheaper alternatives at Target

"Apple today announced that the 100 millionth iPod has been sold, making the iPod the fastest selling music player in history. The first iPod was sold five and a half years ago, in November 2001, and since then Apple has introduced more than 10 new iPod models, including five generations of iPod, two generations of iPod mini, two generations of iPod nano and two generations of iPod shuffle. Along with iTunes and the iTunes online music store, the iPod has transformed how tens of millions of music lovers acquire, manage and listen to their music."

How nice! It matches my hair.

Traditionally, the contest is over when the winner is announced. AgWired's Chuck Zimmerman went the extra mile. Several in fact. The giggling you hear is Chuck's sponsor expressing their delight.

What your iPod reveals about you

Podcasting News: Psychologists Jason Rentfrow of the University of Cambridge in England and Sam Gosling at the University of Texas at Austin, have found that strangers can accurately assess another person’s level of creativity, open-mindedness and extroversion after listening to his or her top 10 favorite songs.

While I had no data to support it, I theorized about this a year ago. Anyway, two of the conclusions in the new study caught my eye:

"Whether you can study or work efficiently while listening to music may depend on how outgoing you are. Background music can help extroverts focus but tends to torment introverts."

I've always thought of myself as an extrovert but I can NOT listen to music while I'm trying to concentrate.

"Fans of energetic music like dance and soul are more likely to impulsively blurt our their thoughts, compared with fans of other styles."

Guilty. I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut.