WSJ’s Walt Mossberg on Internet and Radio

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One of the highlights of this week’s NAB 2006 Las Vegas convention was the keynote speaker at Tuesday’s Radio Luncheon, the Wall Street Journal’s technology columnist, Walt Mossberg. Some of his comments, as reported by Kurt Hanson:

“Internet” won’t be an “activity” in a few years. Currently, we talk about ‘surfing the Web’ or ‘being on the Internet’ or ‘I’m going online tonight’ as a discreet activity we perform on a PC, but in ten years, those phrases will sound absurd. When you watch TV, you may be on the Internet; when you listen to radio, you may be on the Internet. The Internet will not be an activity you do on a PC – it will be like the electrical grid. It will be all around you! I predict that talking about the Internet will fade, as we talk instead about devices, about software, and about services and content.

On the effect of iPods on radio:

“We passed a milestone: There are now 50 million iPods out there. My music tastes don’t fit into the little boxes that Clear Channel in my market has decided I need to fit into. Your job is not just to string together a bunch of songs in a row, but to put on exciting new programming to attract new listeners and beat the iPod.”

I wonder what Walt would say to the upcoming meeting of StateNets, the trade group that represents state networks (like the ones Learfield owns). A co-worker in the office next to mine helps organize the event. I’ll ask if they have a keynote speaker. Props to the NAB guys for inviting Mossberg.

Just like it’s spelled: Oconomowoc

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There are just some Wisconsin-related words that people butcher: Chequamegon forest, Lake Butte des Morts, Lac Courte Oreilles tribe and even Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. So our friend and co-worker, Jackie Johnson, decided she was tired of it and wanted to give newcomers, tourists and even natives a resource to find the correct pronunciation. She recently started the Web site MissPronouncer.com, which features recordings of her pronouncing Wisconsin’s 190 cities, 400 villages and 1,260 towns. She also pronounces names of judges, famous Wisconsin people, like Brett Favre, state officials and legislators. [JSOnline]

Living Healthy (27) – Acne

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Henry talks about acne this week (Living Healthy Podcast #27) but he started off the podcast with a caution about “non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.” There’s a bunch of these (prescription and OTC) and they’re used to reduce pain, fever and inflammation. Arthritis sufferers tend to rely on this group (Motrin, Ibuprofen, Aleve, etc.). Henry points out that last year, more people died from complications associated with these drugs than died of AIDS in the U.S. He says tough it out and take two Tylenol.

XM’s Abrams is blogging

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XM Radio “Chief Creative Officer” Lee Abrams is blogging. Today’s post reads like it might have also been an all-staff memo (and not necessarily today’s memo) but, hey, he’s hanging it out there and I hope he keeps it up. Would be fun to get even a tiny peek behind the scenes at XM. Couple of nuggets jumped out at me:

I can’t think of ONE FM station that would be worth taping and playing to the XM Staff. There are some OK ones, but most really are doing nothing especially interesting, compelling or new.

Local radio is dead. It’s irrelevant. For us we should be ALL OVER THE NATIONAL thing. Big ‘n bad ass. Local radio is a quaint relic. BUT—We are NOT taking advantage of this if we aren’t Talking to America.

It’ll be interesting to see if Mr. Abrams groks the “conversation” part of blogging (Turn those comments ON, Lee). He strikes me a a passionate, opinionated guy. Can he listen as well as he writes? We’ll see.

Podcasting a viable medium?

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There’s been considerable debate about how iPod/MP3 ownership impacts radio listening. According to Jacobs Media’s Technology Web Poll II (conducted in late February, 2006, among more than 25,000 respondents), iPods are cutting into time spent listening to radio. About one-fifth of iPod/MP3 player owners say they listen mostly or exclusively to these devices. Four in ten now split their listening between iPods and radio, while over one-third primarily listen to the radio. The survey suggests that podcasting is also having an impact. One-fifth (22%) of those who own an iPod or portable MP3 player say they’ve downloaded/listened to a podcast: Of this group, nearly two-thirds (64%) subscribe to at least one podcast, and a majority listens to most or all podcasts that come their way. [via RAIN]

Seems like there’s another report every week and the findings are all over the place. So pick the one you like.