Twelve years.
Let’s move on, quickly, to the 2008 Geneva Auto Show and C-Net’s coverage of radio’s newest in-car challenge – here.
Has it been that long since publicly-traded radio groups pitched their wares claiming that radio was a forced-listening medium – and that its users were actually held captive – and were forced to listen to it in their cars?
Don’t believe me? I’ll dig out some old Wall Street propaganda from ten years ago when radio stocks were being hawked that way.
The industry would lash out at anyone who would dare cast doubt of the accuracy of those statements.
I still have some of the scathing e-mails I received from some of those radio stock peddlers for challenging their claims.
Now we have many don’t-say-I-didn’t-tell-you-so in-car options.
Let’s move on, quickly, to the 2008 Geneva Auto Show and C-Net’s coverage of radio’s newest in-car challenge – here.There's captive and captivating.
Oh, did I leave HD Radio off the list? Yes, I did. On purpose.
11 comments:
To the all boys radio club.
Dump Clear Channel to any sucker who can still pass a credit check And for CC Clones. Cox, Emmis, Citadel and want to be's. Its time to sell radio while they still make suckers. It's over boys and time to pack the golden parachutes. Screw the employees...Oh I'm sorry.. I forgot you already did. Hey have you thought of running a mortgage company? I hear you can screw customers, kill an industry..and get huge bonuses..I think all of you are qualified and pefect for the job.. It's great work if you can still find it.
For that matter, being in Europe, there is nothing about DAB radio in cars there. Internet radio is the future, HD radio is the eight track.
In response to the last anonymous defending HD radio:
"The truth is that it took 30 years for FM to catch on. Major owners of FM stations were giving frequencies away, donating them to universities, as the Washington Post did with WHUR".
Until 1966 when the radio industry was forced by the FCC to provide separate programming for FM stations, most just simulcasted their AM.
Group W - Westinghouse - actually sold off their FMs rather than put money into developing original programming. Years later when they realized the mistake they made they bought Legacy Broadcasting's FMs for top dollar to match with their AMs. It had nothing to do with the Armstrong suit. That is a separate story unreleated to this.
"They were losers, unable to attract audiences or sell advertising. Their signals were weak and spotty. Their programming was terrible. The only radios that had FM were high end hifis costing hundreds of dollars."
It was not until 1976 ten years after the FCC ordered the AM-FM separate programming that Congress legislated that radios had to include both AM and FM. IT had nothing to do with the Armstrong suit.
"Consider this: Let's say some radio owners donate one of their HD signals to women, minorities, or community groups to program. The FCC realizes this is a way for them to achieve their diversity initiative without licensing new stations. The HD frequencies are better than LPFM. That could be enough for them to require manufacturers to include the chip in all radios. When that happens, it will be boom time once again. And all the ranters will move on to their next subject."
The problem with your argument is that there are too many radio stations not too few. There is no market for HD radio at a time when everything is merging into the internet.
HD radio no matter how you try to justify it is a dead issue.
HD radio doesn't have the luxury of 30 years to evolve like Fm did. Before Fm, Am was king and we still lived in a world with 8 tracks. 45’s, cassettes.. Computers, digital, and the internet weren’t even on the horizon. Technologies are advancing faster than most of us can keep up.. The internet and wireless connections have touched just about every industry. Radio, the music industry, and other mass media’s are more vulnerable because their content is easily created and shared. And because of technology, some dude in his basement can create radio shows/content and broadcast over the internet. Podcast’s and music can also be created. You don’t need radio or a recorded label to be a rock star today
I cannot wait to get internet radio in my car. I have been listening to internet radio at work and at home for many years. If I could have it my car I would never listen to my local stations or Sirius which I do not plan to renew. I have had it with my local radio news weather and traffic which is wrong more often than right. Traffic.com beats the radio services and weather underground.com provides the best forecasts. If I can get internet radio in my car i am there!
I remember that Janus funds spot about investing in a broadcast company. They fell for the b.s. and paid dearly. Their unfortunate clients shared their folly with Clear Channel. I hope that spot about investing in "radio" shows up on You Tube. If it does I will let you know so you can put it on your blog too.
internet radio in my car. i am there, too. will there be after market devices that allow connectivity with wi-fi?
You forgot to mention that when everyone was drinking the radio Kool Aid some contracts were written with stock - not cash - bonuses when they were trading at all time highs. Employees were also strongarmed to buy company stock and even being steered to certain companies to buy from. What they did bordered on illegal and now they are paying for it. I shed no tears.
"The Internet in your BMW"
http://www.hear2.com/2008/03/the-internet-in.html
"Chrysler to put WiMax into cars"
http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/35601/145/
Radio would be the LAST place I would go to get current news and information and that includes ANY of the news-talk stations.
In New York WCBS and WINS are fast food delivery systems for news.
I live in southwest Florida. Proximity to Cuba affords generous reception of that country's stations.
Cuba's music is alluring, endless in variety. Habana announcers speak, whereas BigRadio's amped-up bloviating stool-parrots yap. Despite my limited Spanish, Cuban announcers communicate. BigRadio's cavalcade of yapping falsetto jackanapes don't. How will HD fix that?
BigRadio thinks stuffing CEO pie holes on BigKorpseorate jets and jamming our airwaves with HD is good radio. BigRaio is weak, unruly, and believes in nothing.
Having lost Generation Y, BigRadio now alienates Generation X and Boomers with HD jamming. Is BigRadio in need of a lobotomy?
HD is long dead. As with any carcass too long in the sun, HD stinks.
Will someone please remove this cynical stinky 90s jammer from our airwaves? Thank you.
And please, spare us the 90s blather about using HD for 'radio billboards'. Talk about braindead!
The era of 'incredibly hard working teams' who fire loyal talent, stuff their pockets and piously pretend to serve stockholders is over.
Do ClearChannel & cronies wish to see HD from a listener perspective? No problem. Simply shovel heaps of big doggie steam-dump into your BigKorpseorate jets.
The more they quack about HD, the more they alienate their audience - forever.
Dr. Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
11 March, 2008
Post a Comment