Tuesday, January 31, 2006

The Impact of MP3 Players on FM Radio

I'm making a presentation next month on the "impact of MP3 players (iPod, Rio, etc.) on terrestrial radio ." I'm interested in gaining insight on the topic through your personal experience.

So... have you stopped listening to radio because your hubby gave you an iPod for Xmas? If you own an iPod, describe any "fatigue" you may have experienced (meaning, did you get tired of dumping songs into "the thing" - or creating your own "playlists," did you throw in the towel and go back to listening to ABC XYZ radio station?).

Radio stations with the "Jack, Dave, Bob" format (mix of 70's, 80', 90's, 00's rock - The Eagles + Guns & Roses + Nirvana + Dave Matthews Band) have grown in popularity. These stations sell themselves as "An iPod on shuffle on your radio." Can FM and MP3 live in perfect harmony?

Apple has sold over 28 million iPods so far (they expect to sell 14 million during the 1st quarter of this year)... should broadcasters be concerned?

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Page One News? You Decide

The Wisconsin State Journal has come up with a new way to tie its Web site to its print publication. On Jan. 23, the paper began asking readers to vote on the paper's Web site (http://www.madison.com/) for the stories they'd like to see on the front page of the next day's print edition.

Readers have four or five different story "candidates" to choose from and can vote from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, according the Managing Editor Tim Kelley.

(See article at http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001883270)

Would you be more likely to read/subscribe to a print publication if you had a say in what went on Page One?

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Got any great media and popular culture news?

The spring 2006 semester is here and the Mass Communications department faculty has been busily gearing up for the couple hundred students we work with each semester. The radio station has brand new state-of-the-art digital audio technology (Santa brought it over Christmas), the television station is continuing its schedule of live programming, and the newspaper is getting ready with both its print and online editions. This list doesn't include the dozens of student projects that are produced each semester through courses in all the Mass Communications emphasis areas.
Ah, we love the media and its societal impact, don't we?!

We love learning about:
*Howard Stern and his satelite radio coup against the FCC;
*The sordid allegations of the Bush administration inappropriately using PR to sell the American public on policy;
*The iPod phenomenon (how many of you got them for Christmas?)and its associated issues with illegal downloading of copyrighted music (are you doing it?);
*The print newspaper industry's concern that our college generation is preferring to read news on-line;
*The competition between the advertising and public relations industries for who can best promote brands;
*The allegations that weblogs aren't real journalism, or for that matter, aren't even credible content;
...and the list goes on. What interesting stories have you encountered in the media lately? What controversies do you have an opinion about? What information can you share with all of us "media-junkies" who teach and study in Mass Comm?
What are your opinions about some of the issues I mentioned in this blog?

Share it with us and keep checking the Mass Communications blog this semester to participate in the ongoing discussion of media-related topics. It's our own online classroom discussion!