It's mixed news for terrestrial radio, certainly mixed for non-Clear Channel Radio properties. CCR recently announced their “iheartradio” iPhone application has hit one million downloads (there’s a beta version for Blackberry users currently being offered as a freebie, the apps usage is growing an average of 13% per week). iheartradio delivers 750+ radio stations to your cell phone or desktop, you can think of it as a nationwide AM/FM tuner. The application also offers videos, live performances, ringtones, song lyrics, etc. etc. Great news if you’re a local Clear Channel Radio programmer now considering your “nationwide” potential audience – bad news for anyone who believes that over the air radio will exist as is five, ten, fifteen years down the road.
Obviously, radio must move the internet, the same way that TV, cable, etc. must. However, iheartradio is great example of radio leapfrogging the web and getting to the distribution channel that really matters… digital mobile phones. To be fair, iheartradio.com is a website delivering content to PCS, it’s not an application dedicated entirely to the portability marketplace. Does it matter how the app is delivered? Local radio just went hand-held, affordable, and nationwide – it’s a new broadcasting model for 2009 (if I were Mel Karmazin, I’d probably start working overtime on that XM/Sirius satellite radio iPhone app).
All things considered, is iheartradio good news or bad news for terrestrial radio? Portability is nothing new to radio, but local stations delivered nationwide to cell phones is very fresh. Is iheartradio a catalyst for local radio programmers to reinvest in personality radio, is the app signaling an imminent doom for the music utility radio station? Local radio on cell phones sounds like more audience fragmentation, is there any silver lining on the horizon? Anyone with an iPhone or Blackberry can walk around with DC101 in their pocket… how cool is that?
Chime in…
http://www.iheartmusic.com/main.html
This blog is a forum for faculty, students and alumni of the Mass Communications Department and Center for New Media at Colorado State University - Pueblo. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the MCCNM department or the University.
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The Mass Communications Department and Center for New Media at the Colorado State University - Pueblo supports the mission of the university through the introduction and use of technology while maintaining deep traditional ties within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Colorado State University-Pueblo is accredited at the bachelor and master level by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
12 comments:
This seems like awesome technology, I would love to have access to the best radio stations from all over the country. This might just force me to finally go get an iPhone. The negative impact on terestrially broadcast radio would be unfortunate. I am not sure though that it would definately have a negative impact on radio, who says it might not help get the signal out and make advertisers want to buy more time. I guess local spots would suffer, ok I guess I get it. Thats all I got, I am going to go get an iPhone. lol
This new radio for iphones seems like a really cool new technology. Being able to access radio stations from all over the United States would be a great advantage for music lovers and radio lovers. I personally would love to get radio stations from all over the place. I do not want the terrestrial broadcast radio to have a downfall because of this though. I think that people will still listen to local radio stations because of the local updates and news they recieve from these stations.
I think that this would be a really cool thing to have. It is amazing how this technology con make the radio so accessable for everyone. The negative impact on terestrially broadcast could be a huge blow to them. I don't think that local stations would suffer becasue I think people will still listen in. Also, people who can't afford such technology will still be listening. It might be a good thing all around for everyone.
I think that this is something that is going to save radio stations and its broadcast companies. With more options, such as playing your iPod/iPhone, CDs and Sirius radio, regular broadcast radio has just been starting to tank. With the iheartradio application, this will be able to save that medium's industry. As for the people who feel that radio should just stay the same, that is just unrealistic. With how technology is advancing in this day in age, people aren't going to want to keep listening to old technology, when there are new options.
As an owner of a Blackberry, I too have downloaded I heart Radio, and to be quite honest, I love it. However, it does not in any way take away from terrestrial radio when I am in the car or on my phone and unable to use my application. This application is useful while you are on the go and is just another new feature that can suck the life right out of your cell phone. Although it is great when you are on the go, it cannot be used while on the phone and it takes up a lot of your battery life on your phone. Radio has been around for many years and I don’t believe with the arrival of online and even cellular radio will jeopardize its existence.
I feel that I heart radio is a very unique feature that is available to people with certain phones. I don't neccessarily think that it will decrease listernership for the average American, seeing that most of the American people do listen to terrestrial radio stations while they are in their car.
If anything, I think that I heart Radio will be good for the radio industry because it will allow people to hear what kind of music is popular in other parts of the country.
The use of personal device such as cellular phone and PDA that have radio and internet access to the radio around the world and any were the system can be accessible. The radio is the one media that I use every day and something without think the radio is on. I just become a use on the cellular phone so the radio is now at my fingertips.
It's interesting how iheartradio is actually broadcasting real stations. I never considered downloading it for my blackberry, because I have a Pandora app, and just skipped over it every time I saw it. Considering Pandora plays "only music I like" and doesn't have any ads (I have Pandora One for a low fee of like 36 dollars a year), listening to commercial radio on my own free will seems ridiculous.
I think this new kind of radio is really interesting and a great idea because now people maybe be able to find radio stations they enjoy more because they can listen to stations around the country. I think it will probably have an impact on terrestrial radio, but not a big enough one to ruin them. This new app helps make radio more accessable, however the car is still where most people listen to the radio. I also think local radio stations will still have plenty of listeners because people like hearing local news, and finding out about local events, giveaways, etc.
This new Radio Application seems like a really awesome new wave of technology and it raises the bar of capabilities available to us in the Mass com world. With this new App people will be able to listen to radio from anywhere in the country and anywhere the person is. This might bring iPhone more business just for this Application. The negative impact it could have on terrestrial radio wouldn't be as significant as others think. I think the local radio stations will still be listened to by the shear fact that they are local and they give details to things going on in that area. I also Feel that if this app can listen to any radio station it actually might bring more audience to particular radio stations actually increasing their value and audience. Not to mention not everyone can afford this technology so it would still leave local stations open for listeners. All in all I feel music lovers everywhere should rejoice. This is an awesome technology advancment in media and Mass comm.
-Manual Crespin-
Radio for phones is an awesome idea. Being able to access radio when your not in the car or at your work desk is very entertaining. This is great for people who love the radio. My only question is, is it exactly what we would be hearing on the radio commercials and all? Personally I do not listen to the radio very often so it would not be very helpful to me, although I would probably download it and use it just because it is there. That is what most people are probably doing. I think it is good for media and the people in the community to have access to this.
I think it is vitally important for radio to move to the net. the internet is taking over media and if radio doesnt want to get left behind, then it needs to keep developing. by radio going to the internet as well as teaming up with mobile phones, it's a double whammy. People are always attached to a phone or computer, so i <3 radio is just appealing to what the public desires
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