Se, como diz Passman, «80% de todos os bilhetes [sobretudo para concertos] são agora vendidos através da Internet» (2006: 344), é óbvio que esse capital de notoriedade não pode ser desperdiçado. Os interessados estão lá. É lá que deve acontecer o marketing. E não, como acontecia, até agora, através da publicidade convencional em jornais, rádios e, nos casos mais relevantes, televisões.

PS - o mesmo autor chama a atenção para o facto de, no arranque da Net, muitas editoras terem registado os domínios na net para muitos dos seus grupos (que provavelmente ainda não tinham descoberto esta realidade). Isso teve como consequência que os sites oficiais são hoje propriedade das editoras, que os controlam, gerem e ainda cobram pelos conteúdos («After the predictable shouting, tugging, and gouging, most deals now provide that, during the term, the company will have an exclusive license to set up the artist's website, and the artist is allowed to set up an "unofficial" website. After the term, the rights go back to the artist, although companies keep the right to have an artist section on their website. Companies want to recoup the costs of creating and maintaining the artist's website», Passman, 2006: 135)

Etiquetas: marketing

A internet, nas suas diversas expressões, veio pôr em causa a santa aliança entre rádio e indústria discográfica (entendida no seu sentido mais vasto e amplo).
Até à Internet, essa santa aliança reflectia-se de diversas formas (os exclusivos, os apoios à divulgação, a promoção dos concertos, entrevistas e luta pelo air play, o payola): as rádios divulgavam os grupos e as músicas e recebiam em troca conteúdos quase à borla em doses massivas (apenas tinham de pagar os direitos de autor). Os músicos apoiavam as rádios, através da sua disponibilidade para participar em concertos, que dariam receitas e dimensão à rádio, cobrando apenas as «despesas». Com esses «radio-promoted concerts», os grupos estavam também a investir numa ligação duradoura e mais eficaz com a rádio. Ou seja, era um investimento que se traduziria em retorno. Neste sentido o «payola» é apenas o maximizar da aliança. A partir do momento em que nos EUA se banalizarm os promotores independentes (contratados pelas editoras para conseguirem divulgação nas rádios), o dinheiro começou a circular...

Muito disto aconteceu porque a industria musical não tinha uma alternativa válida ao gigantesco outdoor publicitário em que se transformou a rádio musical um pouco por todo o mundo (grande exposição por pouco dinheiro, apenas com a desvantagem de ter de disputar um espaço limitado e muito...disputado, sobretudo nas rádios mais ouvidas). A internet é essa alternativa. A rádio pode continuar a divulgar, mas a internet não é limitada (pelo contrário, é infinita), também tem custos baixos e não há um director de programas a decidir. Além do mais, os potenciais clientes estão lá... 

«In the history of invention, gadgets don't come more iconic than Apple's digital music player. The iPod is to the 21st century what the big band was to the '20s, the radio to the '40s, or the juke-box to the '50s - the signature technology that defines the musical culture of the era. And what a marvelous technology the iPod is. Inside Apple's little white box is magic, pure magic, in the guise of music.» (Kahney, 2005: 3)  

«Select Random Shuffle, and the iPod dredges up tunes you might never consciously choose to play. But chosen for you, they’re a delight. This mode of play also allows you to discover gems in a collection hat previously sat unplayed on a shelf of CDs. Songs previousloy neglectet can become top favorites. And then there are all those tunes you never knew you had. Random shuffle can create great surprises, selecting just the right song at just the right time. Or it can throw together unexpected combinations (...)» (Kahney, 2005: 3). AInda que: «Random shuffle is nothing new. It first became popular a feature of CD players. But with CDs, shuffling tracks is typically limited to the songs on a limited number of disks. Randomly selecting tracks really comes into its own with giant music collections: libraries that stretch to tens of thousands of songs. In a giant library, random shuffle is a good way - sometimes the only way - to play music that would otherwise go unheard (...)» (Kahney, 20). «Although people often create playlists for specific activities (walking, driving, commuting, working out and so on), they also enjoy giving control to the machine, which can surprise and delight with unexpected seleclions of tracks, [professor Michael] Bull said» (Kahney, 2005: 22)

«The iPod is beautifully integrated with the computer, which feeds it tunes, and with an online store to fill it at 99 cents a pop. The iPod is amazingly versatile. You can listen to it while driving - through the car stereo - or use it as an alarm clock to wake you in the morning. It’s not only a personal stereo, it’s the home stereo, the office stereo, or the stereo at the gym. It’s both personal and public, used by DJs, and in bars and hotels. It’s even starting to take over some nightclubs. The iPod has created DJs out of mere mortals.  (...) (Kahney, 2005: 5)

«(...) the iPod isn't simply an updated Walkman. It's an entirely new beast: a revolutionary device that transforms listeners into "cyborgs" through a process he calls ''technotranscendence'" Unlike the Walkman, the iPod taps into a "hybrid entertainment matrix," in which  functions like random shuffle are a key construct, not just a convenient marketing hook» (Kahney, 2005: 139).

«The New York Times complained, the iPod has transformed Manhattan into an island of 'zombie-like robots .,. the only sign they are not quite human: two white wires that run from their ears into their clothes, just below the neckline, as distinctive as the bolts in the Frankenstein monster's neck'.» (Kahney, 2005: 143) 

... um exemplo: a nova rádio via satélite nos EUA (e Canadá) vai evoluir para um serviço multimédia.

«Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI) expects to offer a live television service in cars by late 2007, and deals with content providers may be set as early as January, CEO Mel Karmazin said Thursday. In an interview at the Reuters Media Summit in New York, Karmazin said the mobile video, likely to be available in 2008 model lines, would be geared toward young viewers sitting in the back seat. (...) "We have three content deals that are very close to being finalized. I don't know if they will be done by CES, but that is what we are shooting for," he said, referring to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. "We will have video in the rear seat of the car up and running." Sirius has touted the possible launch of such a service for years. In 2004, it said it would offer video services by mid-2005, adding at the time that the timing depended on automakers' wishes rather than Sirius' capability. It later said TV service would launch in '06.» (fonte: USA Today, 1/12/06, Sirius plans to offer TV service in cars by 2007)

Ou seja, mais concorrência oferecida no espaço que era da rádio, o carro.

Mark Ramsey não tem dúvidas: «The future of satellite radio is becoming just a wee bit clearer.And it is mobile media. Prediction: the term "satellite radio" will cease to exist by 2010.»

Etiquetas: convergência, carro, tvportatil, jovens

Mark Ramsey lembra que desde o início defendeu que:

«First, that abundance of podcasts was not the same as interest in podcasts. Second, an unfair proportion of the most popular podcasts - the "hits" if you will - will be from the same big media players that podcasting was supposed to put six feet under. Third, podcasting was radio's friend, not its enemy»

Agora tem mais certezas ainda:

«Some 12% of internet users say they have downloaded a podcast so they can listen to it or view it at a later time. However, few internet users are downloading podcasts with great frequency; just 1% report downloading a podcast on a typical day»

alèm disso:

«About half of iTunes' top 100 podcasts are from existing media companies. That's in spite of the fact that the vast majority of podcasts are produced by independent podcasters, says [PodTrac co-founder Mark] McCrery. "In comparison to the overall podcasting universe, there is a disproportionate number of podcasts produced by existing media companies in the top 100."»

coinclui:

«The fact is that people don't consume audio the way they consume video. Audio is not "grazed" the way video is. It takes a thousand words to equal one picture and a lot of time for that audio "picture" to be rendered. And time means trade-offs between the time-consuming task and the tasks which take less time but promise a quicker hit of entertainment. Just ask yourself how many viral videos you've seen. Now, how many viral audios have you heard? This is not to suggest that podcasting is "bad." I happen to think podcasting is terrific. In fact, I'm in that scarce 1%. But so what? The bulk of the audience is not. For radio this means what it always has meant. Podcasting is a terrific way to promote program highlights, introduce listeners to shows they haven't heard yet, and facilitate time-shifting for fans crazed enough to value it.»

fonte: «The Podcasting Revolution will not be televised» Hear2.0 29/11/06

Etiquetas: audio, video

Os sinais são evidentes:

«UK media regulator Ofcom today kicked off the race for the UK's second national digital radio multiplex. The license will allow the winning bidder run up to 10 national digital radio stations for a period of 12 years. The spectrum being auctioned can also be used for a range of other services, such as mobile television, said Ofcom.» (AFX News Limited, Ofcom to auction second national digital radio license
12.01.06, 8:27 AM ET)

«The RadioScape RSC03 is a complete DAB/FM clock radio subsystem that only requires an external DC power supply, speaker, LCD display, button board, and enclosure to complete the product. The need for a motherboard is eliminated as the power supply and audio amplifiers are fully integrated into the subsystem. This reduces the manufacturing steps to just one assembly run. Its construction and compact form factor makes it suitable for many enclosure designs.»

Mas nem todos positivos:

«(...) Many British listeners - especially aficionados of classical music stations - claim that DAB sounds worse than FM radio. The problem for broadcasters is that quality costs money and they are under pressure to make savings. They must balance the importance of sound quality against the cost of providing new services. BBC engineers originally estimated that 256 kbit/s was about right for a high quality stereo broadcast signal. But in the end they only had enough bandwidth to provide five stereo services at 192 kbit/s and two mono services at 96 kbit/s. Some commercial stations are even managing to run services at 48 kbit/s, which is roughly AM quality. On the plus side, this means more choice, which apparently is what the vast majority of listeners want. Londoners, for example, can choose between more than 50 DAB services, many of which are not available in either AM or FM. Consequently, there are more DAB radios in Britain than anywhere else in the world. An obvious solution would be to upgrade to a more efficient codec, but the UK is paying the price for all its early success with digital radio. British DAB uses a relatively inefficient MPEG-1 Layer II codec, although the World DMB Forum (formerly the World DAB Forum) is promoting AAC+ .» (fonte: «The future of radio»)

Etiquetas: musica, Nokia, Motorola, Sony

«Remember when CBS wanted little to do with Internet streaming? CBS Radio said it now broadcasts 100 stations online, or 70% of its stations. The most recent is WRKZ(FM) in Pittsburgh. “Extending its audio content to an online platform is an ongoing initiative that CBS Radio began with the launch of the streams of its all-news stations in March 2005,” it stated. “To date, CBS Radio has amassed close to 4 million registered users of the company's online properties.”»

fonte: «CBS Says 70% of Its Stations Are Now Streaming», 30/11/06 Rwonline

Etiquetas: streaming

Etiquetas: iPhone

(de um artigo da Visão, «iPod, logo existo», 23/11/06, pág 86)

- venderam-se em Portugal em 2005 365 mil leitores de mp3 (LAD); para 2006 espera-se vendas de 650 a 700 mil (quase dois mil por dia);

- Creative lider em Portugal; Apple a 2ª

A partir de um artigop na Visão («IPod, logo existo), 23/11/06, pág 86):

Partilha de canções; escuta simultânea; gravações colectivas por oposição à reclusão social (alheamento à interacção social; sejam colegas ou não)

Eis um exemplo interessante de resposta da rádio tradicional (pela capacidade de resposta, de adaptação, de agilização): só música de Natal um mês antes do data. E as audiências mostram que é um sucesso:

«(...) The temporary holiday format for WLIT, which began five years ago, catapults the popular station in the ratings every year. Vice President of Programming Darren Davis estimates WLIT is the No. 1 rated station in December and holds 30 percent of the female listening audience. According to the Arbitron ratings service, last December WLIT had 1.3 million listeners, nearly 17 percent of the listening audience, in the Chicago area. (...) According to Edison Media Research, last year 119 stations went to an all-Christmas music format and on average attracted 10 percent more audience. The format, which began in the mid-90s on adult contemporary formatted stations like WLIT, consisted of playing Christmas music in a 24-hour rotation only near Christmas Eve. But the audience demand became too strong for programming directors to ignore, and now the cheerful music can be heard weeks before Thanksgiving. WLIT began playing its catalog of holiday music on Nov. 2. While some critics say this is way too early, Davis said the time was just right. "It began snowing, and I knew that was the day," he said.»

fonte: «Radio stations follow fa-la-la format, JACKIE KEENAN, Medill News Service, nwitimes.com on Saturday, December 2, 2006 12:30 AM CST

Longe vão os tempos em que só havia o rádio e o leitor de cassetes...

«Vehicle dashboards are becoming increasingly sophisticated and entertainment-focused. Music fans began amassing digital music collections long ago, and now automobile manufacturers are warming to the trend. The latest example comes from Chrysler, which is stuffing music options into its upcoming 2008 Sebring Convertible. The car, which enters production during the first quarter of 2007, will roll with a 20GB hard drive, a music jukebox interface, and a USB port for transferring assets like MP3s and JPEGs. An immense selection of in-dash digital songs raises some safety concerns, though drivers are already dancing dangerously with toys like mobile phones, iPods, DVD players, and even navigation systems. Organizing the chaos in the Sebring will be Gracenote, which offers song identification and categorization by composer, artist and title. Chrysler also pointed to playlist-creation capabilities, and extras like Sirius Satellite Radio. Meanwhile, the jukebox is displayed on a 6.5-inch screen, which can also play movies and video clips. Other aspects include voice memo recording capabilities, and Bluetooth support.»

Etiquetas: convergência

«The web will top outdoor advertising in 2007 — with radio its next target. ZenithOptimedia Worldwide CEO Steve King says radio will see its share of the ad pie fall from 8.6% this year to 8% in 2008 while Internet spending grows at a phenomenal 28%. Meanwhile there’s some good news for radio - Meanwhile there’s some good news for radio - read it in today's»

fonte: Inside Radio, 5/12/06

Lembra Mark Ramsey: «Every radio station has an on-ramp to the Internet and the advertising revenue it can provide. What's more, radio has millions of ears that are likewise connected to millions of Internet connections»

E diz a Business Week: «The radio industry won't want to hear this. Advertising dollars are shifting online faster than analysts anticipated. In fact, advertisers will soon spend as much money on the Internet as they do on the airwaves, according to a newly released eMarketer study. On Dec. 6, the New York research firm increased its estimate for 2006 online advertising spending by 0 million, to .4 billion. The new estimate means online advertising will pull in about 5.8% of the more than 1 billion advertisers are expected to spend this year. That's less than radio's 6.9%, according to Universal McCann (IPG), which tracks the radio industry. However, radio's share is declining while online share is growing, says David Hallerman, a senior analyst at eMarketer. By 2007, online advertising will bring in 6.8% of the total and, by 2008, it will bring in 8.1%—putting it well over radio. By some estimates, online ad spending will overtake radio even sooner. Forrester Research (FORR) anticipates online advertising will bring in .4 billion this year—that's a billion more than eMarketer's estimate and would be roughly 6.2% of the total, putting online advertising much closer to overtaking radio.» («Advertising Goes Off the Radio», 7/12/06, Business Week.com) 

Etiquetas: Publicidade

«New York - Nov 28, 2006 - Clear Channel Radio’s Online unit has added news and video content from Reuters to its News on Demand service. News on Demand combines on-demand video and text feeds from Reuters with Clear Channel’s existing coverage of news. The service also allows Clear Channel radio stations to upload their own local news to their sites.»

fonte: «Clear Channel Online Teams With Reuters to Power News On Demand», radio Magazine, 27/11/06

«Segundo a agência EFE, a substituição do popular código de barras, que revolucionou a atividade comercial e se estendeu a inúmeras atividades, é só uma questão de tempo. O que o substituirá é um dispositivo baseado em um microchip que armazena dados e se comunica por meio de ondas de rádio com um aparelho leitor. A invenção atende pelo nome de Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), que em português significa "Identificação por Radiofreqüência". Dentro de pouco tempo, esta tecnologia será tão familiar quanto o próprio carrinho de supermercado. Além disso, estará presente em uma infinidade de produtos, de pizzas congeladas e refrigerantes a CDs e televisores. A RFID, que está cada vez mais difundida, se caracteriza por um microcircuito eletrônico que armazena informações sobre todos os tipos de objetos, e até de animais. Permite, além disso, a localização destes em poucos segundos, e a transmissão de seus dados a um dispositivo receptor situado a poucos metros ou a vários quilômetros de distância. Os sistemas RFID começaram sua caminhada durante a II Guerra Mundial, quando os aliados utilizaram aparelhos deste tipo para distinguir seus próprios aviões dos inimigos. Mas a invenção saltou do campo militar para o industrial na década de 90, quando o Massachussets Institute of Technology o aperfeiçoou e elaborou o código com o qual as informações são armazenadas em chips. A RFID já tem múltiplos usos: é usada tanto para localizar e identificar cabeças de gado ao ar livre como para encontrar livros nas bibliotecas. Mas sua aplicação em massa ocorrerá nas lojas e supermercados, onde os clientes só terão que passar suas compras sob um leitor, o qual, por meio de uma antena, enviará um sinal e ativará os chips dos produtos adquiridos para que enviem as informações armazenadas em seus circuitos. Com estes dados, o sistema calculará imediatamente o preço total da compra»

fonte: «Microchip substituirá os já tão familiares códigos de barras. Saiba mais!», emSergipe.com, 3/12/06 

Etiquetas: RFID

«A internet é a mídia que mais atrai usuários com até 54 anos no mundo. São gastas cerca de 16 horas por semana navegando na web. Os dados fazem parte de um estudo divulgado nesta semana pela União Internacional de Telecomunicações (ITU), o braço da ONU para telecom, chamado “igital.life.  De acordo com a pesquisa, o tempo dedicado à navegação na web é oito vezes maior que o dedicado aos jornais, revistas e cinema, quase três vezes maior que o dedicado ao rádio e quatro horas maior que à televisão»

fonte: «Web atrai mais usuários que a TV, diz estudo», Info online, 5/12/06

Etiquetas: rádio, TV

«iPod will lead a further media transformation of similar magnitude in the coming decade. Speaking at the FT World Communications Conference, Nikesh Arora, Google's VP of European operations, told delegates that, in the coming years, the plummeting price of storage and its increasing volume-to-size ratio will give iPods almost unlimited potential to hold music and video. Arora said, by 2012, iPods could launch at similar prices to those on sale now and yet be capable of holding a whole year's worth of video releases. Around 10 years down the line that could be expanded, creating iPods that can hold all the music ever sold commercially. He said: "In 12 years, why not an iPod that can carry any video ever produced?" The Google exec said tech is now pursuing a price volume game - searching for the price point at which content will take off for the mainstream. He added: "It's clearly begun happening," citing iTunes' 99¢ per song download model.»

fonte: «Google: 'iPod will hold all the world's TV in 12 years'», 27/11/06, Silicon.com

«RadioSherpa é um projecto que está a desenvolver-se em Boston e pretende alargar-se às restantes cidades dos Estados Unidos. Trata-se de um serviço que mostra ao utilizador a música que está, no momento a tocar nas diferentes estações de rádio, permitindo escutar e descarregar mediante pagamento a música em questão, apresentando ainda informações sobre o disco e o artista. Interessante....» (Net FM)

«No more having to guess which station to listen to or where to even find the Internet stream. Better yet, you don't have to wait for the station stream to load only to find out that the song sucks. By showing you what is on you will never be disappointed. If you sign up for a MySherpa account, we can even TELL YOU when one of your favorites is on the air! This is even better than presets in your car. »

Etiquetas: internet

«Just how powerful is the iPod? JupiterResearch recently noted that the Apple player is driving growth in the larger digital music sector. Music fans routinely download and explore, though Jupiter found that iPod and other device owners actively build digital collections specifically for portable use. "Over 60 percent of portable music device owners regularly rip music," said Jupiter senior analyst David Card. But only 25 percent of users overall rip music from their CDs, according to the finding. Card also noted that the use of playlists steadily increased among iPod users. "58 percent of iPod users, and 44 percent of users of other portable music devices use playlists," Card asserted. The findings are unsurprising, though a chicken-and-egg problem emerges. The most energized and interested music fans are likely to purchase an iPod or similar device, making it difficult to isolate the influence of the player. Regardless, the iPod is known to stimulate online purchasing, and iTunes downloads always rise following heavy sales periods. The device also stimulates other markets, and has spawned a healthy cottage industry based on device peripherals. Meanwhile, the study also examined the total number of files found on the average computer, and noted that only 18 percent of adults have collections greater than 1,000 songs. The study was released on Tuesday.»

fonte: «Digital Music Activity, Consumption Driven by iPods», Digital Music News, 6/12/06

Etiquetas: iPod

Os adaptadores dos leitores de audio digital que utilizam o FM para se ouvirem nos carros estão em causa por uma denuncia da NPR que os acusa de prejudicar as suas emissões:

«The drama surrounding short-range, device-based FM transmitters is entering a new chapter, thanks to a recent complaint from National Public Radio. Bigger, commercialized radio stations are often higher on the dial, while public radio stations usually grab lower frequencies. That is the same range tapped by device-based transmitters, which broadcast across lower, unused frequencies. The technology is found within satellite radio receivers and other devices, and companies like Griffin Technology manufacture iPod add-ons that accomplish the same task. Now, the question is whether the transmitters are interfering with NPR broadcasts, and if so, what should be done about it. The public radio consortium has argued that a problem exists, and recently urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to re-examine the matter. Earlier, the FCC subjected both XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio to a rigorous compliance process, resulting in numerous manufacturing holdups. According to National Public Radio chief executive Ken Stern, that process has not solved the issue of over-powered transmissions, and an "unchecked, growing problem" remains. Meanwhile, users of the technology can easily become frustrated by heavy interference, especially in more crowded urban areas.»

fonte: Digital Music News, «NPR Rattles Over Device-Based FM Transmitters», 7/12/06

Etiquetas: Moduladores, iPod, LAD

«The Telegraph Group is reportedly looking to move into national radio, following the Ofcom advertisement of the digital radio multiplex last week.
The newspaper group is to launch Telegraph Talk and Telegraph TV in the new year, and will offer a 24-hour radio service which it hopes to extend across mobile and the internet.
Insiders say the company wants to pair up with Channel 4, already linked with Emap and UTV, to create a national service.
Telegraph development director Shaun Gregory, the former managing director of national brands at Emap Radio who join the company just six weeks ago, is behind the plans.
Telegraph TV would act as an umbrella brand for video content. Just recently the newspaper group completed a deal with news service ITN On for online video content»

fonte: Digital Spy, «Telegraph considering move into radio », 7/12/06, By Joanne Oatts, Media Correspondent

A viragem para a rádio pode também ter consequencias comerciais:

«Charles Courtier of Mediaedge:cia thinks newspaper’s move to the Internet could benefit radio in some ways. Reuters reported, “Radio stations can be expected to pick up local advertising dollars, such as sale-driven commercials from retail outlets, as newspapers shift their businesses online, the chief executive of a top media buying firm said.”» (Rwonline, «Newspaper Ad Dollars to Radio?«, 7/12/06)

Etiquetas: DAB, Internet, jornais, publicidade

«It must be almost embarrassing to be a Canadian radio boss these days. As newspapers endure steep declines in readership and circulation and as conventional TV broadcasters face rising competition from specialty channels and the Internet, Canadian private radio -- the home of mediocre music, hot-blooded talk and crass jingles -- is prospering as never before. The trends are as solid as a classic rock play list: Nineteen of 20 Canadian adults listened to radio on a weekly basis last year, for a total of 532 million hours, the same number as in 2000. Advertising revenue for private radio hit .33-billion in 2005, and revenues are up 5.8% annually in the last decade. The bottom line is even better: Last year, private radio earned a cumulative 21 cents on the dollar before tax and interest -- 3.5 times the level in 1995. Advertisers who have in the past shunned radio now realize it is the one mass medium that has held its own on a local level amid the arrival of new technologies. (...)»

fonte: «Private radio keeps on trucking», National Post, Sean Silcoff, Thursday, December 07, 2006

«Google has introduced a beta test for its much-anticipated Audio Ads service. A company spokesman e-mailed journalists and quoted a posting from the Google AdWords blog, which states that since its acquisition of dMarc Broadcasting, Google has been working to integrate that advertising platform into Google AdWords. “The integration is now complete and we’ve recently begun a U.S. beta test of Google Audio Ads with a small group of AdWords advertisers,” he wrote on the blog. Giving a taste of how the company will be marketing the service, Google says the service offers advertisers an online interface for creating and launching radio campaigns. “You’ll be able to target your customers by location, station type, day of the week and time of day. After the radio ads are run, you will be able to view online reports that tell you exactly when your ad played,” it stated. “Over the last year, we’ve been partnering with both terrestrial and satellite radio stations across the U.S. so that our advertisers have many options for broadcasting their ads — whether it’s a Country station in Tyler, Texas or an Adult Contemporary station in New York City,” the company continued on the blog entry. “Currently, there are hundreds of stations to choose from and we hope to grow the list over the coming year. Our broadcast partners are looking forward to making their ad inventories available to thousands of new advertisers, especially since they aren’t easily accessible today.” »

fonte: «Google Completes dMarc Integration, Launches Audio Ads Beta Test», 7/12/06 rwonline

Etiquetas: Google

«Goodbye to formatted radio - it's time to give control back to music's true fans, says Nettwerk Music Group CEO Terry McBride. In what McBride calls the "we-pod" era thanks to the file-sharing benefits of digital technology, the fans are slowly but surely regaining control over the music industry, and hearing music the way people did 30 years ago - "purely by recommendation," said McBride. "The uber-fan is going to consume music whatever way they want," meaning a growing trend away from TV and radio and towards the web. The digital movement is already well underway, and sooner rather than later, the majority of music sales will be done through fans, not traditional record labels that measure success by album sales, McBride said. And, while some have argued the music industry is on its last legs thanks to Internet sites such as Napster, the industry and its artists simply need to find new ways make money in the digital market. (...)»

fonte: «Internet killed the radio star, says tech guru», 24 Hours Vancouver, By ROBYN STUBBS,

Etiquetas: música, digital

«Bad song, flick. Commercial, flick. Too much jabbering, flick. Radio wasn't working. So we changed it. We kept the element of discovery that traditional radio offers-the chance to hear your next new favorite song-and let you throw your old favorites into the mix. And we reinvented how it's delivered.

Introducing iRadio: A personalized listening experience on the one device you're never without—your iRadio-enabled mobile phone.
iRadio is...

Hundreds of commercial-
free stations
From classic rock and new age jazz to news and talk, choose from an endless variety of sounds to match your every mood and interest.

Your digital music collection
Catalog favorites. Load your digital music files alongside Internet radio's best for a truly personalized listening experience.

Digital—quality audio on your iRadio-enabled mobile phone
Program six channels of whatever you want and take it with you wherever you go. Automatically refresh your selections every time you recharge your phone.

In the driver's seat
With the Motorola Bluetooth® wireless car adapter, listen to iRadio on your car stereo. iRadio is compatible with most factory-installed stereo and aftermarket units from Alpine, Kenwood, Pioneer, Sony and other major manufacturers.*

Zero interruptions
Driving through a tunnel? Going underground? Since your digital-quality files are cached on your iRadio—enabled phone, there's no signal disruption.

Music that's easy to enjoy
All you need is an iRadio-enabled mobile phone, an iRadio subscription, a PC running Windows XP and a broadband Internet connection.

Hours of music
Motorola's iRadio-equipped mobile phones use flash memory to store hours of audio. Increase your listening time with a larger memory card.

Update your music
Connect your iRadio-enabled mobile phone to your PC with a USB cable to easily update your programming. Your mobile phone will recharge its battery at the same time. Add new music, talk radio and personal favorites from your own collection.

Music without wires
Use a compatible Bluetooth® stereo headset and enjoy iRadio wherever you are without wires. With a home stereo adapter, you can even stream crystal—clear digital audio to your home hi-fi.

Automatic pause
Got an incoming call? iRadio automatically pauses while you take the call and resumes playing when you disconnect, so you never miss a beat.

Wish List
Hear a song you like? Add it to your Wish List by pressing the Wish List key on your phone or a preset button on your car stereo (feature not available with all car stereos). The next time you connect to your PC, iRadio will automatically provide you with info about your Wish List artists and tracks. You can even share your Wish List with your friends. »

fonte: «What is iRadio?», Motorola (consultado a 9/12/06)

Etiquetas: internet, telemóveis, bluetooth, carro

«Sprint Nextel will build the first nationwide mobile WiMax network, giving 100 million Americans wireless Internet access four times faster than current high-speed networks by the end of 2008, Sprint CEO Gary Forsee said at a press conference today. The "4G" (fourth-generation) network will launch by the end of 2007, Forsee said. Prices will be considerably less than current data charges, said Sprint CTO Barry West. (...) "Sprint is actively engaged with [consumer electronics] product leaders," according to Forsee. Motorola, Samsung and Intel will all help build Sprint's WiMax infrasutructure. Consumers should expect to see a whole range of different kinds of devices on the network, including "new, small types of PCs," said Intel executive vice president Sean Maloney, also present at the press conference. (...) Mobile WiMax, otherwise known as 802.11e, will boost real-world download speeds to 2-4 megabits/second, Forsee said. "Much of this 4G usage will be user-generated content," Forsee said. "Imagine accessing and building MySpace and YouTube literally on the fly."  (... But the advantage of Mobile WiMax isn't just that individual download speeds will rise. It's that Sprint's virtual "pipes" will be able to support more simultaneous users at less cost, West said, and that WiMax chips cost "around 1/10" the price of those of competing technologies.»

fonte: PC Mag, «Sprint Nextel Goes To The WiMax», 8/8/06 

Etiquetas: telemóveis, Sprint

« Intel Corp. moved one step closer to developing its own mobile WiMAX solution on Wednesday when the company announced it had completed the design of its first WiMAX baseband chipset for use in laptops and other mobile devices. According to Intel's executive vice president and chief sales and marketing officers Sean Maloney, the new WiMAX Connection 2300 is a combination of the company's new chipset design and the previously announced single-chip, multi-band WiMAX/Wi-Fi radio. The chipset design was demoed on Wednesday during Maloney's keynote at the 3G World Congress and Mobility Marketplace in Hong Kong, where he showed a Centrino Duo mobile laptop with mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e-2005), Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n), and high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) 3G capabilities successfully accessing the Internet at broadband speeds over a mobile WiMAX network. According to Dave Hofer, director of wireless marketing for the mobile platforms group at Intel, the announcement of Intel's WiMAX Connection 2300 will help further speed the deployment of mobile WiMAX, which is already moving along at a steady pace he said. "Our aim with WiMAX is to provide personal anytime/anywhere broadband connectivity," said Hofer. "This is a step along the way. We're at a point where, in 2007 and 2008, you're going to start seeing product samples."»

fonte: «Intel Develops Mobile WiMAX Chipset», PC Mag, 12/7/06 

Etiquetas: Intel, telemóveis

«Clear Channel Radio recently unveiled niche programming initiatives that will take advantage of both online and HD formats. The initial targeted content plays will be catered towards auto racing fans and the gay and lesbian communities. Early advertising interest has come from big-name brands like American Express, AOL, and New Line Cinema, and other targeted plays are scheduled to follow. "Our listeners represent a wide range of lifestyles and interests, and they expect content on their terms," said Evan Harrison, executive vice president of Clear Channel Radio. The auto racing initiative, called Race Day, includes NASCAR-related news, stats, schedules, exclusive photos, and behind-the-scenes information. The concept, which is tied into a Fox terrestrial radio station and companion website, will feature online, podcast, and streaming radio content. (...) In a similar fashion, Clear Channel is also spinning Pride On Demand, an initiative that will be programmed by members of the gay and lesbian community. (...) Pride On Demandis currently accessible on-demand or via streaming formats within 12 markets, and a number of HD2 multicasts will carry the show in Chicago, Hartford, Miami and West Palm Beach.»

fonte: «Clear Channel Spins Niche, Multi-Format Programming», Digital Music News

Etiquetas: Clear, Channel, podcast, HD2, ondemand

Até agora tivemos empresas fora da rádio a criar canais de música em streaming (PAndora, Cotonete, LAst Fm, Yahoo); agora é a vez da rádio criar ela própria esses espaços, integrando-os. Diz PAula Cordeiro: «O projecto procura fazer frente e assumir-se como uma alternativa ao sucesso da Last.fm e representa, de acordo com o director de marketing da Xfm, uma primeira fase da estratégia que o grupo vai desenvolver, no sentido da criação de serviços de rádio personalizados e interactivos. Será que a rádio está finalmente a perceber que o caminho é o da ligação dos seus ouvintes numa comunidade online de partilha de interesses, com serviços personalizados e interactivos?...» (Net fm).

«The move comes as GCap, the UK’s largest commercial radio broadcaster, is looking to interactivity and social networking tools to help it offset declining ad revenues and respond to the popularity of online radio outfits like last.fm.» («XFM to launch personalised internet radio station», e-consultancy)  

Etiquetas: lastfm, streaming, musica

• mobile broadband wireless services, offering high-speed, high-capacity mobile data connections using technologies such as WiMAX;
• mobile multimedia services, such as mobile television;
• advanced mobile services using technologies such as UMTS and its evolutions; and
• mobile broadcast, such as wireless cameras for outside broadcasts and temporary or portable video links.

fonte: «Ofcom helps inflate the WiMAX hype bubble», The register, Guy Kewney, Newswireless.net, Published Monday 11th December 2006 11:07 GMT

«Lanzados a principios de este año, los modelos europeos de las series Sansa e200 y c200 no incluían sintonizador de radio FM debido al aumento de costes por exigencias de impuestos. Sin embargo, la demanda de los consumidores ha hecho que Sandisk haya tomado la decisión de ofrecer estos dispositivos tanto con la opción de FM como sin ella con la menor diferencia de precios posible.
Tanto la serie insignia Sansa e200 como la Sansa c200 con funcionalidad FM integrada estarán disponibles en tiendas próximamente. Todos los reproductores incluyen una ranura de expansión para tarjetas de memoria flash, permitiendo a los usuarios añadir hasta 500 canciones adicionales mediante una tarjeta microSD de 2GB1; amplia duración de la batería, extraíble y recargable2; visualización de fotografías; grabación de voz con micrófono incorporado, y gestión de derechos digitales (Digital Rights Management) no propietaria para permitir a los usuarios comprar canciones desde diversas fuentes de música digital»

fonte: «Sandisk incorpora radio FM en sus reproductores MP3», VNUNet.es, [13-12-2006]

A agência também prevê que o share de investimento da Internet cresça de 5.8% em 2006 para 8.6% em 2009, ultrapassando o outdoor e a rádio»

fonte: «Publicidade na internet vai aumentar», 14/12/06, marktest.com

«Cambridge Consultants is preparing to blow wide open the rapidly emerging global internet radio market with a new platform technology designed to massively undercut its competitors. The Cambridge Science Park-based firm believes the low-power internet radio’s sub- (£7.60) electronic bill of materials (eBOM) will rewrite the economics of the sector and create a global market opportunity.
Recent research from radio audience tracker, Bridge Ratings, shows that one in five people in the US – almost 60 million residents – are listening to internet radio at least once a week, a figure that increased 40 per cent in the last year alone.
Head of consumer products at Cambridge Consultants, Duncan Smith, said: “Combined with the existing infrastructure of Wi-Fi and broadband, we believe that the internet radio market is poised to explode as soon as the right product price/performance point is achieved. The Iona platform more than meets that target.”
The Iona Wi-Fi portable radio is based on just two silicon chips and will be launched at CES 2007 in the US at the beginning of January.
Cambridge Consultants believes it could lead to consumer products retailing for around £25 to £30 – under half of most of today’s internet-ready ‘kitchen radio’ type products.
The radio technology is designed to operate without a PC and to be as accessible and easy to use as current portable FM radios.)(...)»

fonte: «Internet radio power play launched», Business Weekly, By Lautaro Vargas, 13 December 2006,

«LOS ANGELES, Dec 13 (Reuters) - A music industry watchdog group released a report on Wednesday saying that radio ownership consolidation has harmed the listening public. The report, released by The Future of Music Coalition, said radio consolidation at the national and local levels has led to fewer choices in radio programming and harmed the listening public and those working in the music and media industries, including DJs, programmers and musicians. Station ownership by radio giants like Clear Channel Communications Inc. (CCU.N: Quote, Profile , Research), the leading U.S. operator, increased significantly with the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which eliminated the national radio ownership cap and revised limits on how many stations a company can own in a local market. In a statement, Peter DiCola, FMC research director, said the Telecommunications Act has backfired in terms of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's goals of increasing competition, localism, and diversity in radio. The report said the top four radio station owners have almost half of the listeners and the top 10 owners have almost two-thirds of listeners. The report also said the "localness" of radio ownership, or ownership by individuals living in the community, has declined between 1975 and 2005 by almost a third. The report said that across 155 markets, radio listenership has declined over the past 14 years, a 22 percent drop since its peak in 1989.»

fonte: «Watchdog says US public hurt by radio consolidation», 13/12/06, reuters

Etiquetas: concentração

Afinal o problema existe...

«How can the industry build the habit of using radio into today’s youth and reach 12 to 24 year olds before they become addicted to iPods? Several programming consultants discussed those questions at Arbitron’s annual consultant meeting. Carolyn Gilbert, president of Clear Channel’s Critical Mass Media, said that radio traditionally follows the money and targets older listeners. Larry Rosin, of Edison Media Research, said radio hasn’t tried to reach 12 to 24-year-olds because it’s focused on the 25-54 demo. “There’s so many places for them to go, I think we’re kind of screwed,” said Fred Jacobs, president of Jacobs Media. He warns that if radio doesn’t start attacking the problem, the industry will have a hard time attracting youth to work in the industry. Rosin said Edison Media’s “30 Under 30” competition, reported here last week as his company’s efforts to find younger talent to work in all facets of radio, has received a “good response” with 150 nominations so far. »

fonte: rwonline, «Consultants Debate How to Lure Youth Back to Radio», 15/12/06

Desenvolvimentos:

«Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs added, "We got away with ignoring them because there was no money there. Since we were the only game in town, they wound up eventually finding us. But today, ere are all kinds of places for them to go. If they don't grow up with us, why would they come to us?" Jabobs added, "We are kind of screwed. We stand to lose a couple of generations."
Arbitron Senior VIce President for Business and Marketing Development Bill Rose added, "Consumers take their media choices with them as they age. How much are we as an industry investing in getting young people into our business? We don't speak that language anymore, and we need to."»

Mark Ramsey concorda que a rádio tem ignorado este público. E que há uma ameaça concorrencial. Mas considera que a culpa não é da rádio:

«(...) this change in the nature of things - and in our future - was inevitable. Our challenge now is to create and target audiences in whatever media they want to be created and targeted in. Our challenge is to build audiences, young and old, and link them to advertisers. That challenge will never change. But nobody ever said we'd be meeting that challenge by using a radio tower.» (Hear2.0, 16/12/06)

Etiquetas: jovens

«One of radio's traditional problems has been that young, hot-shot creative types make their big money and reputations by writing television commercials, not radio commercials. They won't write radio spots. Another problem for radio has been that the adminisrative costs of planning buying radio has been so unprofitable, that agencies don't want to bother with it. Therefore, Google's radio efforts will be successful with small spenders, like their AdWords search ads have been sucessful with small and mid-range advertisers, but will not be successful with the big money.»

fonte: «Google's Radio Plans», 17/12/06

Etiquetas: Google

«It’s just not happening on terrestrial.  They’re programming for an audience that doesn’t exist.  In an era of personalization, of media speaking TO YOU, terrestrial is broadcasting to a theoretical person research says exists, but doesn’t.  People WILL listen to music handpicked by human beings, but will it be on FM?  Highly doubtful.»

fonte: «2006», Lefsetz Letters,  11/12/06

«O Barómetro de Telecomunicações da Marktest contabiliza 766 mil portugueses que utiliza o serviço de downloads do seu telemóvel. São 766 mil os portugueses com 10 e mais anos que faz downloads diversos através do seu telemóvel, um valor que representa 10.3% dos possuidores deste equipamento nesta faixa etária. A idade é a variável mais discriminante na análise deste indicador. Cerca de 60% dos indivíduos que acede a este serviço tem menos de 25 anos. A utilização do serviço de downloads atinge valores superiores junto dos homens - 11.8% dos que possuem telemóvel afirmam fazer downloads diversos, face aos 8.8% de mulheres nas mesmas condições. É entre os jovens dos 10 aos 14 anos que encontramos os valores mais elevados: 26.0% dos jovens possuidores desta faixa etária diz fazê-lo, assim como 23.3% dos possuidores entre os 15 e os 24 anos. Os valores caem drasticamente depois desta faixa etária. Por regiões, observam-se taxas superiores à média na Grande Lisboa (11.0%), no Interior Norte (14.4%), no Sul (11.9%) e nas Regiões Autónomas (11.9%). A análise por classe social é a que revela comportamentos mais homogéneos, com valores um pouco inferiores à média junto dos indivíduos das classes alta e média alta (9.1%) e um pouco superiores na classe média (10.9%) e média baixa e baixa (10.4%).»

fonte: «766 mil portugueses fazem downloads através do telemóvel», Marktest.com, 19 de Dezembro de 2006

Etiquetas: telemóveis, downloads

« Ford says it will be the first major auto maker in Canada to include satellite radio as standard equipment on its new vehicles. The company announced yesterday it will install Sirius Satellite Radio receivers in almost all Ford and Lincoln cars and trucks by the end of next year. The radios will come with a six-month trial subscription to Sirius's 110 channels, which regularly costs a month. DaimlerChrysler offers Sirius radios as a factory-installed option or standard feature in most of its new vehicles. General Motors offers XM radios from Sirius's rival, Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., as an option or a standard feature.»

fonte: «Ford will make satellite radio standard feature», 19/12/06, The Star

Etiquetas: satélite

«Worldspace Satellite Radio, a satellite digital radio service serving Africa and East Asia, has announced its support for the satellite digital radio (SDR) standard recently adopted in Europe. After a comprehensive review lasting nearly two years, the Satellite and Earth Stations and Systems (SES) technical Committee of the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI) approved the technical specifications of SDR. Combining terrestrial repeater networks and satellite platforms, the standard permits the most efficient use of the allocated spectrum, maximizing digital capacity while maintaining service quality, even in difficult reception environments such as urban centers. Worldspace Europe contributed technological proposals to the SDR working group from the beginning of the ETSI process. "With the SDR standardization, a significant step for satellite radio in Europe has been achieved," said Noah Samara, Worldspace CEO. "As a leader in the global satellite market, we not only recognized the importance of SDR technology but also understood the positive impact it would have on the industry as a whole."»

fonte: «Worldspace Supports new European Satellite Radio Standard» Beradio, 20/12/06

Etiquetas: Worldspace

«RADIO DJs could become a thing of the past with new technology which can personalise stations for music fans across the globe, experts said today. The University of Edinburgh researchers are developing the world's first "personal DJ", which would offer music commentary on-line tailored to a listener's taste. Instead of a DJ providing a voice-over, millions of nuggets of music trivia would be stored on a database and played to the listener using voice-generating software. Those behind the project believe their work could become a commercial reality by the end of next year. And with one in four people in developed countries thought to be tuning in on-line at the moment, experts say the new system could prove a real money-spinner. (...) Nick Wright "More and more people are listening to music on the internet - whether this means new internet radio stations or traditional radio stations streamed on-line," he said. (...)"For instance, if you like Bon Jovi, we could tell you about other work band members have written or produced.- (...) Although the voice is synthesised, the speech sounds natural. Different accents can also be recorded. (...)»

fonte: «Technology could spell the end for radio DJs» Manchester evening news, 21/12/06

Etiquetas: animadores, streaming

«Adiós a las radios Am/Fm y al DAB móvil vía satelite. La radio Wi-Fi para internet es la verdadera revolución en el audio doméstico. No tiene rival en cuanto a contenidos, es fácil de usar, versátil, económica y suena de maravilla. La radio Wi-Fi para internet está destinada a ser el dispositivo imprescindible del 2007. Acoustic Energy ha lanzado la primera radio Wi-Fi que permite escuchar mas de 10.000 emisoras de radio online de todo el mundo. Puedes tener la radio en cualquier parte de la casa u oficina y utiliza tu conexión normal de internet via Wi-Fi. Es la primera en dar acceso, desde cualquier rincón del mundo, a más de 10.000 emisoras de radio on-line. La compatibilidad con los 3 formatos más comunes: mp3, Windows Media y Real Player, deja a la radio Wi-Fi de AE sin competencia! Sin tener que pagar cuotas ni subscripciones, sin problemas de recepción, sin ruidos de fondo ni fronteras.»

fonte: «Llega la Radio Wi-Fi»; Nodos.com, 21/12/06, Jesus Garcia

Etiquetas: segundochoque, wi-fi

Mark Ramsey acha que sim:

«Words of warning for those who think a zillion channels of anything - satellite, hd, or Internet radio stations - will give more people more of what they want and make them happier as a result. Too much choice is a turn-off. Read this piece from Australian TV (or see the Windows Media version of the TV story) How do we cope with too much choice?  Simple. We avoid the options. So when you hear marketers - especially marketers in the audio information and entertainment (a.k.a. radio) space tell you a piece of technology is good because it offers up "a lot more choice," tell them to do their homework»

fonte: Hear2.0, «The dangers of "too much choice"», 21/12/06

Etiquetas: satélite, HD, Internet

«Traditional radio is carving out a bigger piece of the Internet radio pie. According to a J.P. Morgan report, terrestrial radio’s share of total unique visitors hit a new high in November, now at 33.1% compared to 66.9% for Internet operators. Overall, the number of unique visitors to Internet radio in the past 12 months is up 44%, according to a J.P. Morgan report, to 55 million. Since November 2005, the Internet audience has grown at a 3.1% monthly compounded rate. Growth in November was driven by sites run by both terrestrial and Internet radio operators, “though terrestrial had the slight edge,” the authors stated. “The terrestrial operators broke a string of two consecutive declines to grow their unique visitors about 5% sequentially, while the Internet operators rebounded after three straight months of declines to grow close to 2%.” The authors state that, “On a year-over-year basis, growth is much stronger, reflecting the terrestrial operators’ recent investments into their digital/online operations. Unique visitors to the terrestrial operators’ sites are up more than 110% year over year, while the Internet operators’ sites are up about 25% year over year.”»

fonte: «Terrestrial Radio’s Share of Internet Radio Listening Hits New High», RWonline, 21/12/06

«BMW was the first to offer an OEM HD Radio on its 2006 7-series models. They added it to the 6-series in '06, and then announced that HD Radio would appear on the 5-series models in '07. Well, that group will soon include BMW 3-series owners as well. Starting with the Hardtop Convertible, HD will start showing up in 3s in 2007 as well, for around 0. »

fonte: «BMW 3-series to come equipped with HD radio?», Posted Dec 23rd 2006 4:14PM by Frank Filipponio, AUtoblog

Mas primeiro não será necessário isto?

«STMicroelectronics and Ibiquity Digital have an agreement to design an HD Radio ASIC chip compatible with ST’s AM/FM in-dash tuner. The goal is to provide receiver manufacturers a complete HD Radio chipset, with samples expected in late 2007 and volume production in 2008. The companies say the chipset would offer high system integration and low power consumption, and enable extended features, such as multicast capability and extended data services.»

fonte: «STMicroelectronics, Ibiquity Developing In-Car Receiver Chipset», 21/12/06, Rwonline

Etiquetas: carro

Aqui está uma frase que por agora pode parecer estranha mas que se tornará banal:

«Not enough favorite songs on radio? Start own station»

Esta notícia conta a história de alguém que se cansou de não conseguir ouvir as músicas de que gosta na rádio e criou uma estação para si e para outros (não apenas na net mas também através de uma frequência de FM de 5 mil watts, que mesmo assim chega a mais de um milhão de pessoas). Algumas frases relevantes:

«"Their play lists are so limited," he said. "Did you realize Led Zeppelin has more than three songs? Everyone I talked to was just sick of it. The music is just not being played anymore and there are a lot of baby boomers out there." So he struggled through red tape with the Federal Communications Commission for 7½ years for permission to start his own radio station. In August, after countless headaches and spending about ,000 of his own money, he won that right. The reward: playing his beloved golden oldies all day long. He estimates that ClassX, his new radio frequency at WMWX-FM 88.9 and on the Web at www.classxradio.com, reaches thousands of listeners daily. (...) He continuously builds the playlist and hopes to reach 20,000 songs in another year. By then, he also would like to move the radio studio to the west side of Hamilton County, where the signal is the strongest. The station's 225-foot-tall antennae is located 30 miles away in St. Leon, Ind. It has the potential to reach 1.8 million people with a 5,000-watt signal that reaches northern Kentucky to the south, Liberty Township and Blue Ash to the east, Franklin to the north and Batesville, Ind., to the west. But he estimates he reaches the most listeners by steaming audio through the Internet.»

fonte: The Enquirer, «Not enough favorite songs on radio? Start own station», 24/12/06, JENNIFER BAKER

Etiquetas: Internet, playlists

fonte: «Estudo: 30% das rádios portuguesas fora da Internet»,Diário Digital / Lusa, 22-12-2006 

Etiquetas: interactividade, Portugal, Internet

nos EUA.

Parece-me de mais, mas...

«Nearly half of our lives are spent with TV, radio, Internet and newspapers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Its new “Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007” indicates adults and teens will spend nearly five months — 3,518 hours — next year watching television, surfing the Internet, reading daily newspapers and listening to personal music devices. (There are about 8,760 hours in a year.)

Among the bureau’s findings: People will spend the equivalent of 65 days in front of the TV, 41 days listening to radio and a little over a week on the Internet in 2007. “Adults will spend about a week reading a daily newspaper and teens and adults will spend another week listening to recorded music.” Consumer spending for media is forecast to be 6.75 per person.»

fonte: «Your Radio Diet Next Year: 41 Days», 21/12/06, RWonline

Partilho com os leitores esta experiência notável:

Ontem uma das minhas séries de televisão favoritas, Cold Case (Casos Arquivados), terminava com uma versão espantosa da música «Somewhere over the rainbow».

Hoje de manhã foi ao Google e conciliei o nome da série e o da música e cheguei lá. Um artista do Haway, já falecido, com um nome impronunciável (Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole). Como na Amazon não vendem tema a tema, copiei o nome para o iTunes e comprei a música por 0,99$. Mais: fiquei a saber que é a versão mais vendida do «Somewhere over the rainbow); Aqui podem ouvir uma amostra do tema (de borla, claro).

Penso que é mais um caso que demonstra que a rádio musical - se não se posicionar como alternativa digital - ficará obsoleta. Viva a globalização, já agora!

De acordo com a Marktest, nos ultimos tres meses de 2006 a venda de CD audio passou de 37,3 % (em 2004) para 29,8% (2006). Ou seja, uma queda de quase 10 por cento.

fonte: «O que mudou no consumo dos portugueses?», Marktest.com, 28/12/06

Etiquetas: música, digital

Corey Deitz acha que sim, a propósito do anúncio da venda de uma parte significativa das estãções da Clear Channel:

«With competing technologies like Internet radio, Satellite Radio, audio content on cell phones, Podcasting, and WiMax, the value of old media AM and FM radio stations continues to fall»

fonte: «Top 10 Radio Stories of 2006», RadioAbout, 25/12/06

Etiquetas: ClearChannel

Etiquetas: rádio

«Arbitron is just weeks away from going live with PPM ratings in Philadelphia, but a reliable source in the market tells RBR that neither Clear Channel nor Radio One stations are encoding. That's 37.5% of the market's billings. We also heard, but couldn't confirm, that Carat told Arbitron they are not going to buy any stations that are not encoded. If there were several agencies doing that, it would put enormous pressure on the radio companies to encode. The deadline for PPM encoding is Jan 11 in the market. Arbitron PPM President Pierre Bouvard tells RBR: "In conversations with many agencies across the country, we hear they are making these kinds of demands for PPM encoding because of pressure from outside auditing firms who review their buys. If someone is not encoding, they will be essentially an unrated radio station. There are many advertisers that have dictates that say you can't buy unrated radio stations. That's why we will give any station an encoder for free." RBR observation: Why are CC and Radio One inflicting wounds on their own industry? The reasons for Clear Channel's not encoding: Now that they're going private, they don't need to bow to Wall Street pressure, so they can afford to gamble for a year (the deal will still be executed at the same price, no matter what), further posturing against Arbitron for lower rates and/or hoping Media Audit gets the RFP recommendation. Radio One is just following in their footsteps because of its close relationship to CC and its own battles with Arbitron over rates»

fonte: RBR news, 23, 249 Jim Carnegie, 27/12/06

«The Canadian Radio-Television & Telecommunications Commission has announced a revision to its policy for digital radio broadcasting, opening the door to the HD Radio In-Channel, On-Band system.

The CRTC commented that it would be prepared to authorize services using IBOC/HD Radio technology for the AM and/or FM bands, if the Canadian department of Industry authorizes services using the technology under the Radiocommunication Act. The commission added that “an expedited process would be adopted for stations that propose to transmit a digital simulcast of their analog service.”

Robert Struble, president and CEO, iBiquity Digital Corporation, said, “The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation began HD Radio testing in September 2006, focusing on transmissions from Toronto and Peterborough, Ontario. Full results have not yet been published by the CBC, but early feedback has been very positive.”»

fonte: «Ruling Opens Door For HD Radio Broadcasting In Canada» Radio Ink, Dezembro 06, 

«The Eureka DAB system, using L-band frequencies, didn't work out as hoped in Canada, so now it looks like our neighbors to the north may embrace the HD Radio in-band on-channel (IBOC) system already deployed in the US. (...) even if L-band digital had worked better (the number of repeaters proved to be prohibitively expensive), a considerable Canadian market would have developed for add-on HD Radio receivers for folks who regularly drive across the border. It should be better for both countries for the US to have the same digital radio system as our neighbor, even if they do insist on spelling it "neighbour."» (RBRnews, 28/12/06)  

Etiquetas: DAB

 O Replay A/V -8.02 da Applian Technologies grava tudo.

«Applian Technologies can take just about any kind of programming stream and transfer it to almost any kind of personal digital replay device. Replay A/V version 8 can grab XM and Sirius online programming, whatever's being played in web-only radio or video stations, podcasts, material from Windows Media, Real, Flash, Shoutcast, iTunes Radio and more. It can be used live or programmed to activate at a given time. It produces MP3s or CDs. (...) There's a media revolution going on now, and Replay A/V is destined to be a huge part of it." RBR observation: Where Dettering sees a "revolution," we see a copyright nightmare. A difficult situation is only going to get worse, since the inventors sitting in their garages and basements, limited only by their own ingenuity, can work at a lightning clip. (...)»

fonte: RBR news, «Streaming device captures on-line programming», 28/12/06 (v23 n250)

Aperta-se o cerco - de consequências imprevisiveis nesta altura - aos moduladores de FM que usam o sistema wireless para retransmitir leitores digitais de áudio:

«The Consumer Electronics Association is encouraging members to comply with FCC regulations concerning FM modulators. RW Online has reported that NPR is watching to see the impact of efforts by satellite radio companies, receiver manufacturers and the FCC after the holidays as consumers purchase new products. The commission began an informal inquiry into wireless modulators to confirm compliance with its regulations. NPR and NAB had submitted engineering studies showing that some FM modulated products were emitting too much power and interfering with some terrestrial FM stations. CEA has been in contact with the FCC on the issue; and XM and Sirius had some of their products re-tested, re-certified and approved for sale. In its daily newsletter CEA Smartbrief, the trade group encourages members that manufacture FM modulators to “ensure that they are compliant with FCC regulations, and to ensure that the devices are compliant with the products’ original FCC certifications.”»

fonte: RWOnline, «CEA Encourages Members to Comply on FM Modulators», 28/12/06

Etiquetas: LAD, moduladores, FM

«Car audio systems are almost ubiquitous in Europe. So vehicle suppliers and manufacturers are looking to digital radio, satellite radio, Bluetooth and other alternatives as revenue generators. That’s the conclusion of consulting company Frost and Sullivan, which said car systems are close to becoming a “standard, saturated product offering.” The company said OEMs must “strike the right balance between offering sophisticated features while ensuring cost-effectiveness.” It said the car audio systems market in Europe pulled in 1.49 billion Euros in 2005 and will reach 2.37 billion by 2014 thanks in large part to “explosive” growth of MP3 head units. “Consumers increasingly want to use the MP3s they burn at home inside their cars,” stated a company official in the announcement. “MP3s are also available, physically separate from the CD, from many other sources. These factors are driving the demand for OE audio systems to offer MP3 playback capabilities — a trend that is promoting future market growth.” He said carmakers are challenged because the typical time for construction of a vehicle is three to five years, while the typical lifetime for a consumer electronics standard is about a year and a half.»

fonte: RWOnline, «Digital Media Will Push Growth in a Stagnant Euro Car Audio Market», 28/12/06 

Etiquetas: mp3

As consolas de jogos não são concorrência à rádio apenas porque disputam o tempo disponível, agora atomizado perante uma panóplia de suportes (e sabendo-se como estas consolas são viciantes, pouco tempo sobra para outros...). A partir do momento em que essas consolas se tornam portáteis e incluem reprodutores de música (seja em mp3 seja um leitor de CD), e, fundamentalmente, que a rádio não aparece, ouvir música passa a ser feito através de outras plataformas.

Veja-se o caso do Game Boy Advance, que permite ouvir música através de um cartão de memória SD (Nintendo). A Play Station Portable (PSP) da Microsoft também permite reproduzir música gravada em mp3 ou receber pela internet.

Este mesmo sistema da Nintendo também trabalha na consola fixa (com auscultadores ou colunas). O mesmo se passa com Xbox («Copie música para o disco rígido da Xbox 360 e partilhe as suas imagens mais recentes com amigos. Estabeleça a ligação e a Xbox 360 transfere instantaneamente o conteúdo multimédia digital armazenado no leitor de MP3»)

Etiquetas: consolas, internet, mp3

Ford and Microsoft are expected to reveal the project during media days at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which begins Jan. 7, and the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which opens to the press a day earlier. Microsoft officials have acknowledged a joint announcement will be made during the shows, but Ford officials refused to comment publicly on the reports. Several Web sites have been reporting about the expected announcement in recent days. "We've learned from a source close to Microsoft's car-computer project that Microsoft and Ford are planning to announce the U.S. availability of the system in 2007," the technology blog site Engadget.com says. The Wall Street Journal published a report Friday about the companies' plans, as well, saying the technology will debut next year as an option on at least two Ford models that are to be freshened next year, the Focus and Five Hundred. Sync will be available on all Ford models starting in 2008 and will be phased in to Lincoln and Mercury models later.

According to a concept Hummer H2 vehicle shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2004, the Microsoft technology works through a computer located on the vehicle that runs Windows Auto software. The computer uses Bluetooth to connect wirelessly with a mobile phone in the car, which in turn connects to the Internet. Motorists communicate with the system through a microphone embedded in the roof of the car. (...) Microsoft already has been working with Fiat, which does not sell vehicles in North America, to use Windows Automotive software in cars -- an infotainment project that was unveiled at the 2006 Geneva auto show and labeled "Blue&Me." Motorists already can use that system in vehicles such as the Fiat Grande Punto and the Alfa Romeo Brera, 159 and Spider models. But the Microsoft project with Ford will be the first of its kind in North America.»

fonte: «Fords are expected to feature Windows», Detroit Free Press, 30/12/06

Sobre o projecto Blue&Me: «The Windows Mobile^® for Automotive-based infotainment package comes with Bluetooth^® and USB connectivity, which allows drivers to listen to music from their personal integrated media player. It also features a hands-free phone kit that can be controlled completely by voice control. The system is the result of the partnership that Microsoft and Fiat Auto initiated two years ago — an extremely short time in which to bring such a device to market»

MArk Ramsey dirige-se à industria radiofónica, tentando acordá-la:

«If you can use your car to download music, you can also use it to stream music. And if you can stream music then you can do so from any number of music providers, not just your radio station. That entertainment time comes, in part, from the primary in-car entertainer, and that, my friends, is YOU. What is YOUR group doing to be in front of this trend? What is YOUR group doing to be in every car in every way in 2007 and beyond? What content do you have that every Ford will want to stream? And where does this leave satellite radio and especially HD radio?»

Etiquetas: internet