«The nation's third-largest automaker is set to announce Thursday that it's making wireless Internet an option on all its 2009 models, according to The LA Times. The offering, dubbed UConnect Web, would be the first such technology from any automaker. Chrysler is hoping that providing drivers access to the information superhighway will set it apart from competitors. Needless to say, the system will be able to stream audio.
"It's a notion of always wanting to be connected wherever you are," said Scott Slagle, Chrysler's senior manager of global marketing strategy, who has been testing the technology since last week, allowing his daughters to surf the Web from the back seat. "There's a demand for that."
Chrysler says that when the car is in motion, the service is intended to be used only by passengers. The company acknowledges, however, that there is no way to prevent a driver from steering with one hand and Web surfing with the other.  Chrysler is not the first company to offer Internet access in cars. Avis Rent A Car introduced Avis Connect in January 2007. Like UConnect Web, Avis Connect (which costs .95 a day) operates on the 3G network using a cellular-based signal. RBR/TVBR observation: Radio shouldn’t be quite as alarmed as satellite radio at this development, because as folks choose to spend disposable income on subscriptions for car internet vs. car satellite service, they will likely choose internet, because streaming Internet audio would be free with the package. And remember, someone listening to a streaming, terrestrial radio station a thousand miles away in their car would be credited in the online ratings and that station would benefit with online ad dollars. Another thing to note is streaming video content will be on board as well, opening up more online views for the networks and other content providers»

 «the consequences for the radio industry - both good and bad - are profound. There are at least five critical issues facing radio as a result of this unambiguous trend (and I'll consider these more thoroughly after I get a peek at the Chrysler system): First, an Internet enabled car will have an all-new user interface which may substitute for the radio. Will this interface provide one-button access to what used to be a separate radio? Or will it be installed above the radio and have nothing to do with it? (If I were designing it, it would be the former). If this new interface replaces the radio unit (while not eliminating radio reception) then automakers have essentially turned a radio into an entertainment tool where at least some of the driver's time will be spent off the radio dial (so to speak) and outside the advertising universe under the control of the radio industry. (...) Second, the fact that your station streams (and it does, doesn't it?) does not mean it will be easily accessed on these new systems. Just as low channels on Cable systems are prime positions with larger audiences, so will there be premium placement on these new Internet entertainment systems. Who, for example, is likely to strike a better deal with the Chrysler's of the world, your station, your group, or AOL Radio (and their friends at CBS), Slacker, Pandora, AccuRadio, and their kind? Third, what does it mean to be "radio" in a world where audio is fully integrated into an experience that includes video, text, interactivity, and personalization? The attraction to these services will not only be that they're supplemental to radio, but that they expand the definition of radio. And that expansion will benefit only those broadcasters and their partners smart enough to recognize that the advantage of a broadcast tower is non-existent in this context. Fourth, that tiny whimper you just heard was the final gasp of HD Radio. Time to move on to the real challenges, radio. Fifth, why do I want a satellite radio when an Internet-enabled device offers so much more?»

«According to Keefe Leung, a Chrysler engineer for this initiative, "There are no limitations in content." That's a quote that should be posted in cubicles and offices throughout our industry.  The excuses for not streaming or for offering a substandard stream are coming to a swift end.  Radio is in a great position to brand and market its streams because as mobile WiFi becomes as ubiquitous as wireless laptops, there will be no limits on access.  The best known brands in local markets - KLOS, KBCO, WRIF, WMMR, KQRS - will have a decided edge.  But only if radio realizes what's at stake and steps up. (Fred Jacobs)