Up until recently, if you wanted to listen to a radio station on your cell phone or iPad, you need an app like ooTunes, iHeartRadio or tuneIn.
With the introduction of Internet connected entertainment systems in new cars, over the air radio is on track to become as irrelevant as over the air TV, where the cable TV channels are the innovators in programming and producing some of the highest rated shows. Once the listeners are listening over the Internet, why would anyone want to pay for an FCC license for radio – and subject themselves to the NAB’s goon squad (the FCC) demanding to see their public inspection file?
Version 6 of Abacast works natively on Apple devices, and presumably on android devices as well. Cumulus is backing away from iHeartRadio – it seems that huge revenue stream from Clear Channel selling SweetJack promotions isn’t quite working out – and maybe the Dickey brothers figured out it’s not very clever to hand your listeners over to the competition, and then have iHeartRadio push the listeners to Clear Channel’s streams. I honestly don’t understand what they were thinking other than maybe they are just that stupid. Cumulus stock is down 20% since their horrible earnings report.
listenlive.co is also providing Native support for streaming to mobile devices. Listenlive.co is StreamTheWorld, aka Triton Digital, aka Oaktree Capital – the private equity firm that controls Townsquare Media.
The man from Utah who created ooTunes has moved on to a new job, and has limited time to keep his database current. I’m considering changing the way that I classify a radio station as being mobile friendly to not rely on ooTunes.
For those streaming companies still using flash, your time is running out. HTML5 is the future. Get with the program. For that one company still using Silverlight, get a clue. Microsoft itself has abandoned the product.
The FCC will become an anachronism due to technological advances. Then let’s see what reason the government gives for keeping it around.
The FCC originally had two concerns – AM radio and radio telegraphs. The FCC was the US representative to the ITU to ensure international agreement on use of spectrum and compatibility of equipment.
The US has 10 kHz AM spacing, the rest of the world uses 8 kHz. Europe has 50 hz AC power, we use 60 hz. Because of that, Europe had PAL and North and Central America had NTSC.
The FCC evolved to think its responsibility was to regulate and monitor and control all communications and protect the entities it regulated from competition in return for promoting the power of the government.
Net Neutrality is the camel’s nose under the tent. There is no way the government can keep its hands off regulating content on the Internet.