I Want FM

  

In a recent editorial, I stated that I think every radio station in the world should be streaming and have its signal on a worldwide aggregator like TuneIn, one of my favorites. I stated that statistics bear out the fact that most streaming use is by in-market listeners who simply find it more convenient to listen to the stream, or who may be out of market at the time and want to stay connected with their hometown.

I'm a big supporter of streaming, and I think every radio station should be doing it.

But there is are problems, which we will be addressing at our Convergence conference in May. There is a giant bandwidth crash coming. And a giant issue related to streaming will be increases in consumers' data plans, which carriers are learning is their big profit center.

I recently gave up my iPhone for an HTC Evo, which I like as much or better. One of the reasons I bought it is because I wanted to find out if having FM on my phone would impact my personal use of streaming.

On day one at the gym, I was able to use the FM on the phone to tune in to the TV broadcasts in front of the treadmill, with the audio being fed via FM. I also started using FM instead of streaming on my phone because of the occasional start-and-stop cutouts of the streams. But the giant issue was battery life. Though the EVO is a great phone, its battery goes down fast when using the data plan, and I found that the more I streamed, the more I killed my battery. Not so with the FM -- I can listen pretty much all day without much battery drain.

There is a great debate going on over FM on cellphones. Some think it's silly and putting old technology into a high-tech world, while others want Congress to legislate FM chips in phones because that would make radio available even when cell towers are inoperable in emergencies. Frankly, that can't hurt and might help -- I've changed my tune considerably on this now that I have FM on my phone.

But I don't want to wait for Congress to take action, and frankly, I think consumer demand is what we need to drive. So, in an effort to stop talking and start taking action, I went to my friends at the Radio Ranch in Los Angeles and commissioned this radio spot, which encourages consumers to say, "I want FM" when they buy a new cellphone.

If every FM station in America airs these spots in heavy rotation for 90 days or longer, it will drive adoption of FM on cellphones by consumers, and it will put carriers under pressure to put FM on more models in the future. Consumers win and we win.

I’d like to ask every person in the radio industry reading this to bring this spot to the market mannager, GM or group head and ask to put it on the air immediately in your unsold FM inventory for at least 90 days, and on your streamed stations. This spot is not anti-streaming, but it is pro-FM. (Sorry, AM people, I wish there were phones with AM too.)

Please report in and let us know if you're using the spots, and the reaction you're receiving from the market (and the carriers).

Click here to download the spot. If you need assistance, please e-mail [email protected].

OR try this link to download as well: http://www.radioinkforums.com/mp3s/Iwantfm_radioInk_radioranch_01.mp3

Thanks to Dick and Sandy Orkin and the staff at the Radio Ranch for creating this ad.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[not fake]

That's the kind of image that i really thing is super image like. If more images very real like this were out there we'd be super full of graet images in the world.

[Will Baumann]

Look--the sooner you come to the realization that the days of radio coming out of a stick on a hilltop are (about) over, the sooner you can develop a math model for selling advertising that actually will feed the families of those doing so. It's time to pull your collective heads out of the sand.

[Eric Rhoads]

Troy:

I am every bit as much a believer in AM radio as FM radio. Indeed radio has been my life, my career and my primary interest. My role, as I see it, is to keep the industry focused on things that are attacking them on all sides and make them aware so they can take action. The reality is that streaming is huge, digital media is even bigger (28% of all ad dollars in media are now going to digital). If I can help AM radio, FM radio in any way, I intend to do so. But Im not the guy in control of what goes on cell phones. If I were and if it were feasible to get an antenna in the phones that would work AM would be there. Im happy to have you attack my role in the industry but accusing me of not being interested in the issues AM is facing is simply not true.

Im not trying to single the AM folks out here. Just sayin that its unfortunate that the phones dont have AM too... and if they did Id be suggesting they buy a phone with an AM-FM but to my knowledge they dont exist. Still, I cannot avoid promoting FM on phones because they dont have AM on them. Better to promote R A D I O in any way possible.

AM listening in streaming is high... and this provides a way to get ON to those phones for those who DO stream on cell phones. You should be there.

[troy d]

As the owner and operator of two successful 'AM radio stations'.... its comments like Eric Rhoads that damage our industry!
(Sorry, AM people, I wish there were phones with AM too.)
You want people to think you represent the industry, but you do not represent all of radio.
In fact, the truth is you are in a business model that is much more on the decline than AM radio and that is publishing!
I'm sure if it wasn't for email blasts like this one, most people in the radio business would not even read your opinions.

We use TuneIn Radio to carry our stream on mobile phones and it works great. If you want a digital walkman, go buy one.... at least on that you will find AM radio too!
I know this isn't the feedback your are looking for, but many folks on the AM side feel the same way I do.
Maybe you are the one that needs to "get with the program"!!

[Greg]

"I'm a big supporter of streaming, and I think every radio station should be doing it."

But, you're no fan of HD Radio. You can bet that there will be no Congressional mandate for FM/HD chipsets in cell phones. Since many of the NAB Board Members are investors in iBiquity, this is all a ruse to get HD Radio mandated onto cell phones. Ever see anyone listening to FM on their cell phones? LOL!

[Eric Rhoads]

Commissioned song?

[Ted Jenne]

Why apologize to AM "people?"

Rather, than wish...why didn't you include AM in your commissioned song, too?

It sure would make it easier for us "people" to get with the program.

-T