Microsoft's Zune partnering with radio

It takes a big company like Microsoft to bring together some of the heaviest hitters in the radio biz. And it's all for a little device called a Zune. In case you've never heard of it, it's a media player like an iPod, with WiFi and an FM tuner. The really cool thing is that the FM tuner has RDS support. RDS is the technology that allows listeners to view text information about what they're hearing, usually song title and artist. One needs a specially equipped radio...like a Zune.

But, within the next week or so, a lot of stations are going to use RDS to send a code that will be recognized by a Zune. In addition to title and artist info, the listener will be able to download the song they're listening to via WiFi. Microsoft will charge for individual tracks or charge a monthly flat fee for unlimited downloads. The feature is called "Buy from FM."

You may be thinking that you heard about this months ago. With Apple right? Well, yes and no. The Apple thing is tied into HD Radio. The Microsoft thing will work with good old fashioned analog radio.

Microsoft commissioned a study which found that 61% of people find out about new music from the radio. With this new tech, radio will act as a sales showcase for music. In return, people will be driven to radio as Microsoft touts its cool new Zune feature. And, man, wouldn't it be great if they could stick a PPM in that thing, too?

I've had an iPod Touch for about 3 months now, and really love it. Before I got it, I really wanted a Zune from Microsoft. The idea of having built-in WiFi was pretty appealing to me, as was the built-in FM tuner with RDS support. To me, including a tuner with a media player creates so much more value. OK, yeah, this is coming from a radio guy. But, before I ever had my first radio job, I remember in the late '80s insisting that my Walkman be a model that had and AM/FM radio built in. Not only do you get the music that you've selected to bring with you, but you get the additional music and entertainment provided by radio.

But, I managed to earn a Touch from one of those "Free iPod!" sites. And even though I've never used a Zune, I imagine that that my Touch is a better device for me.

Still, though, I've continued to wonder if the grass were greener on the Zune side of the fence. This new partnership between one of the most influential companies in the world and the radio industry makes me wonder all the more.

There are a few things that ought to happen next. Radio needs to help Microsoft get Zunes into the hands of its listeners. Zunes only account for 3 or 4% of the MP3 market. The iPod has about 72%! Microsoft needs to start sending out some freebies for listeners to win and jocks to own (...ahem...).

Then how about radio doing some features or specialty programming that would tie in with this? A new music showcase, or deep-cuts from the archives. A periodic "New Song of the Week" or "Deep Cut of the Day" could be tied into a contest where listeners keep track of the songs, qualifying them to win a Zune and some download credits.

All in all, this is a very cool bit of tech that I hope will move beyond the fairly small Zune user base.

HD Radio Deal: $2.49 AR!

Wow. I've been seeing some amazing deals on HD Radios lately. The key is to apply a $50 rebate. Fry's brick & mortar locations supposedly have the VRHDUA100 HD for $2.49 after rebate. There's a discussion about the deal here: http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=916516

In other news, apparently there's an HDRadioReview.com?! Yeah. They review the radio here: http://www.hdradioreview.com/html/vr3_vrhdua100_hd_radio_adapter.html (CORRECTION: That review is not for the Fry's radio.)

HDRadioReview.com is registered to Domain Privacy Group. I can't help but wonder if the HD Alliance is the author of those reviews...

Nah.

Radio Heard Here

The radio biz has a new marketing campaign called "Radio Heard Here." Here's a print ad from the campaign.


I'm not sure what that's supposed to be telling people about radio. I think that's actually a picture of every night jock's fantasy.

I found that pic on the campaign's website. There are a few other pics and a couple of "viral" videos. I don't think you can simply create a video and call it viral. To be viral it actually has to be spread around by some people.

So, here, let me do some spreading! Honestly, the video is pretty good. But, why the hell is it in Quicktime format?! Flash, people. Do these in flash. Make them embeddable. That's how a video becomes viral.

I hope the campaign does some good, but I'm not so sure.

Digital Radio in the United Kingdom

The radio industry in the United States continues to hope that HD Radio will keep people from adopting satellite radio. The radio listeners in the United States continue to ignore HD Radio for the most part.

A while back, Wired.com ran a story about the current state of that technology. According to the article, HD Radio receivers have sold in the low hundred thousands compared to 4.7 million digital radio receivers in the United Kingdom since 1999. That's around an average of 670,000 units per year!

To be fair, there are two entirely different situations at play and the differences are what is making the UK version so hot.

In the UK, the digital radio standard is called Digital Audio Broadcasting, or DAB. Consumers call it Digital Radio. I won't get into the technical differences between HD Radio and DAB, but the two technologies deliver similar results to the listener.

Stations utilizing DAB send compressed digital signals using the same bandwidth that they use for their analog signals. This results in sharper audio for one thing. It also allows for more audio streams. So, like US HD Radio stations do, UK listeners get more stations to listen to.

The key to the technology's success lies in the fact that the BBC partnered with manufacturers to develop the standard and implement the infrastructure. So, it's no surprise that the BBC threw it's considerable weight behind DAB and wholeheartedly supports it.

The BBC, which was an early adopter, offers several digital-only stations in their "multiplex."

There's Five Live Sports Extra which offers play-by-play coverage of cricket, soccer, swimming(!), etc. They also offer 1Xtra which plays "The Best in New Black Music," or more specifically "...the latest in hip hop , RnB, garage, drum & bass and dancehall as well as other styles like house, gospel and soca." I kind of like the choice to use the word "extra" when referring to what HD Radio calls "side channels." It sounds like the consumer is getting more for their money than just something on the side.

With such rich content, it's no surprise that UK consumers have embraced DAB. Right now the BBC is using that content to help usher in the age of digital television by making their digital-only stations available over their digital TV signals.

So far, DAB seems pretty similar to HD Radio. However, DAB offers much more functionality to the listener. Digital Radios come with a small screen that can receive text along with the audio, like the one pictured to the right from Sharp. UK broadcasters are sending lots of information this way including song titles and artists, sports scores, web addresses and other information related to the specific program. Newer radios can even display a program guide.

Speaking of newer radios, the latest DAB breakthrough is the ability to pause, rewind and record live radio. I kid you not. It's like having TiVo for the radio, only it's not a separate device. It's built right into the radio and it's already been activated the minute you turn on your new radio. The model pictured below has a giant orange pause button on the top. Radios with the pause/rewind feature start at around $200 which is what an HD Radio receiver costs. Same price. More functionality. Amazing.

I would think that HD Radio will catch up with DAB at some point. The aforementioned Wired article indicates that text and data via HD Radio is in the works. But, don't we all have at least one device that can receive data? Like a wireless phone? It would be a nice extra for HD Radio receivers, but it's not going to sell radios.

Pause/rewind is the killer app for HD Radio. It would sell radios like nothing else currently can. I'm guessing that the RIAA would put up a strenuous fight over copyright protection if this feature were ever considered, so we may never see that feature in the US.

They're Spending How Much to Promote HD?!

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. Maybe I'll do both.

I'm still in the shock stage after finding out that the HD Radio Alliance is spending $200 million on a new marketing campaign.

Whoa! Are you OK? Let me help you up. I know! I fell on the floor, too, when I read that.

I can't make a living wage in this business, but the broadcasters who make up the Alliance can cough up 200 mill for this? I thought HD was still mainly in the experimental stage. Does this mean they think HD is ready for prime time?! Mel Karmazin must be laughing his ass off.

The theme of the new campaign is "HD Radio: Discover It!"


I see the word "Discover" in orange and black, and all I can think about is the bankruptcy I had to file to keep Discover Card from garnishing my wages.


Hey HD Alliance! I'm interested in HD Radio, and you're interested in HD Radio...because we're both in radio! Everybody else? Couldn't care less. And given the current HD2 choices, they're still not going to care. "Ooooo. You mean I can hear an all-80's format with this $300 HD receiver? Gosh! You just can't hear that kind of format on Sirius...or XM...or that music service from the cable company...or my iPod.

If the only "HD Only" content is the same stuff you can find elsewhere, then where's the compulsion? To drive people to HD, radio has to offer unique content. Each station must identify the most popular part of the station and then offer more of it on HD2. If a station has the number 1 local morning show in the market, then offer some bonus content, or even rerun the whole show later in the day.

I just can't imagine even early adopters let alone average consumers buying into this when the same thing is available from other sources. Granted, the content is free once you pay through the nose for the receiver. But anybody who has $300 to spend on a new HD radio, probably wouldn't balk at paying $13 a month for satellite.

The Alliance should be spending $200 million on figuring out what to put on the side channels.