 RAIN 8/5: New Sirius 2.0 platform to include "Pandora-like" personalization by early 2012 ·Aug 5, 10:37 AM CNET: NEW 2.0 SERVICE IS SAT BROADCASTER’S “ANSWER TO INTERNET RADIO PRODUCTS”Satellite radio broadcaster Sirius XM will roll-out Pandora-like personalization features in early 2012 as part of their new Android-powered 2.0 service.The service — what CNet calls Sirius XM’s As Sirius XM 2.0 will run on the Android platform and “employs Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Internet” connectivity, new hardware will be required. Two new radios will arrive later this year, reportedly in time for holiday shopping. The personalizable 2.0 service will be available in certain 2013 model cars. CNet has more coverage here. Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin offered hints about the 2.0 service back in November 2010 (RAIN coverage here). Clear Channel also hopes to compete with customizable web radio services by adding Pandora-like features to its iHeartRadio platform (more coverage here). INTERNET RADIO AWARDS ENTRY DEADLINE THIS SUNDAYIf you haven’t yet submitted your station or webcast service in the “RAIN Internet Radio Awards“:http://kurthanson.com/awards/, please make this your weekend priority. Sunday night at 11:59pm CDT, we’ll stop taking entries, and the field will be set!
We want to help you show off what you’ve achieved! Nominate your service in any of four categories: Best Single-Stream Webcaster (won last year by HardRadio.com), Best Overall Digital Strategy, (won in 2010 by CBS Radio), Best Streaming Broadcaster (which went to 1500 ESPN/Twin Cities last year), and Best Overall Online Radio Service (taken by Pandora in 2010). It’s quick and easy, and all the details are here. An panel of independent experts will judge the entries and select the winners, who’ll be awarded September 13 at RAIN Summit Chicago (for which we hope you also register!). Good luck! SALEM INTERNET REVENUE UP 61% TO OVER $7mSalem’s Internet division revenue increased 61% this quarter to reach $7.6 million, according to Tom Taylor’s Radio-Info newsletter.
Taylor reports that part of that revenue is due to acquisitions of three web properties (WorshipHouse Media, Hot Air Media and GodTube). Salem CEO Ed Atsinger expects digital to become 20% to 25% of Salem’s total revenue and help bolster the company’s overall growth in the rough economy. Read more from Tom Taylor here. FORD LOWERS PRICE OF NET RADIO-STREAMING DASHBOARD SYSTEM Hoping to get the Internet radio-friendly dashboard system into more new cars, Ford has lowered the price of its Sync platform by $100 (from $395 to $295) and has made it a standard option on more models. Engadget reports (here) that the carmaker hopes to “roll out the system across its entire lineup in three years time.”
For more on Sync, find RAIN‘s in-car Internet radio round-up here. EX-GOOGLE ENGINEER LAUNCHES TURNTABLE.FM CLONEA new service by the name of Rolling.fm, created by former Google senior software engineer Tim Zhou’s social media advertising startup Tenka.com, is a near copy of social Net radio service Turntable.fm.
Eliot Van Buskirk notes at Evolver.fm that besides some visual tweaks, the biggest difference between Rolling and Turntable is the type of music being played in rooms. “Who knows — we could be just about to witness an explosion of group listening services, each with its own twist on the Turntable.fm concept that will appeal to a different demographic,” he writes (here). share: del.icio.us.  Reddit  Digg  Yahoo  Wink  Windows  Google  Newsvine 
CommentCommenting is closed for this article.  Other stories RAIN has upgraded (and moved)! RAIN 9/13: RAIN Summit Chicago takes place today! RAIN 9/12: First Summit in RAIN's hometown takes place tomorrow RAIN 9/9: Summer holidays, "doldrums" impact July Webcast Metrics, but audience up over last year RAIN 9/8: Clear Channel launches new customizable iHeartRadio beta; RAIN goes hands-on RAIN 9/7: Meet more speakers you'll hear at RAIN Summit Chicago in less than a week RAIN 9/6: Clear Channel taps The Echo Nest to take on Pandora RAIN 9/2: RAIN reviews Spotify's radio-like product Artist Radio RAIN 9/1: UK online radio aggregator Radioplayer campaigns b'dcasters to create "all radio" ratings RAIN 8/31: Execs from Merlin, Triton Digital, jacAPPS and more to appear at RAIN Summit Chicago |
“answer to Internet radio products” — will also include on-demand functionality, 
