TARGET SPOT CEO: NET RADIO OFFERS AD ADVANTAGES SIMILAR TO SEARCH: Writing in Forbes, Target Spot CEO Doug Perlson says the future of Internet radio advertising will likely resemble the recent past of targeted search advertising. Perlson says GoTo/Overture/Yahoo! Search Marketing and Google proved that the specific, engaged audiences using search made this inventory “premium” inventory. Add to that the easy ad purchasing interface and sensible fee structure, and advertisers of all levels could finely target potential customers. Perlson maintains that Internet radio advertising — with its visual/audible elements, geo-targeting capabilities, growing audience, immediate feedback, and low cost — could very well follow the search inventory ad trajectory. Target Spot, by the way, provides an “ad platform (that) allows advertisers to easily create, buy and place advertising” on Internet radio. Read the Forbes column here.

CNET AWARDS SQUEEZEBOX DUET “EDITOR’S CHOICE”: Though it’s not quite as powerful as the Sonos Digital Music System, CNet found plenty to like about Logitech’s newest network music player, the Squeezebox Duet — and at $400 (compared to Sonos’ $600-$1k price range), far easier on the pocketbook. The system consists of a receiver base that connects to a home network (wired or Wi-Fi) and a remote “Squeezebox Controller” sporting an iPod-esque control wheel and a 2.4-inch, 240×320 resolution, 256,000 colors-LCD screen, for both navigation and displaying album artwork, artist info, and more. (Apparently, they’ve included a “three-axis accelerometer,” like in Wii controllers, but it’s unclear if it’s used yet.) The Duet can play digital files from your collection or streamed on the Internet (both webcasts and on-demand services like Rhapsody). It can’t handle DRM-locked iTunes files, however. The CNet review is here.

COX BUMPS CXRI 30%: Cox Radio President/CEO Bob Neil announced yesterday that the growing audience for his company’s online properties is behind the decision to invest an additional 30% in Cox Radio Interactive (CXRI) to build “enhanced Internet platforms” for all Cox stations. Radio Ink reported on Neil’s Q4 and full-year earnings call here. According to Neil, Cox streaming audience grew 21% in January, and Internet revenue was up 11% in the fourth quarter. Cox actually grew overall revenues 1% for the year, 1.1% for Q4.

iPHONE “OPENNESS” WILL BE CLOSED TO FLASH Two reports from Wired online give the good news with the bad: Apple is finally opening iPhone development doors, but will keep Flash-based functions out. “Four months of rumors, speculation and giddy anticipation will come to an end Thursday,” one Wired report says, “as Apple prepares to reveal how it will transform one of the most-hyped devices in tech into a full-fledged platform.” The no-Flash rule, however, will disappoint developers and users alike looking to use the iPhone as a real web browser, like the ads say. As the second report notes, “The absence of a Flash player on the iPhone means that anyone visiting your site with Apple’s mobile Safari won’t see your embedded YouTube, Vimeo and Revver content.” Developers looking to make Flash-based Internet radio players attractive to iPhone users could have just hit a wall.

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