BMW ADDING WIRELESS, IN-DASH INTERNET BMW’s ConnectDrive is an in-dash Internet browser and wireless Internet service available on select new models in Europe — a feature they plan to export. Mark Ramsey at Hear 2.0 points to a CNet video report on the system here. It’s 3G technology now, but BMW plans to use a newer wireless platform for the next iteration (not WiFi or WiMax though). Sounds like a great way for the discriminating BMW driver to get Internet radio, but apparently ConnectDrive won’t work while the car is in motion. Read Ramsey in Hear 2.0 here.

XM OFFERS “ONLINE ONLY” SUBSCRIPTIONS CBS Radio’s deal with AOL Radio, which we reported Friday, will put an end to the online radio partnership between AOL and XM. Now, XM is launching its own online subscription service called XM Radio Online. The subscription service is separate from the satellite service (though satellite subscribers can listen free online), and offers access to XM’s 80 channels of commercial-free music (plus Opie & Anthony, Oprah, etc.) for $7.99/month (with the first six months at $2.99/month). Competitor Sirius has had a subscription online radio service for some time. XM also has limited content deals with AT&T and Alltell wireless, iTunes (for podcasts), and some GPS services. 20 of XM’s channels are available on AOL Radio, but that will end May 1. The Washington Post wrote that Seven of the top 10 radio channels on AOL Radio on Friday were XM stations.

FICKLE REFERRAL SITES ARE PITFALLS Putting all of your traffic eggs in one basket is a risky play, and webcasters who rely on search or referral traffic could be dangling their livelihood dangerously close to disaster. The problem, according to Digitally Imported Radio founder Ari Shohat’s blog, is that referral services like iTunes and Windows Media Radio Guide, like Google, can make decisions about ranking and visibility that seem random and arbitrary to observers, and can be terribly difficult to set right. Also, Shohat points out how some stations are “gaming” the WMRG by using naming conventions that rocket them to the top of a decimal-filled list of stations (see RAIN Analysis below ratings story here.) Read Ari’s full post here.

THIS “INTERNET” THING ISN’T GOING AWAY The RAB has posted ad sales advice for radio veterans who might still be uncommitted to chasing online revenues. Their perspective on radio ad sales online is simple: the time for testing the waters is through. The blog post encourages radio types to see the Web not as competition, but as an ally (good advice that unfortunately appears often ignored). Education, creativity, and enthusiasm are prerequisites for any online ad venture to succeed, and radio’s online presence is no different. The medium has several often-mentioned benefits, but the RAB post doesn’t mince words in spelling them out: direct response, interactivity, tracking, immediacy, and flexibility. Radio analyst Mel Phillips’ blog sums up the RAB post nicely: “By combining radio advertising with traditional promotions and a dynamic online presence, you can deliver impressive results to your clients in virtually no time at all…” Read the whole RAB blog post here.

RUMORS SWIRL ABOUT BEATLES ON ITUNES Several sources are reporting that Apple and the Beatles are about to announce a $400 million deal that would finally make Beatles recordings available online in the iTunes store — but official sources are downplaying the news as “speculation.” Moreover, some observers note that it wouldn’t make much sense for Paul McCartney to score such a huge payday as his divorce is being settled. Stay tuned…

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