 RAIN 7/21: Public radio releases new iPhone app; analysts vary wildly on predicted impact ·Jul 21, 11:35 AM NEW PUBLIC RADIO PLAYER IMPROVES CONNECTIONS, ADDS ON-DEMAND ACCESSThe iPhone application public radio listeners use to tune in to their favorite stations got a major facelift this week, with yesterday’s release of the new Public Radio Player. The new app improves the quality of streaming connections and reduces dropped streams. It also collects show schedules, supports podcast listening, and allows listeners to search archived and live programming by topic keywords. The free application, previously Public Radio Tuner (RAIN coverage here), was developed by Public Radio Exchange and aggregates public radio streams and podcasts from NPR, Public Interactive, American Public Media, and Public Radio International.
The 2.0 update allows users to download and listen to public radio programs like Car Talk and This American Life on-demand. It also shows what’s playing right now on each station (a feature which some say could make public radio listening “on radio obsolete,” see below). The application is currently among the top 5 most popular free music apps in Apple’s App Store. For more, check out Read Write Web’s coverage here. APP WILL “SAVE” PUBLIC RADIO, OR MAKE IT “OBSOLETE” (DEPENDING ON WHO YOU READ)These updates to the Public Radio Player — primarily the preview of what’s playing on each stream — make it easier than ever to find programs and content you enjoy on stations across the country, points out Rafat Ali of PaidContent.org. This is a double-edged sword however: “If a large number of iPhone app users are not necessarily listening in to the local station,” he writes (here), “then loyalties start to shift, or even fade away, which in turn affects donations to the local stations.”
Jake Shapiro, founder of Public Radio Exchange which developed the Public Radio Player, disagrees. He points to data that shows that listeners stay loyal to their local stations. Additionally, he revealed (at Read Write Web here) that a system is in development that would allow Public Radio Player listeners to make donations to the stations they listen to the most — not just local stations. Ars Technica sees the on-demand feature in the update (pictured left) as the game-changer, however. Though listening to radio programs on demand or on mobile devices isn’t new, the Public Radio Tuner makes it “dead simple to find shows.” They allude (here) to on-demand being the future for radio and that public radio — which relies on donations and sponsorships — is in a better position to take advantage of listening away from the AM/FM than broadcast radio — which still relies on advertisers and Arbitron ratings. “As consumers become increasingly accustomed to an on-demand world, radio is going to have to figure out a way to change with the times.” BOSTON GLOBE: YOUNG MUSIC FANS TUNING OUT BROADCAST RADIOChet Mohr of Somerville, a fan of local bands and labels, isn’t finding what he wants to listen to on broadcast radio. Neither is 16-year-old Sam Davies, who “almost never” listens to broadcast radio, instead choosing Pandora and other Internet sites. The Boston Globe points to these two (here), and others like them, as representative of a movement away from broadcast radio to new media alternatives. One of the reasons for this migration may be the accelerating trend of flipping music radio stations to talk-based formats (like Boston’s WBCN, which flipped to a sports-talk station last week; RAIN coverage here). Industry observers say there’s still hope for broadcast radio and aren’t as quick to write off the medium, but Kristopher Arcand, 24, finds that Last.fm “makes up for anything lost by tuning out commercial radio.”
FLYCAST 2.0 ON BLACKBERRY OFFERS MUSIC CACHINGFlyCast has updated its Blackberry application to version 2.0, an update that includes the ability to cache a music stream. This feature allows a user to store a stream when connected to a network, then listen later even if no Internet connection is available. Other updates include track-based cover flow, in-app music purchasing and Twitter integration. While the application is free, it costs $9.95 to cache a stream for five hours and $19.95 for 20 hours. For more, check out FlyCast’s press release here.
CORRECTIONIn yesterday’s RAIN e-mail, we neglected to point out that the combined AQH from local New York radio streams would reach the #2 spot only in the 25-54 age demographic. We apologize for this omission. — MSshare: 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 |
