 RAIN 9/9: Slacker officially shifts focus to mobile apps, away from its own device ·Sep 9, 11:28 AM COMPANY SAYS IT MISJUDGED SMARTPHONE UPTAKE BY CONSUMERSConfirming what many (including RAIN) have suspected for some time, Slacker is now publicly stating it’s focusing on reaching listeners via applications for smartphones as opposed to its own dedicated Slacker device.
Slacker initially offered its mobile service via a dedicated handheld radio player (RAIN coverage here). But, as Slacker VP/Marketing Jonathan Sasse told Wired, the company didn’t expect the smartphone and app store market to take off as fast as it did. “We believed that the hardware device would buffer any gap in smartphone adoption, which it has,” Sasse said. “We’re seeing what appears to be very rapid adoption across consumers who maybe even six months ago hadn’t considered [a smartphone].” More people now tune in to Slacker through mobile devices than on desktop PCs, especially via Blackberry phones. Additionally, Wired reports that former CEO Dennis Mudd (RAIN coverage here) will remain on Slacker’s board of directors, while COO Jim Cady takes Mudd’s position. Slacker’s Sasse also addressed the possible threat that is Spotify, saying he didn’t believe it would be very popular on mobile devices. Users must subscribe and pay monthly fees to use Spotify on iPhones, Sasse said, whereas anyone can use Slacker and Internet radio for free. Read the full Wired article on Slacker here. RADIO’S INTERACTIVE LEADERS INVITED TO DIGITAL MEET UP AT NABRAIN readers who’ll be in Philadelphia for the NAB are invited to attend “The Digital Meet Up: A Toast to Radio’s Future.” It’s a social event organized to “help the radio industry find creative and powerful interactive solutions for this new digital age.” The Meet Up is organized and sponsored by Redlasso, Citadel Media, Triton Digital Media, V-Mix, Ando Media and The Broadcasters Foundation, and will be Wednesday, September 23rd from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Location details, the attendee list, and online registration are here.
JACOBS MEDIA NAB SUMMIT FEATURES NPR’S GROSS, MSNBC’S SCARBOROUGH, BRZEZINSKIJacobs Media has announced the final schedule for the Jacobs Summit @ The NAB. The highlights of the event, open to all NAB Radio Show attendees, include MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” team Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, and Fred Jacobs’ interview with NPR “Fresh Air” Host Terry Gross. Also slated are presentations from Scott Goodstein, External Online Director of Obama For America campaign and CEO of Revolution Messaging; and Mark Hughes, author of Buzzmarketing: How To Get People Talking About Your Stuff.
The Summit is on Thursday, September 24 from 1-5 pm. There’s more at the Jacobs Summit page here. “RE-MEET THE BEATLES” WITH ACCURADIO’S NEW CHANNELSIn celebration of 9/9/09 and the release of The Beatles remastered catalog, The Beatles Rock Band video game, and even the rumored possibility of a Beatles-related announcement from Apple later today, AccuRadio has launched a Beatles-dedicated channel: Beatles Plus. While the main channel concentrates on the Beatles’ entire catalog of music plus some solo hits and select covers, the service includes subchannels “Beatles and Friends” (mixing Beatles’ hits with music from their contemporaries, their influences and their musical descendants) and “Just Covers” (which features AccuRadio’s entire library of Beatles covers, from the straightforward and well-known to the obscure and wacky).
You can find AccuRadio’s Beatles channels here, and see more coverage from the Examiner.com here and The Infinite Dial 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 |
