 RAIN 10/23: iPhone FM app could put broadcasters head-to-head with webcasters, suggests Triton's Kerr ·Oct 23, 11:37 AM KERR: CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, B’CASTERS, FM ON iPHONE COULD PIT YOU AGAINST PUREPLAYSTriton Digital Media’s VP/Strategy Jim Kerr considers the possibility that Apple may go well beyond simply adding an FM tuner to iPhones, instead creating a level playing field for broadcasters and webcasters alike. Kerr suggests in a recent Radio-Info column (here) that Apple could be developing “a unified streaming radio experience via an integrated radio app.” That is, an application which offers both FM stations and Internet radio streams on the same dial.
Such an app would blur the lines between the two media for the end user (it’s all radio audio, how it’s delivered makes little difference) and put terrestrial radio on equal footing with webcasters. RAB REACTS TO GOOGLE/MYSPACE MUSIC NEWSRAB president/CEO Jeff Haley, reacting to recent news about Google’s music venture (RAIN coverage here) and MySpace’s new focus on entertainment content (here), said radio must “defend its position as the number one source for new music…We have to embrace the opportunity for us to make it easier for people to discover music and turn it into a purchase.” A key component of that strategy for Haley (pictured right) includes adding FM chips to mobile phones. Inside Radio has more on the story here.
GM TO OFFER IN-CAR WI-FI ACCESSGM has announced in-car Wi-Fi access will soon be a dealer-installed option on all new Buick, Cadillac, GMC and Chevrolet automobiles. The routers (from Autonet) will be available starting next month (though initially only for SUVs, crossovers and trucks) for $499. Monthly access to the Internet costs $29. For more, check out Auto News’ coverage here.NEW APPS FROM RADIOTIME, CAR TALKRadioTime has launched two new mobile apps: Wunder Radio for the BlackBerry and TimeTuner for the iPhone. The latter turns your iPhone into an alarm clock radio, while the former is a Net radio aggregator already available for the iPhone. Find more at Radio Ink here.Another new iPhone app comes from NPR’s popular “Car Talk” show. The app, created by jacAPPS, costs 99 cents. Tom Taylor has more in his daily Radio-Info newsletter. Subscribe here. VW TO EXCLUSIVELY USE iPHONE TO MARKET NEW GTIForegoing expensive traditional media ad spots, Volkswagon will rely solely on the iPhone to market its new GTI. The iPhone campaign may be cheaper for VW (an estimated annual expense of $500,000 compared to their 2006 GTI TV campaign for $60 million) and has a potential to reach more consumers: 50 million people worldwide own an iPhone or iPod Touch, while even the most popular TV show (AdAge cites “NCIS” on CBS) draws upwards of 21 million viewers. The GTI will appear in Real Racing GTI, an auto racing game for the iPhone, which will be giving away 6 cars to players.
An iPhone-only marketing campaign may seem limiting, but for VW “it’s a homerun in terms of the demo overlap,” said Nihal Mehta, CEO of local-search and networking app Buzzd. Additionally, they gain PR for being the first automaker to launch such a campaign. Will such an approach find success after the novelty wears off? Read AdAge’s article for more (here), or share your impressions by commenting on today’s issue! 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 |
Kerr (pictured left) writes that this may be bad news for broadcasters, who suddenly would have to compete with the wide range of choices offered by Internet radio. “The thing that radio has been fighting for—an FM receiver on iPhones and iPods—may be the very thing that delivers what radio has been fighting against—the mass distribution and acceptance of streaming and Internet-delivered radio.”
