[opendtv] Re: Satellite radio

At 11:29 AM -0400 9/26/07, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:

 > You may find HD radio to be compelling in a large market like D.C.,

 however, if you drive in any direction from D.C. you will need to
 frequently change stations as you move from market to market.


That's a matter of personal preference. I actually enjoy changing
stations as I travel, just as much as I enjoy watching the scenery
change. On the other hand, my wife gets annoyed when FM stations fade in
and out some. To each his own, I guess.
Yup. One of the MAJOR appeals of Satellite radio is "continuity" for people who are on the road a lot. The other major factor is to be rid of those damn commercials. And for some it is the depth of the content that is very hard to find on broadcast radio where the "playlist" still rules. 




 And, as I pointed out, Satellite radio's biggest competitor is
 the iPod, not broadcast radio.


That's your opinion. The NAB and the satellite radio companies don't
agree.
Not exactly. It's more like they don't want to talk about it and acknowledged that they have lost a huge chunk of the audience. When I drive through the U of F campus, 20 -30% of the college kids have white buds in their ears with those tell tail white cables running back to an iPod.
And those new iPods are not just delivering music to those ears. Pod Casts are growing in popularity, and now the Nano does video too.
A significantly LARGER audience has turned to iPods and MP3 players to avoid the ads and to listen to the music they want, than the number of people who have subscribed to a satellite radio service. 



IMO, the iPod competes with the old cassette players, even in cars.
Recorded music, tailored to each personal taste. Satellite radio
directly competes with AM/FM/IBOC, in that it supports live programming.
Keeps you in touch. They are two different forms of entertainment. And
some of the programs do indeed appear in both FTA radio and satellite
radio, such as NPR. On the iPod? Only as stale old podcasts.
I'm not saying that consumers make "absolute" decisions. I still listen to broadcast radio a lot when I am running around town, in large part because I DO want to hear some news and the "live" talk radio shows. But when I travel out of town, the iPod is the medium of choice, and when I am on a job site I usually bring the iPod and a pair of powered speakers.
The iPod does not compete with cassette and CD players in cars - it make them virtually obsolete. I rarely listen to complete "albums" anymore, although I can easily do this with my pods. The benefit of the iPod is that I can create playlists and listen to a mix from my entire music collection, not just a handful of CDs in a changer.
And there are some rumors floating around that future iPods may include digital radio receivers so that you can listen to live stuff. But the more interesting aspect of these rumors is that they will temporarily cache the songs you listen to and give you the ability to buy songs from the broadcasters. Apple just announced a similar service with Starbucks, where Wi-Fi equipped pods and phones will be able to buy the music playing in the coffee shop. 


 > The larger threat to FTA radio is that the content oligopoly is

 going to force them to pay ever higher fees for the music and other
 content they deliver. This is already happening. What was once a
 potent promotional tool for the music industry is now viewed as
 another distribution channel that they can milk for new revenues.


That makes a lot more sense than the NAB position. Even assuming it was
true that a satellite monopoly could force DOWN those outrageous
"talent" salaries, it's inconceivable to me that such a downward trend
would *hurt* FTA radio broadcasters. So what is the NAB complaining
about, on that subject? That's my question.
The NAB can't help itself. It is an "organism" that has evolved to protect the broadcast industry. Only in broadcast land do have this bizarre definition of competition: 
"
We compete with other broadcasters, not broadcast competitors. And we milk the broadcast competitors for every cent we can use the power of government to take from them." 

Regards
Craig


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