Radios in Cell Phones: Bring It On
The radio industry is looking for any way to curb the impact the Performance Rights Act is going to have on their business. They can smell the writing on the wall (smell?). So in an effort to stem the bleeding, the radio industry is trying to make it mandatory for cell phone manufacturers to build FM radio chips into their phones.
That’s right, cell phone makers will be forced by congress to put radios in their phones. Stupid? You bet.
I say bring it on.
The problem today with radio isn’t that there aren’t enough radios. The problem is the programming. You can swing a dead iriver mp3 player without hitting a radio. They are everywhere, to the point that you can’t escape them. The technology isn’t the problem. No one wants to listen to the radio because there is so little worth listening to.
And thank you, radio industry, for demanding FM radio chips. All you will do is devalue the AM stations you already own. Which you are already doing by some of your other moves (http://www.podcastunite.com/2010/07/clear-channel-wants-more-stations/). And when AM stations are being sold for a dime a dozen, I have some ideas of where you can find fresh programming.