Nos estamos quedando atras????

PERHAPS THE CURRENT RADIO MODEL IS OUTDATED

by Ed Ryan

Pandora founder Tim Westergren strolled into the RAIN conference yesterday and could have easily been mistaken for any college kid looking for a Starbucks to plop down his backpack, flip open his MacBook and slide in his earbuds. Instead the former musician who couldn't get his songs played on the radio has developed a plan to make sure all performers have a place to be heard and get compensated for it. Westegren also had a quietly delivered message that landed like a hammer aimed at the people who will walk the floors of the Hyatt Hotel in Chicago today. That message; your advertisers are starting to drift our way and we plan to keep them. He makes a good argument. And he makes it with an air of confidence absent cockiness.

It does make you wonder. Well it should make you wonder. Westergren says "there is no doubt the future of radio is Internet radio." And, this time he gave some very specific details on how Pandora is having success taking revenue from radio. Westergren - who spends a lot of his time hosting town hall meetings with listeners - says "advertisers are flocking to this space and Pandora is experiencing a growing demand from them." He touted success from a car dealer in Dallas, Whole Foods in San Francisco and the hospitality category. Westergren said "we have visibility on the advertiser side and we are seeing a shift of money from broadcast to the Internet.

The question that remains is whether or not Pandora can bring in enough advertiser revenue to pay the bills and satisfy shareholders over time. What is that hourly spot load count that will turn listeners off? It's clear Westergren believes Pandora will grow and prospe. "We run over 500 simultaneous campaigns which allow us to target. Advertisers recognize this is a good place to spend money. There is a growing demand from local advertisers. He added traditional radio "is approximate and will not survive in an age of data. Accuracy is in demand." Westergren says Internet radio is drawing ad dollars because it offers site, sound, motion and data.

Maybe, just maybe, Clear Channel's John Hogan has it backwards. Maybe Pandora is much more than a playlist on shuffle. Maybe it is a viable business model that offers consumers a radio experience they love without unbearable interruption. Maybe it offers advertisers geo-targeted ads using site, sound and motion but more importantly provides them with accurate and specific user numbers not AQH, rating and share projections.

feedback edryan@radioink.com or leave comments below.

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(9/14/2011 6:19:28 AM) The Radio Industy Executive's Perspective: "Maybe it offers advertisers geo-targeted ads using site, sound and motion but more importantly provides them with accurate and specific user numbers not AQH, rating and share projections." The Internet Radio Executive's Perspective: "It offers advertisers geo-targeted ads using site, sound and motion but more importantly provides them with accurate and specific user numbers not AQH, rating and share projections." There is a difference!

- anonymous

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Pa Santo Domingo con 305 Broadcast

A pesar del huracán Irene, que había azotado La Española una semana antes, más de 40 ingenieros de difusión llegaron al Hotel Hilton de Santo Domingo, República Dominicana, para un seminario de un día sobre broadcasting.

Santo Domingo fue la última parada en una gira de 11 naciones de los fabricantes de equipos para radiodifusión coordinada por 305 Broadcast con sede en Miami.

Las empresas participantes fueron AudioArts, Comrex, Elenos, Jampro, LBA, Orban, Radio 5, Staco Energy, Tieline, Video 5, Vorsis y Wheatstone.

En la foto se ve a Miguel Rivera, de Staco Energy, explicando el uso de los productos de Staco para protección de energía. Foto de John Bissett, de Tieline Technology.

Ponga atención a las Distorciones

Mientras se dirige hacia un sitio de transmisión de AM, esté atento a nuevas construcciones, en especial torres y monopolos de celulares, que puedan distorsionar el patrón de cobertura de las señales. La detección temprana es el mejor plan de acción.

La construcción de nuevas torres no suele afectar los sitios de transmisión de FM, a menos que estas torres o nuevas antenas se instalen dentro de la apertura de la antena de FM (vea la Figura 1).

Si alquila un espacio para la torre de su FM, mire periódicamente la antena de FM con binoculares, telescopio o cámara con un lente de telefoto. Debe asegurarse de que ninguna otra antena invada "su" espacio.

Broadcasters welcome Copps-remarks on mobile FM chips

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps has been in Washington long enough to have first-hand experience with civic emergencies both natural and man-made. His comments at an FCC webinar/workshop on network reliability calling for a serious look at the placement of FM chips in cell phones to keep citizens connected when phone service is swamped to uselessness was music to radio broadcasters’ ears.

Copps said, “While it may be somewhat beyond the scope of today's meeting, I'd raise just one example. I think the time is here for a thorough, calm and reasoned discussion about FM chips in handsets. We all acknowledge the need for redundancy in communications—especially emergency communications—and last week, during the earthquake, a lot of folks were only able to get information through radio broadcasts when the phone networks got congested. What are the pros and cons of an FM chip? To what extent have other countries had experience with this? There will be a lot of questions to answer, but with the stakes so high, we should be open to discussing any and all reasonable ideas. And we must understand the sense of urgency that this requires, given the passing of a decade between 9/11 and now. Public safety has waited too long. Citizens have waited too long.”

NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith was quick to applaud Copps’ remarks and to second them. "NAB welcomes Commissioner Copps' timely call for a discussion on the merits of radio-enabled smartphones,” said Smith. “With the 9/11 anniversary looming, it’s notable that broadcasting remains the unchallenged leader in delivering emergency information to the masses faster and more reliably than any other communications platform. While cellphone signals jammed and power was down during Hurricane Irene and the recent East Coast earthquake, it was the robust ‘one-to-many’ transmission architecture of local broadcasting that kept listeners and viewers in touch and informed.”

Smith concluded, "Radio chips in cellphones require no additional spectrum and could be activated immediately in many devices. From a public safety perspective alone, it's time to give citizens access to lifeline information provided by America's hometown radio stations."

RBR-TVBR observation: We can keep this one very simple: Somewhere, Jeff Smulyan is smiling…

Have an opinion on this article? Post your comment below.

Más fiscalización a los anuncios tipo billboard

Uno de los principales problemas que había con los anuncios tipo 'billboard' en Puerto Rico era que no existía un inventario de ellos, según admitió ayer la inspectora Jennifer Mayo, de la Oficina del Inspector General de Permisos (OIGPE), quien el mismo lunes ordenó la realización de uno.

Ya ese proceso se efectúa con las prolíficas antenas de telefonía celular, por lo que los 131 permisos otorgados desde el pasado 1 de diciembre, cuando su oficina y la Oficina General de Permisos (OGPE) comenzaron a operar, serán auditados activamente, con más facilidad que las 141 querellas heredadas de la extinta Administración de Reglamentos y Permisos (ARPE).

"Hemos notado que muchas veces (en ARPE) se emitían los permisos sin contar con los requisitos", sostuvo la licenciada Mayo. "Una de las violaciones principales es que la distancia entre anuncios era menos de la mínima (500 pies), y ARPE había emitido el permiso, lo cual es contrario a la ley y al reglamento".

Esta explicó que por virtud de la Ley 161 del 1 de diciembre de 2009, la OGPE es ahora el organismo encargado de emitir los permisos en Puerto Rico, mientras que la parte de fiscalización y cumplimiento le corresponde a la OIGPE.

Y para esa misión, Mayo dijo contar con un 'task force' dedicado sólo a las antenas y a los 'billboards'. Ese equipo está compuesto por los más veteranos inspectores y auditores transferidos de lo que fue ARPE y de la Junta de Planificación (JP), aunque no reveló la cantidad de integrantes. "Le estamos dando muchísima prioridad", afirmó.

Explicó que la OIGPE tiene varios mecanismos fiscalizadores que pueden incluir solicitarle al propietario que explique por qué no se le debe sancionar; obligarlo a subsanar el error y hasta emitir multas.

El área de fiscalización al profesional que certifica esas obras es una que se reforzará, sostuvo Mayo. De hecho, contó del caso de una persona que fue referida al Departamento de Justicia debido a que fingía ser ingeniero a pesar de que tenía la licencia vencida hacía muchos años.

Igual se trabaja con casos como, por ejemplo, los de ingenieros que han certificado mal y de los que lo han hecho con la licencia vencida.

Dijo que en cuanto al registro de antenas de telefonía celular ya ha recibido información de la Comisión Federal de Comunicaciones (FCC), de la Junta Reglamentadora de Telecomunicaciones (JRT) y de la JP, mientras que de la de 'billboards' espera tenerla toda recopilada en alrededor de un mes y espera poder desglosarla según el tipo de anuncio que sea cada uno: si es fijo, si es cambiante o si es de pantalla LED.

Según Mayo, la idea es hacerla disponible al público tan pronto la lista esté completa.

Por lo pronto exhortó al público que tenga querellas por hacer contra 'billboards' o antenas a pasar por las oficinas centrales en el Centro Minillas de Santurce, así como por las oficinas regionales de la agencia a través de la Isla.

Sin embargo, alertó que en los casos de municipios autónomos (como lo son San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo y Bayamón) las querellas tienen que ser radicadas a nivel municipal y luego el municipio las eleva y las pasa a la OIGPE.

Desde diciembre sólo se han registrado tres querellas, una de ellas por un residente de Isla Verde quien, según mayo, alega sentirse incómodo por la intensidad de la luz de uno de estos anuncios hacia su residencia.

Toyota incluirá HD Radio en modelos del 2012

Toyota said it will offer HD Radio technology with iTunes Tagging in the 2012 Camry model. The new vehicle will arrive at dealerships in October.

HD Radio is included as a factory-installed audio option on two models, the XLE and SE V6. It’s included as part of a multimedia system that includes navigation and Toyota’s new Entune Multimedia System. Camry will be one of the first Toyotas to offer Entune, which includes iheartradio, Pandora and Sirius XM.

The Entune system includes a 6.1-in. touchscreen, AM/FM CD player with MP3/WMA playback capability, six speakers, auxiliary audio jack, USB port with iPod connectivity and control, vehicle information, hands-free phone capability, phonebook access, advanced voice recognition, text-to-speech, and music streaming via Bluetooth wireless technology. A 90-day trial subscription to the “XM Select Package” is included.

Toyota says the Entune system uses the smartphone to provide a better in-vehicle experience with access to navigation, entertainment and information services. After downloading a mobile app and using a Bluetooth-capable phone with a Toyota vehicle, the user can access navigation, entertainment and navigation services, plus personalized content.

Featured apps on Toyota Entune include Bing, iheartradio, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable.com and Pandora, as well as location-based services (personalized traffic, fuel prices, stocks, weather and sports). Toyota Entune also includes support for read-back and replay capabilities for text messages.

The Entune option offers a split-screen feature that allows for simultaneous display of navigation and audio information.

Toyota is offering six model grades of the 2012 Camry and Camry Hybrid.

IBiquity Digital says19 automotive brands have announced that HD Radio technology is or will be available as a factory installed feature. They include Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Mini USA, Rolls-Royce, Scion, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.

Puerto Rico originated an EAS message

The Puerto Rican government originated an EAS message for the first time ever during the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

Previously, the commonwealth used NOAA Weather Radio to originate EAS alerts, says FEMA Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Program Manager Manny Centeno. FEMA, broadcasters and cable operators helped the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency transmit a message on Aug. 24. The hurricane hit the island on Aug., 21 and 22, leaving more than one million residents without power.

Some 78% of the 80 radio and television stations relayed the test, Centeno said, during an EAS webinar Thursday. In the capital city San Juan, the figure was higher, at 89%.

The Puerto Rican test was the most recent EAS alert approximating a national message since January. Participants were able to test several aspects of EAS — such as the timing of an alert and how to transmit one on multiple HD Radio stations — elements that will help as broadcasters prepare for the upcoming Nov. 9 national test, Centeno said.

Several states are asking FEMA’s help to conduct their own EAS tests before. Centeno said a few will be conducted, without specifying which ones or their order.

Representatives for EAS equipment manufacturers were available during the webinar to answer questions. They expect to have information on their websites soon regarding their own equipment related to the national test, such as how to drive EAS over multiple streams, for those stations transmitting an HD signal over several multicast channels, for example.

— Leslie Stimson