J.P. Hannan

CBS/AOL Partnership: Great News for Internet Radio

Mark, thanks for your note. I still think this is a profound event for internet radio, particularly when you factor in the widgets that enable such ease of use of this player on mobile applications. You are right, most of these CBS channels are already available on the station websites (as I also touched on), but having one platform for all of these stations as well as many more certainly makes it easier for the end user, particularly if your not familiar with the call letters or formats of the terrestrial stations.

What I find most interesting in this deal is the willingness of CBS to work with AOL as opposed to purely going alone. These are not generally traits you see in a radio industry that has a tendency to be isolationist from outside industries- especially the tech world.

Your point about homogenization of media is well taken, though that is a much bigger issue to be discussed.

CBS/AOL Partnership: Great News for Internet Radio

As a follow-up to this article, just wanted to let readers know the new service launched this week. I recommend everyone check it out at aol.com

The Evolution of Terrestrial Radio

NTGH, thanks for the compliment. After 15 years in broadcasting- working "in the trenches" as a partner in 7 station turnarounds, working for the 15th largest radio company, and sitting on two broadcasting boards, I feel pretty comfortable with my credentials in the space.

I enjoy spirited discussions on the subject and have a thick skin. Hearing from the critics forces me to sharpen my positions, and frankly makes me better at what I do.

No one has the answer, but everyone has good ideas.

The Evolution of Terrestrial Radio

Excellent points guys, but i am in no way advocating syndicated fare as the future. I said for companies not able to develop and own their own local content, syndication would be crucial in the future because they will never be able to compete purely on music choice.

As for CCU, I always find it interesting that the industry gets painted with that one very wide brush. There are a lot of good radio companies out there doing a complete 180 from the CCU model. CCU just happens to get all the attention.

Musicians Shouldn't Profit from the Sale of Social Networking Site Bebo to AOL

I'm not familar with Billy Bragg, but his comment is not entirely accurate-

"Radio stations also promote our work, but they pay us a royalty that recognizes our contribution to their business. Why should that not apply to the Internet, too?"

Music composers and the underlying music publishers do receive a royalty from the radio stations paid to ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, but performers of music and the recording industry currently do not. This is a disputed issue that is being kicked around Congress and a major point of contention between radio stations and the RIAA.

For more info, see:

seekingalpha.com/artic...

Time Warner’s Restructures Reignites Interest

Received an email from a SA reader about this great interview with Dick Parsons. Would advise anyone interested to please check it out-

www.first30days.com/ma...

The Radio and Recording Industries' Unnecessary Roughness

Great points 158984. With respect to your comment about the history of this controversy, you are right not much has been openly debated about this in the recent years which is why it was immediately dimissed by the industry as nonsense. However, this issue has its roots as far back as 1930. There are a lot of resources online that go through the legal history of the matter, and if you want please email me and I can give you a great piece compiled by an FCC Counsel that goes through it case by case.

Again, the crux of my comments were not so much aimed at who's right, who's wrong, but rather the missed opportunity of the radio industry to better its own hand by volutarily revisiting an ailing business partnership.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Radio Industry Challenges and Opportunities

Thanks for the emails I got this morning and all of the links to this over on the Yahoo message boards. Please keep the feedback coming.

The Radio and Recording Industries' Unnecessary Roughness

Special thanks to the editors at Radio-Info.com for featuring it on their site as well. Great resource for anyone wanting a deeper look into the radio biz.

Writers Strike Barely Impacts the TV Networks

Thanks for the emails I got on this one. Always welcome feedback on my articles.

The Radio and Recording Industries' Unnecessary Roughness

NTGH- Thanks for the feedback... you raise some interesting points. Please keep in touch.