Broadcasters Want Apple To Add FM To The iPod, Turn It Into A Zune
Apr 13th, 2009 | By James Lewin | Category: Audio Podcasting, Featured Story, iPhone, iPods & Portable Media Players 
The President of the National Association Of Broadcasters has asked Apple to change the design of iPods to incorporate an FM receiver.
According to a report in Radioink:
NAB President/CEO David Rehr has written to Apple COO Timothy Cook to urge the electronics maker, “as a recognized leader in both the mobile phone and portable music player arenas,” to begin including FM radio capability in iPhones and iPods.
“With Apple as our partner, I am confident that we will be successful in convincing the U.S. mobile network carriers and their customers that FM radio is an indispensable feature for their mobile phones. Also, the radio industry would enthusiastically provide significant public promotion of FM-enabled Apple iPhones and iPods.”
That’s exactly what everybody has been asking for – for Apple to make the iPod more like the Zune, which features an FM receiver.
Does it seem to you like Rehr’s grabbing at straws to protect an industry that no longer has a monopoly on your ears?
Image: andyi
When I last checked, about two-thirds of the FM (and AM!) stations in my home city (Portland, Oregon) could be picked up with either the AOL Radio app or the Wunder Radio app, and often in higher fidelity than I can get on my car’s radio, and anywhere *in the world* that I can get either a 3G or WiFi signal. Why do I need a tuner on my iPhone again?
Actually, what I think is happening is that the radio execs have been told by SOMEONE that the new iPhone will have an FM transmitter built in. If it transmits, it might possibly receive. If it in fact does, then they will look like heroes and they convinced Apple to do something. It’s a gamble that costs them nothing but could garner press.
I think it’s along shot and they’re grasping at straws, but we’ll see.
And for the record, I kinda want a Zune HD, but I’m an all Mac house, so it’s not likely.
Seems like a logical add-on to me. iheartradio and other apps are great — but they don’t give me every station out there. Get a receiver built-in and I’ll be able to listen to a radio station, and then tag the song for purchase through iTunes. While I agree that the Zune sucks, it doesn’t suck because it incorporates radio. That’s actually one of it’s better features.
Anything that isn’t connected to the internet has a long way to go, and then just runs out of gas.
I’d rather get an iPodTouch or an iPhone and screw their outdated “You Gotta Be Listening When We Say So” business model.
Its not the technology, its the content and the content (and the selection of content,) just isn’t there.
Radio doesn’t cut it anymore for a lot of reasons.
Imagine you’re a business, stuck advertising on their radio station, where you’re fighting to get heard, and then you have to fight to make a dollar.
Now imagine you’re a business advertising on a web site where you can engage a potential customer in a long dialogue to convince the person that your store is the best place to buy and you’re ready to take down the order, right there and then.
Now tell me again why anybody needs to buy ads of a radio?
And lije I said: content is king.
I listen to the Adam Carolla podcast when and where I want to.
Let that be a lesson to the idiot station managers who think that I’ll listen to whoever they feel like putting up there, because they can squeeze more money out of that format (so they fired Adam Carolla just like that.)
Screw that
I decide.
My ears, my time and my money.
I decide.
You don’t like it… TOUGH!
I love the line “with apple as our partner…” are you kidding? Partner….you are not even asked to the same parties so don’t call them your date. Why should apple care? What can you offer them? The radio? If people wanted that they wouldn’t have bought an ipod or MP3 player. NO CLUE!
Until about three weeks ago I was almost exclusively a stay-at-home mom. ,
Wish you successPeople have to understand that interviewers have heard pretty much every possible answer to their questions. ,