“Infinity Broadcasting Corp., a terrestrial radio company whose business model is being challenged by the iPod phenomenon, is borrowing a page from its rival’s playbook,” Seth Sutel reports for The Associated Press. “Next month, Infinity will convert an underperforming station in San Francisco to a format that will play only ‘podcasts,’ or amateur recordings distributed via the Internet to listeners’ iPods and other digital music players.”
Sutel reports, “Infinity, which is part of the Viacom Inc. media conglomerate that also owns CBS and MTV, announced Wednesday that it would convert its KYCY-AM station in San Francisco to the new format on May 16. Infinity said it would be the first time a radio station anywhere played an all-podcast format. Robert Unmacht, a radio consultant in Nashville who tracks radio formats, confirmed that it would be the first such station in the United States.”
Sutel reports, “Podcasts have become popular in the past several months with the booming use of Apple Computer Inc.’s iPods and other portable digital listening devices. Podcasts are essentially audio files that people make on their own and then upload to Internet sites. Listeners can then copy them to their devices and play them whenever they want… Joel Hollander, the CEO of Infinity, said the station, which would be promoted under the name KYOURADIO, would run material submitted by listeners but screened to make sure it conforms with federal broadcasting standards for decency.”
Full article here.
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