teleguy
Enthusiast
Apr 19, 2005, 1:41 AM
Post #1 of 1
(1586 views)
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Nokia, the largest maker of cell phones in the world, has got that hometown feeling. Local radio content may soon be streaming to your cell phone, in addition to the specialized streaming audio services many carriers including Sprint, Cingular and Verizon have now.
Some Nokia phones, even low end ones like the 6225 have had an FM tuner on board previously. The difference here is that using the data channel to deliver the audio also enables the additional info (song title, artist, etc)and commercial pushes for premium services (ringers and concerts) to be delivered to the screen, enhancing radio in a way that has been dreamed about for years. Internet radio has done this on the PC for several years, and now here it comes to your phone.
AM radio which has had a huge resurgence in the past few years due to talk radio, had left it's FM cousin in the dust.
What do you think about this? Will this be a way to save struggling FM providers in local areas, or a first step toward their eventual integration into wireless companies?
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Radio operator teams with HP for U.S. wireless music service
By Colin Gibbs
Apr 18, 2005
Radio operator Infinity Broadcasting will team with HP to offer an interactive music broadcast for U.S. wireless users.
The service, called Visual Radio, will deliver local FM radio and text and graphic information including song titles, artists and concert dates to mobile phones. Subscribers could also use the service to buy tickets, ringtones and other content.
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Nokia is building phones to support the application, which it developed. Visual Radio was first deployed in European markets last year, with content being provided by radio station operators including Virgin Radio in the United Kingdom and the Finnish Kiss FM.
HP is offering the service to both broadcasters and mobile operators, although it has yet to reach a deal with a carrier.
"Mobile phones are the most widely used portable device, and we're thrilled to be leading the Visual Radio effort in the United States in concert with HP and Nokia," said Joel Hollander, chairman and chief executive officer of Infinity.
The announcement is the latest in a rush to bring streaming music services to wireless users. Last week, Clear Channel announced plans to deliver mobile broadcasts by the end of the year, and startup MSpot launched 13 channels of FM-quality streaming music and talk on Sprint PCS earlier this month.
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