Last.fm on HD Radio

[saint]

CBS is set to roll out over-the-air HD radio channels in the nation’s top four markets powered by the crowdsourced programming of Last.fm — apparently the first time a streaming site has morphed into a commercial radio station.

 

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/09/cbs-to-launch-lastfm-radio-stations-in-top-four-us-markets/

 

cool concept !

[SpazzRadio]

Cool concept? Not sure if I agree.

 

In my opinion, this is what is wrong with Regular (Terrestrial) Radio.

 

Basically they are turning all the stations into MP3 Players. Sounds great at first...

 

BUT, why would I want to listen to an MP3 Player that someone else loaded when I can listen to MY MP3 Player loaded with MY favorite music.

 

I understand WHY they are doing this, Advertising revenue is down and they need to cut costs. I believe they are cutting in all the wrong places though. The live talent (DJ's, hosts, etc) is the only thing that a station has that I cannot go download off the internet. This is where they should be focusing.

 

While the Last.FM feed will be a bit more eclectic then the normal pre programmed FM garbage available on MOST stations, it will still just be an MP3 player that I didn't load.

 

I can only dream the Traditional radio will continue to miss the boat and keep us internet guys growing and reaping the benefits.

[alba]

Wired reports that the popular CBS-owned music service Last.fm is launching as a radio station across the top 4 U.S. markets—specifically, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. "Listeners in those cities (who own HD Radios) will be able to tune in to the channel, to be comprised of 'an eclectic mix of music aggregated and influenced by the service's user-generated weekly charts, combined with live performances and interviews from the Last.fm studios in New York.