Re: [Swprograms] Competitor to satellite radio?

[jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Yes, interesting.  But I wonder if the subscription fee includes air 
time charges, etc.?  If not, it certainly won't be cheaper...

John Figliozzi

----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Cuff <rdcuff@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2006 2:55 pm
Subject: [Swprograms] Competitor to satellite radio?

> Interesting blend of technologies...
> 
> Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA  USA
> 
> 
> 
>                                         SATELLITE WEEK
> 
>                                    January 09, 2006 Monday
> 
>        SECTION: TODAY'S NEWS
> 
>        LENGTH: 514  words
> 
>        HEADLINE: Motorola Says iRadio Service Cheaper than 
> Satellite, with More
>        Channels
> 
>        BODY:
> 
>           Motorola, making a foray into music, will offer a pay radio
> service boasting
>        more channels and a lower monthly fee than satellite, it said.
> The iRadio
>        service, unveiled with few details, will deliver more than 400
> channels of music
>        and talk radio through Bluetooth-enabled devices. That's about
> 3 times the
>        number of channels carried by XM and Sirius. IRadio will cost
> $7-$10 monthly,
>        said a spokesman for Motorola. That compares with just under
> $13 charged by the
>        2 satellite rivals. Five types of iRadio compatible phones
> were on display at
>        CES, said the official. Officials at Sirius and XM had no
> immediate comment.
> 
>           The service, to be available later this year, won't likely
> be subject to FCC
>        regulation. That's because content will be sent to devices
> including Motorola's
>        new ROKR headsets over a broadband connection, said the
> company official. A
>        cellphone will send the signal to a car radio, home stereo or
> headphones. "It's
>        much more along the lines of a portable music player and is
> not a broadcast
>        music service," said the spokesman. That tack partly mimics
> Motorola's strategy
>        of offering music on other portable devices. The company 
> has unveiled a
>        partnership with Apple to create a wireless jukebox of sorts,
> albeit with less
>        storage capacity than most iPods. Piggybacking on the success
> of music download
>        services may help iRadio sign up customers, said analysts.
> 
>           A lower price may be a prime selling point. "They're
> leading with price,"
>        said Jim Kelleher, an Argus Research analyst with a "buy"
> rating on Motorola
>        stock. "The other thing they're leading with is you can move
> the product from
>        your cell phone to your car," he said. Still, Kelleher and
> counterparts were
>        cautious about the service. "I think pay radio in general is
> an uphill battle...
>        radio by its nature is a broadcast medium that comes at you,"
> he said. "It's an
>        oar in the water to see if there is some traction here, 
> but I
> wouldn't be
>        surprised to see if it belly flopped."
> 
>           Motorola was undaunted in its quest to get more money from
> selling services.
>        "Consumers expect more choice and more portability," said the
> company spokesman.
>        "The market is ready." Wireless providers can start "working
> with us" on the
>        service, which could be available as soon as June 30, he said.
> Clear Channel
>        will provide music for 75 channels, said Jeff Littlejohn, an
> exec. vp for the
>        firm's radio business. "Some details are still in flux," he
> said. Clear Channel
>        officials declined further comment. About 30% of iRadio's
> channels will feature
>        talk formats, said the Motorola spokesman.
> 
>           Robust growth of satellite radio subscribers may signal
> success for iRadio,
>        said an analyst. Sirius and XM have almost 10 million 
> customers total.
>        "Certainly XM Radio and Sirius have shown a level of
> popularity," said Lawrence
>        Harris, an analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. with a "buy" 
> rating on
> Motorola. "There
>        are a large number of AM and FM stations... but there does
> appear to be a high
>        level of interest in different formats," said Harris: 
> "Some of the older
>        business models for not only radio but TV as well are starting
> to break down."
> 
>        LOAD-DATE: January 20, 2006
> 
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