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New York Time Blogpost by Jenna Wortham: Rediscovering Radio Through Apps

S

SaltyDog

I was in a discussion elsewhere at Radiodiscussions.com where the point was made that online streaming isn't "radio". I guess that is technically true given that the dictionary definition of radio is "The transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves of radio frequency, esp. those carrying sound messages". I still say it's a pointless distinction. Radio to me is audio entertainment no matter how it is delivered to my ears.

Now on to the New York Times blog post: I agree with one part. Removal of geographic limitations is the whole point of app listening, at least to me:

"These apps let you listen to nearly any radio station around the United States. I listen to local morning shows for their reality-show recaps, ticket giveaways and celebrity gossip; then later in the day, switch over to radio stations in California or Houston to check out what the D.J.s are throwing on in those cities to hype people up for the night out."

But this part has no meaning to me: It’s the human element that draws me in, knowing that someone is selecting songs for you. I never heard the word "curated music" applied to radio until Bob Pittman uttered it a few years back. But still, if you like it that's great.

Here's the whole post: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/05/digital-diary-rediscovering-radio-through-apps/
 
IMHO we are dealing with semantics here. If you are listening to a broadcast (OTA) radio station, regardless whether it gets to you over the 'Net or through a cell phone, you are listening to "radio".

If you are listening to a source which is not being broadcast OTA (simulcast) then no, you are not listening to "radio".
 
landtuna said:
IMHO we are dealing with semantics here. If you are listening to a broadcast (OTA) radio station, regardless whether it gets to you over the 'Net or through a cell phone, you are listening to "radio".

If you are listening to a source which is not being broadcast OTA (simulcast) then no, you are not listening to "radio".
Click to expand...

If you are listening to an audio broadcast on an "All-American Five," a Walkman, or via TuneIn on your PC or smartphone, you are listening to radio, which is broadcasting audio programming to the general public, regardless of how it is sent or received.

If you are talking on a smartphone, cordless phone, an ancient candlestick-shaped dial telephone, or a softphone on your PC via Voice-over-IP, you are talking on a telephone, which is two-way voice communications between two parties, regardless of what device one is talking on or the medium the transmissions are sent over.

If you are watching a program on a Roku box, laptop, wide-screen HDTV, or an ancient Dumont black-and-white 12" CRT from 1948, you are watching television, which is broadcasting video programming to the general public, regardless of how it is sent or received.

Old definitions of things sometimes get changed or added to as time goes by and technology advances. Remember, "sending a message" used to mean smoke signals. Then semaphore, Morse Code, and teletype were added to the definition over the centuries. After that came ASCII devices, then email, and now it includes texting via a smartphone.
 
KeithE4 said:
If you are listening to an audio broadcast on an "All-American Five," a Walkman, or via TuneIn on your PC or smartphone, you are listening to radio, which is broadcasting audio programming to the general public, regardless of how it is sent or received.
Click to expand...

"Broadcast" means one-to-many and is not the technology of the Internet or of cell phones (which are one-to-one).

KeithE4 said:
If you are watching a program on a Roku box, laptop, wide-screen HDTV, or an ancient Dumont black-and-white 12" CRT from 1948, you are watching television, which is broadcasting video programming to the general public, regardless of how it is sent or received.
Click to expand...

Depends. If the source is, or was (DVR), a TV station then yes, you are "watching TV". If it is a DVD, VHS or an online site like YouTube then no, you are not watching TV (although you may be watching a recorded TV program).

I don't have a problem with someone who uses the term "Internet radio" because to me that means listening to a radio station over wires instead of airwaves. Same with "Internet TV".

"Internet broadcasting" though is a technical misnomer.
 
landtuna said:
"Internet broadcasting" though is a technical misnomer.
Click to expand...

Depends. If multicast is used (increasingly common), then it's definitely broadcating as it's always been known. If it's a "normal" TCP/IP (unicast) connection, such as Video-On-Demand, then it is one-to-one. But because there are many connections at once, it's still broadcasting in that a single transmission is going to many destinations at the same time.

Shall we call it "Multi-unicasting" instead? ;D
 
Soon, we'll be watching the local news on TV this way

Just the natural progression of things.....

Cheers & 73 ;D
 
There is a real distinction in terms that is muddied when used in common language. People say they are going to "listen to the radio". What they are really listening to is the content being broadcast. As long as the means by which the content is available and convenient, it doesn't matter how that content is transmitted. There is further muddying when the content is being received through a stream accessible via a wifi connection. There, it is radio in even the strictest sense, since that access is by means of electromagnetic reception.

The bottom line in my view: Regardless of the means of carrying the information, people are doing what they perceive as "listening to the radio".
 
The definition of broadcasting is sending content to a non discriminating audience. And since Internet is not just wires anymore meaning you can have cellular Internet its definitely OTA. In fact your ISP may even use radio technology to send the net from one node to another. More and more folks are using satellite and cellular Internet and when you broadcast your station over the net and it is listed on directories and Smartphone apps it can be accessed by under aged children. This is why in a sense you have to use your noggin when you broadcast your station over the net just like a terrestrial station. The only difference is you don't have a 500ft antenna in your back yard (in most cases).
 
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