Every now and then we get an experience or two that has such a tang of familiarity that we almost recognize it as having happened once before. Saw an item in the online radio trades that struck me exactly that way.
From Inside Radio, another nail in the Satellite radio coffin:
Headline: PANDORA SPEAKS, AND TELLS A JOKE.
"Six years after launching a service designed to allow users to
personalize their music listening experience, Pandora will do
the same in the spoken word realm. Pandora today launches a
comedy clip service that lets users tailor their channel to
their own sense of humor."
"Six years after launching a service designed to allow users to
personalize their music listening experience, Pandora will do
the same in the spoken word realm. Pandora today launches a
comedy clip service that lets users tailor their channel to
their own sense of humor."
Isn't that the way the satellite radios started off? Remember, there were two at first, and they PROMISED never to merge. They kept that written promise for as long as they could. Then they didn't.
They competed with each other. Each bragged of roughly 200 channels. Hungry channels that had to be fed music and entertainment so the satellite radios could continue making new receivers, installing them in new autos and upping the ante on their bragging rights. They made no money and accrued enormous debts, both.
And, we got the doubles of the usual - 50s on channel-five; sixties on six, and so on. Nothing really changed when the two birds became one under the chauvenistic stock-manipulative dictates of their leader whose vast entertainment experience seemed to begin and end with the whimperings of Howard Stern.
There was jazz, world music, ranchero, a Stones Channel, Oprah, Rap, even Bob Dylan became a DJ and got into the act, thanks to Lee Abrams. Satellite buttons punched up sports of all genres, from car races to ball games. There was every brand of news you could imagine. And dramas. And audio books. Still, there were always more channels to fill... and no money.
There were comedy channels, too. Just like on Pandora now. Only thing is, you must subscribe to the satellite channels and pay a monthly premium. The online music box is free.
And, today, they have more options than any other broadcast facility, including plenty of comedy choices. Listeners can create as many personal channels as they like.
Something more for Howard to whimper about...
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