Internet Radio – The Choices Keep Coming
Google has finally arrived at the Internet Radio table although I must say the name of its service, “Google Play Music All Access” leaves something to be desired. Apple will most likely follow by the end of the year. There are still a lot of unknown details especially if any free ad-supported models will be forthcoming. One thing is for sure, there are only so many hours in a day to listen so most likely everyone’s share will decrease. This includes terrestrial radio. Terrestrial radio appears too busy trying to bail out the waning AM radio service and make non interactive HD radio work to attack IP audio. CBS was an early leader but their bets did not pay off. Clear Channel has now grown an impressive Internet radio service with over 30 Million registered users. However, we have gotten to the point where Clear Channel’s future interests may not fully align with the rest of the radio industry.