Emmis Communications Corp announced in a quarterly earnings call that it will “dramatically reduce the operations” of its NextRadio project following years of losses. NextRadio was an effort to make mobile phones act like portable radios, with an app that let listeners tune in to FM stations. It also offered targeted advertising and other enhancements. Continue Reading
New Samsung phones in U.S. and Canada will be sold with their FM chips unlocked. The tech manufacturer is working with NextRadio to activate the existing FM chips in smartphones for those markets. Continue Reading
TagStation has entered into a new partnership with LG Electronics MobileComm that will see the manufacturer unlocking FM chips in its smartphones. This move means that owners of LG phones will be able to listen to live, local radio on the devices. Continue Reading
NextRadio was introduced in August, 2013, as a tuner for SmartPhones to receive over-the-air radio reception with enhanced on-screen interactivity. In the nearly four years of NextRadio promotion, Emmis has faced challenges. In this week’s earnings call, Emmis head Jeff Smulyan put NextRadio prominently in the discussion, and framed it as an early-stage product undergoing growth and improvement. Continue Reading
New Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Ajit Pai advocated for “activated” FM chips in smartphones, but said the FCC would not mandate that technology advance. Why not? And why don’t phone makers activate those chips in the first place? Analysis. Continue Reading
NextRadio has introduced a newsfeed as a new way to present radio station content to listeners. The feed includes items from stations such as trending tweets from a particular user’s favorite programs and other related content such as artist and song facts or concert information. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: NPR is the latest media group to axe online comments; NextRadio hybrid app targets monetization. Continue Reading
New Edison research commissioned by NextRadio investigated why listeners are so dedicated to radio, even as digital music services gain traction. The central reasons for radio’s continued presence are portability, community roots, and music programming. Continue Reading
TagStation announced that its NextRadio app saw overall listening increase 334% in 2015. “All of this progress supports the fact that consumers are finding value and a unique experience in the NextRadio app,” NextRadio President Paul Brenner said. Continue Reading
NextRadio announced a partnership with BLU, a manufacturer of unlocked Android and Windows phones that can be used with different carriers, or as prepaid phones using BLU’s coverage network. Starting in 2016, NextRadio will be the native FM tuner for all Android devices made by the company. Continue Reading
Radio stations can now get into NextRadio more easily. TagStation, that back end of the consumer-facing NextRadio app, has altered its pricing charged to radio stations for access to NextRadio program enhancement tools. The company is also providing providing “content acceleration” teams to support stations. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Insights into Spotify In Residence: Merlin CEO pens op-ed against two-tier publishing rates; a new addition to NextRadio’s platform. Continue Reading