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E-conomy / Paul Andrews
Radio is being redefined

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The shock-jock king said he was leaving traditional broadcast media because of censorship. The Federal Communications Commission is cracking down on words and images it deems unfit for the airwaves. Huge six-figure fines levied against CBS over the Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident and ClearChannel over Stern's show have cowed broadcast media into blipping or digitally fuzzing just about any content that vaguely tests some arbitrary decency standard.

The FCC's sudden solicitude may stem not from any institutional concern over dirty words, but rather from Big Money. With audience ratings falling, major networks began complaining a couple of years ago that they were at a disadvantage to cable TV and the Internet because they can't do things like use certain words.

Instead of giving networks freer rein, as the moguls wanted, the FCC seems bent on locking down all broadcast media.

As the Stern defection illustrates, whether the strategy will work is problematic. It comes at a time when radio is being redefined — not just by satellite, but by the Internet and an entirely unforeseen source, the Apple iPod.

Stern's move was seen as a boost to satellite radio, which requires a special receiver but permits more selectivity and diversity in digital format. Stern fans, the theory goes, will pay for satellite service just to get his shows. So far it's all conjecture, but whatever happens with Stern will only accentuate the bigger changes facing radio.

No one I know is happy with broadcast radio. Too many stations are owned by two conglomerates, ClearChannel and Infinity, and feature too much of the same programming. When you hear the same playlist about the same time of day from Seattle, Portland and San Francisco stations on a road trip, you know there isn't much original floating around.

Satellite radio is an attractive option, although it is still not widely used or understood. With satellite you can get reception where traditional radio is unavailable and listen to the same channel anywhere in the U.S. And similar to digital satellite and cable TV, satellite radio can offer tailored "stations" for varied music tastes, as well as news, sports and other interests.

Apart from satellite, frustrated users have found an ally in the iPod. Two add-ons are particularly popular.

One converter enables an iPod (or other music player) to plug into a vehicle's tape deck and play directly over its sound system. Another device attaches to a player and, using an unoccupied FM channel, transmits content from the player to the vehicle's radio, which then plays the content like any other radio station.
 
(The latter works less effectively in Seattle than in other cities, largely because of reception interference induced by hills, bowls and competing signal strength. But once outside the city, the FM transmitters work well.)

Perhaps the most intriguing, and potentially transformative, use of the iPod as radio has to do with "podcasting." It's a simple procedure: Someone uploads onto a Web site a sound (MP3) file — from an event, a lecture, original music or whatever.

The file can then be downloaded by "pod people" and played back at their convenience. Combined with the Web technology known as RSS, podcasting in effect approaches radio on demand.

Geeks are going nuts over this, holding "podcasting parties" and exchanging all sorts of content. The concept is getting interest from traditional broadcasters as well: KOMO-AM (1000) and other stations are setting up RSS feeds to podcast their reports.

You don't have to have an iPod to participate. Other handheld devices are configurable as well. But the iPod's synergy with iTunes and the Macintosh makes the process much easier — and cooler. There's a reason, after all, that it's called "podcasting."

Paul Andrews is a freelance technology writer and co-author of "Gates." He can be reached at pandrews@seattletimes.com.