Freestyle Blogs

Here is my contact information:

www.freestylefriends.com/djdanski

www.myspace.com/djdanski

Requests/shout outs/sponsorships, call 206-984-3647

Playlist, Tuesday 12/16/08 (4p – 6p):

Sito - Color of Pain
Sandee – Notice Me

Freestyle Evolution – Don’t Stop The Rock
TKA – X Ray Vision (Phlexican remix)
George Kranz – Din Daa Daa
Lisette Melendez – Together Forever
Elan – Here’s Your Hat
Afrika Bambataa – Planet Rock (remix)
Cybotron – Clear
Kraftwerk – Tour De France
Joe Zangie feat Wendy – When I Want You Back
Nyasia – Now and Forever
Samantha – Be Sure
George Lamond – Bad of the Heart
Maritza – Don’t Cry for Me
Class – Find Another Puppet
Dan C/Tears of Technology megamix:
S Factor – Hard to Get
Information Society – Running
Collage – Diana
Peter Fontaine – Just Like The Wind
Noel – The Question
Corina – Give Me Back My Heart
Soave – Crying Over You (beat)
Cynthia – Endless Night
Tiana – First True Love
NV – Girl You Hear Me Crying
Cover Girls – Show Me
Samuel – Open Your Eyes
Pain – This Heart of Mine
Wendy – The Rest of My Life (Phlexican remix)

Artie and Legit – One Never Knows
Rebekka – It Was You (Phlexican remix)
Amoretto – Clave Rocks
KC feat Sito – Sin Tu Amor (remix)
Lil Suzy – Real Love
Cover Girls – Inside Outside
Unbroken – Can’t Go On
Jonelle – Fantasy

We are all shocked and in Mourning the death of a close personal friend and dance
industry Icon.

Sandra Casanas, known today as SANDY,Sandra Harvey or Freestyle artist SANDEE passed on over the weekend.

The service for SANDEE will be this Saturday at the Fred Hunter Funeral Home

6301 Taft St
Hollywood, Fl
954-989-1550

The time is being set up now, we’ll keep you posted on the time

 A memorial fund has been established to help with the cost of funeral arrangements.

YOU CAN MAKE A DEPOSIT TO SANDEE’S MEMORIAL FUND AT:

WACHOVIA ACCT # 1010221663273
IF SENDING A WIRE THE ROUTING NUMBER IS 063000021.

One of the sweetest and strongest persons known in the dance music community, Sandee formed part of the original 1983/1984 Lewis Martinee group X-Posed (later known as Expose, along side Lourie Miller and Ale Lorenzo) and had great success and influence in the early 80′s club scene and sound of electro syncopated dance beats and melodies that would define the Miami Latin dance sound known as Latin Freestyle or Latin pop/Miami Sound. “Exposd to love” ( which was never re-recorded with the second batch of vocalist) as well as “Point of No Return” and other numbers would trace out the blue print for the 3 girls and a drum machine groups that would follow in the club and pop world of Music.

From the later Cover Girls to the U.K’s Bananarama or Latin America’s Pandora. X-Posed (Pantera) would infuse the world with its sound and its underground new wave, punk rock meets inner city street fashions; that in many ways still influence todays younger hipster and altenative crowds.Sandee, being at the forefront.

When Expose later changed its memebers, Sandee moved on as a solo artist as did Ale (“I Want To Know”). She continued to work over the years with everyone from Lewis Martinee, Avy Gonzales, Clivilles & Cole and others. Her single “Your the one (Myheart beats for)” would single handedly define the live brass Miami sound of the late 80′s and quickly rise to the billboard charts. An anthem on Miami’s Power 96 and then dance music station Hot 105fm, Cali’s Power 106, NYC Hot 97 and serve as a dance floor scorcher at clubs like Club1235 (today’s Mansion in sobe) or New York’s Roseland, Redzone, Hearthrob and 1980′s Studio 54.

Her other anthems “Maybe Tonight” “Love Desire” and “Notice Me” would have the same impact on the dance and pop music community of the time and have her sign deals with everyone from Fever Records to Atlantic.

Today SANDEE has been one of few artist to FIRST come back to her Dance music roots (Freestyle), while practicing her ministries, and had a chance to inplant the spirit of artistry into a new generation of dance music purist. DJs, vocal artrist, promoters and then some.

In the HOUSE MUSIC world, she is still a figure in LATIN HOUSE and a figure in a transition period between the 80′s Era of Freestyle and Hi NRG and the 90′s era of House music. An icon in Dance Music in general and has had her CASA MIX of “Notice Me” SAMPLED BY ALMOST EVERY DJ IN PRODUCTION OR MIX SETS.

Sandee can be heard in everything from THE MIGHTY DUB CATS “MAGIC CARPET RIDE” to todays CUBE GUYS “TE QUIERO” under the Roger Sanchez umbrella.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family members and to all our friends, who like us, are in mourning. 

(info was grabbed from Jon Pito’s myspace bulletin and from Alyssa of Erotic Exotic’s bulletin on myspace)

Freestyle now has a home on prime time FM radio in New York City … and I play the best in NEW and classic freestyle.

Check it out on 91.9 FM every day from 4pm – 6pm in New York City for “The Freestyle Happy Hour with DJ Dan Ski“.

The station can be heard in all 5 boroughs, as well as parts of Long Island and Newark.

If you are not in the listening area, it will also be broadcast on LaRadioLive.com

Here’s the deal though …

My agreement with the station is that I will be on the air everyday from now until December 26th, from 4pm – 6pm.

To keep freestyle on the air in New York City,
WE NEED SPONSORS/ADVERTISERS to help cover all of the associated costs.

Each show sponsor would receive a VERY good ad package for a very reasonable price

Plus, all sponsors who get on board now will get free ads (“spots”) during all of my shows from now until December 26th.

All for a really great price. Dirt cheap actually.

Please call 206-984-3647 if you are interested in sponsoring the show, or e-mail me at danski@clubland.us

If you are a TRUE supporter of freestyle, and want to keep it on FM in New York … Repost this information.

I am putting alot on the line for this. No one is backing me, and I am doing it for the love of the music and seizing what I believe to be a good thing for the music/genre.

Everyone claims that the death of freestyle was due to FM radio dropping the format. Here is our chance to reclaim the airwaves. Do the right thing and support “the cause”.

Tell any businesses or clubs that you think would be interested in getting ad time on the show. Rates are VERY reasonable right now.

The station reaches over 400,000 listeners.

I say this stuff on the air, but here it is since I know that I talk fast (lol) 

My Freestyle Friends page: www.freestylefriends.com/djdanski

My myspace: www.myspace.com/djdanski

My request/shout out line
(it will record what you say and send it to me, 24 hours a day): 206-984-3647

My e-mail: pd@laradiolive.com 

Playlist for 12/15/0891.9 FM (WHUT) & LaRadioLive.com
Monday, 4pm – 6pm 

Clear Touch – Fallen Angel
Stefanie Bennett – Can U Stop The Rain 
www.myspace.com/stefaniebennettfreestyle

Ray Guell – In Your Eyes (www.myspace.com/destunerecords)
KC feat Sito – Sin Tu Amor (remix) www.myspace.com/freestylekc 
Rios Sisters – You
Sam Savon – My Heart Alone
Judy Torres – Hell No (Berrios remix) http://www.myspace.com/judytorresfans
LaMour – All I Want 

Lil Suzy/Alexia Phillips – Now and Forever
Nyasia – Physical Attraction (www.universalfreestyle.com)

Abby Lynn – No More Tears  www.micmacrecords.com
Monet – My Heart Gets All The Breaks
Sammy C – In Your Eyes www.myspace.com/sammycfreestylemusic
Donna Williams – Alabyes
Voyce – WIthin My Heart
Nas T Boys – Secret

Carlos Berrios feat K7 – The Jump Off (www.universalfreestyle.com)
Cherokee – Calling On Your Love
Body & Style – Listen to My Cries
Cynthia/Johnny O – Dreamboy/Dreamgirl 

Artie & Legit – How Can You (www.artieandlegit.com)
Jonelle – Fantasy (available on iTunes and Amazon.com or www.jonelleonline.com)Alizee – Fantasy Love
Edmond – Taught Me

Don’t forget to tell a friend about FREESTYLE HAPPY HOUR on 91.9 FM in New York City and heard worldwide on LaRadioLive.com

DJ Dan Ski

Playlist for 12/14/08
FREESTYLE HAPPY HOUR on 91.9 FM (NYC)
& LaRadioLive.com

Shonn Bonnett – Who Is She

George Lamond – Bad of the Heart

Samantha Gervasio – Since Your Gone

April – Someone to Hold

Lisette Melendez – Don’t Ever Say Goodbye (www.universalfreestyle.com)

Face – I’m Forever Yours (www.micmacrecords.com)

Jocelyn Enriquez – A Little Bit of Ecstacy

Benny Velez – Come Back To Me

Eye II Eye – Make It Last

First Class – My Sweet Rose

Noel – The Question

Jaidie – Answer My Cry

Artie & Legit – How Can You  (www.artieandlegit.com)

Pain – It Could Have Been Love  (www.painmusiconline.com)

Sammy Zone – Without You (www.universalfreestyle.com)

Cynthia – Change On Me

Jonelle – Unforgivable (www.jonelleonline.com)

Lil Suzy – Promise Me (http://www.myspace.com/lilsuzysparadise)

Coro – Where Are You Tonight

Emma Colado – Walking Away (http://www.universalfreestyle.com)

7th Heaven – Drums of Love

Stefanie Bennett – Don’t Let Me Go 2008 (http://myspace.com/stefaniebennettfreestyle)

Fascination – Remember

Trilogy – Latin Love

Free broadband for America has inched closer to reality: The plan, after two years of debate, is finally on the calendar for a full vote by the Federal Communications Commission.

Assuming the plan is approved at the FCC’s Dec. 18 meeting, one of the agency’s last before President-elect Barack Obama takes office, free broadband could become reality within a year.

First proposed in 2006, the plan calls for a chunk of airwaves called AWS-3 (now idle) to be used for wireless broadband across the USA. Under terms contemplated by the FCC, the winner of the AWS-3 auction would have to reserve at least 25% of network capacity for free broadband.

The winner would be allowed to charge for other services, including premium broadband that would offer faster speeds.

Assuming there are no last-minute snags, the AWS-3 auction will take place next year.

The FCC plans to impose several conditions. Among them: The winner will be required to launch free broadband with a filter that automatically blocks adult content. Users can remove the filter once they’ve confirmed that they are at least 18 years old.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has championed the idea of free broadband. Martin is particularly concerned about rural areas, where dial-up and satellite-based Internet still rule. Dial-up isn’t fast enough to handle interactive fare, including video streaming. Satellite has the muscle, but broadband-strength speeds can cost $100 or more a month.

About 38% of rural households have broadband. In urban and suburban areas, where competition for customers can be fierce, the numbers are a lot higher, 57% and 60%, respectively. Martin says free broadband can help bridge the gap. “This initiative brings with it the promise of a free basic broadband service to hundreds of thousands of Americans who currently have limited or no access to the high-speed Internet,” Martin said in a statement prepared for USA TODAY.

Big wireless carriers, which stand to lose customers — and profits — if free broadband takes off, have criticized the FCC’s plan.

The harshest critic is T-Mobile. The carrier paid $4 billion two years ago to buy the spectrum that abuts the AWS-3 block. T-Mobile claims the FCC’s plan will cause service disruptions for its customers. The FCC disagrees.

Despite opposition from incumbents, the plan has a number of strong supporters. Chief among them is the company that dreamed up the idea initially, M2Z, a wireless start-up backed by Kleiner Perkins, the big Silicon Valley venture capital firm.

Milo Medin, M2Z’s co-founder and a broadband pioneer, says that in addition to being a big positive for consumers, the plan is consistent with Obama’s belief in the power of private-public partnerships. While free broadband alone won’t close the divide between digital haves and have nots, Medin says it’s a good start.

If you couldn’t tell, I am very interested in the state of the music/recording business these days. Mostly because I have gotten “in the game” myself as a manager (for Jonelle), and as a remixer and producer.

The mindset has always been that the goal of an independent recording artist was to “get signed” by a major label. With the current state of the music industry (less people buying physical CDs, labels signing fewer artists, singles deals instead of multi-album deals, etc) and the absence of the many indy labels that were instrumental in getting dance acts their exposure, it has become a double edged sword for the artist wishing to release his or her own music.

Yes, the tools are there. It is easier to record music these days. That is the part that most artists can do/handle. But what happens next? There’s alot of great music being made that isn’t seeing the light of day. Not because it is BAD music (we’ll talk about quality control/mixdowns in another article), but because in the current environment in the music industry, even the majors are scrambling to adjust to the same challenges that independant musicians are facing.

So … with that in mind … here is another article that I want to share. It gives good insight on the mindset needed in the current music market.

“1. Who Is The Leader Of The Tribe?

What got messed up in the nineties was that the label became the tribe leader,
the label made the decisions.  The true leader of the tribe is the act.  Everything
flows from the act.  As Jim Guerinot told me, it’s the act’s name on the
marquee.  If an act has a feeling in its gut, that feeling has to be obeyed.
Jim can always get a new client, whereas a misstep by a musician usually ends
his career.

The label doesn’t need your record to make it.  It just needs a record to make
it.  The label head’s priorities may be completely different from the act’s.
The label executive may be coming up on a contract renewal.  He may be angling
for a bonus.  What’s expedient for the label may be positively awful for the
act.  If your deal doesn’t give you a modicum of control, you’re at the mercy of
the label’s whims.  Sure, you could go on strike, but now you can’t even work on
the road, the label gets a piece of that too via the 360 deal.

Furthermore, a label doesn’t know how to work the road, never mind merch.  A
label specializes in selling music.  In an era where more people steal it than
pay for it, where it’s almost impossible to get exposed and there’s a thin line
between getting the word out and overexposure, which negatively impacts your
longevity.  So, sign with a label at your peril.  Or insist on a lot of control.

In any event, although the act is the true leader (“the Mafia Don”), the manager is
the consigliere.  You must be able to trust your manager.  You must be able to
get his attention.  You must share mutual interests.  But the act must have the
last word.

2. The Key

It’s the music, stupid.

Radio stations don’t buy music.  Fans do.  Don’t worry about appealing to
gatekeepers, worry about appealing to fans.

I once heard a Widespread Panic song on Sirius, but generally speaking the
band’s music is never played on the radio.  It tends to be long, it stretches
out, the vocals are not Top Forty friendly.  But the audience loves it.  A core
audience that keeps the band working year after year, long after Top Forty
wonders are through scrounging around for TV guest appearances and are
contemplating entering the family business.  Hell, the audience treasures live
Widespread Panic music more than the recorded stuff!

In other words, forget about the rules.  Just focus on how you can turn someone
not on the payroll, not related to you, on to your music.  Because if they’re
turned on, they’ll tell people.  If nobody wants to tell anybody about your
music, give up or change it or be resigned to a marginal “career”.  Doesn’t
matter if you like it, doesn’t matter if the label likes it, doesn’t matter if
MTV likes it, it only matters if independent sources like it.  A turntable hit
generates no career.  Your mother can’t buy enough albums to keep you in
business.  Sure, catchy infects people, but to truly get people talking,
spreading the word, you must sound unique, unlike anybody else.  People want
music to call their own.  If you provide this, they’ll tell everybody about it,
you’ll have a career.

3. The Format

Deliver what the fan wants.  Which is always more music.  An album may be good,
but not if there’s only one every four years.  Let people record you live, sell
live files.  You’re giving people the tools to build your career.  Don’t limit
them, enable them!

Fans will support you.  Buy CDs even though they’ve already stolen the files.

If you get really big, you can sell CDs with books, special packages, but that’s
way down the road.  First, just make tunes that people want to hear.  A good
number of them.  Don’t worry about defects, your imperfections make you lovable.
Pro Tools and Auto-Tune have removed the soul from music.  Stop trying for
perfection, no one can relate to that.  No one’s that good-looking, no one hits
every note perfectly.  One false note may be enough to endear you to fans.

4. Tools For Spreading The Word

You don’t solicit, you make tools available.

You deliver widgets, you utilize Eventful.  If you’re beating your fans over the
head to spread the word you’re doing it wrong.  Sure, it’s okay to manage your
fans’ efforts, in the beginning anyway.  Even better is when a fan takes up the
reins himself.  This fan will listen to you, won’t cross you, he wants access.
But by coming up with his own ideas, he gains credibility.  You can’t control
everybody.  Give up on that.  Inspire people.  With your music.  With your
accessibility.  Let them take you to places unknown.  You’re nothing without
them.  You don’t have to accede to their every wish.  Give up some control.
You’ve got none in today’s online world anyway.

5. Establish Community

You’ve got to have a forum online.  And a place for fans to meet live.  Maybe a
sign where all your diehard fans can meet before the show.  You want that party
in the parking lot, but in the Internet era, you can own it, utilize it to your
own advantage.  Maybe inspire people to bring instruments and cover your songs,
play their own in the parking lot.  You’ve got to make people feel like they
belong.  We all want to belong, it’s human nature.  We can’t connect to the
overhyped priorities, but we can relate to what’s just starting out, that we
own.

6. Play Live

Anywhere and everywhere at first.

Do not play with anybody else unless you share an audience.

You may open for a superstar, but no one’s going to care about you, you’re
wasting your time, your agent just doesn’t know what else to do, your label is
forcing you.  Better off to drive around in a van and play clubs.  If you’re
good, people will talk about you and your career will grow.  If your career
isn’t growing, and you’re working 24/7, face it, people don’t want you.

It’s best to open for no one.  To own the show yourself, if possible.

Better to create your own gig than open for someone with incompatible music.

You’re just going to piss off your fans if they want to see you and not the
headliner.  As for the reverse…  You’ll be lucky if people even show up to
hear you, and many will probably talk while you’re playing or boo.

7. Make It Affordable

Value.  Not only is it the mantra of 2008/9, it’s the key to all success.

Toyota knows value.  As does Lexus.  You want people to believe they got a
bargain, more than they paid for.

If you’re going after every last dollar, you aren’t going to have a career when
the radio hits dry up.

Look at the Dave Matthews Band.  Phenomenal road business, tickets closer to
fifty dollars than a hundred.  You can take a friend, expose someone to your
favorite act’s music.

A gig should not be a show, it should be an experience, a celebration of your
music.  If people don’t feel involved, you messed up.

Unless your gig is about production, don’t focus on it.  No one ever said I
liked the concert because the production was great, even though the music
sucked.  But I’ve heard the reverse zillions of times.  We are not in the TV
business.  Our product enters the ears.  Focus on what is heard.  Have a great
sound system.  Practice really hard.  Have great tunes.  You don’t need a
backdrop, you don’t need a light show, all of that is superfluous.

8. Tie-ins/Sponsors

I’m categorically against them.  But if you must do them, make sure it’s clear
that your fans own you, not the corporation/sponsor.  You can’t do anything your
fan wouldn’t.  You can never kiss butt.  You can say sponsorship kept tickets
cheap.  But not if you’re hawking the product from the stage, not if you’ve got
banners on stage.  Not if you’re flying around in a private jet.

Corporations don’t give a shit about you.  They only care about your audience.
They want to reach your audience.  They’re going to use you, emphasis on “use”,
to extract attention and money from your fans.  How do you feel about being used
as a customer?  How do you feel about being manipulated?  Keep this in mind when
you tie in with any third party entity.

9. Innovation

The cherry on top.

Examples are the Phish festivals.  100,000 people show up even though most of
the country has no idea who you are.  Special events are rewards for your fans.
They work best when you’re on the way up, when rich fat cats can’t game the
system.

Lollapalooza was a great idea, the original Perry Farrell traveling one.  Killed
by having Metallica headline.  You’ve got to stay true to your roots.  If you
don’t have an appropriate headliner this year, don’t do the festival!

Anything you can dream up that rewards the fans is worth investigating.  Don’t
worry about monetization.  It’s okay to charge, but know that you’re investing
in your future.

Conclusion

Railing against P2P, complaining that your music is being stolen, putting FBI
stickers on your CDs, none of this enhances your bond with your fans, none of it
adds members to your tribe.  Think about the tribe first!  The label’s tribe is
the stockholders, not the music listeners.  Do not associate your interests with
theirs.

If it doesn’t bring people closer, if it doesn’t satiate and inspire your fans,
forget about it.

Example.  Playing the “American Music Awards”.  You think you’re reaching a
whole new audience.  But maybe your fans think you’re selling out.  Don’t worry
about the untold masses.  If they’re interested in you, it will only be briefly.
If you’re good, your fans will spread the word and convert those who might watch
the AMAs who are interested.

Just because there’s a paycheck involved, that doesn’t excuse you.  You must
think how your fans will react.

You must lead the fans.  You do this by constantly creating great music, and
playing it live.  These are the core precepts.  Everything else is gravy.  If
people can’t get it by hearing your music, via a recording or live, then you’ve
got to go back into development.

Start with a little.  Blow on the flame to ignite the kindling.  Then put
progressively bigger logs on the fire.  Once you’ve got a bonfire going, it
won’t go out overnight.”

I read this article yesterday, and alot of what it says is true. It was a longer article, but I am only posting what struck a chord with me.

To those artists/musicians/producers who are out there doing their thing, please read this:

Let’s start at 1968.

“One might think that singles mattered in 1968.
 
But that was the year that underground FM radio truly took hold.  It wasn’t
about evanescent hits, but album-long statements.  Music wasn’t a ditty, it was
a contemplated effort that evidenced the head space of the people who made it.

You no longer went to the show to see a multitude of bands perform their hits,
you wanted to go to the Fillmore to see a band most people had never heard of
stretch out.

Underground music became so powerful, so successful, that Lee Abrams ultimately created a format around it, known as “Superstars”, and AOR took hold and ran the land.  You were nothing if you didn’t have a hit on the FM band.

But then came corporate rock, bloating, labels and acts were trying to
second-guess the radio playlists and disco snuck in and defeated the rock
juggernaut.

And then came MTV.

MTV fueled Top Forty radio stations on the FM dial.  A format given up for dead was suddenly resurgent.  And it’s been that way for nigh on two decades.  But those days are through.  We’re back to 1968.

If it’s on Top Forty … if it’s exploited in the media … the music junkies don’t
care.  And it’s the music junkies who support this industry.  Which is comprised
of not only music sales, but concert receipts and merchandise sales. 

True, you can overhype a few Top Forty acts, like Beyonce, but today’s hit Top Forty acts are the sideshow.  The real acts are the ones filling buildings, oftentimes at a
low ticket price, selling merchandise along the way.

The old game just isn’t working anymore.  You might be able to sell a million
singles on iTunes, but you can’t sell out an arena. In other
words, the game the major labels have played for the last two decades just isn’t working anymore.

It doesn’t pay to spend a fortune to reach an ever-shrinking audience of singles
buyers.  What you need is a higher price point.  You need fans to generate
revenue from multiple streams.  And even though a major might have a 360 deal,
that doesn’t mean there’s going to be significant revenue from areas other than
recorded music.  Furthermore, at what cost?  You might make a commercial deal, but we all know television burns out acts, never mind their credibility.  Who wants to see Vanilla Ice today?

It’s time to recalibrate.  Don’t even worry about hits.  Uniqueness plays to
your advantage.  It’s about growing your niche to the point it can support you.

The major labels are completely marginalized.  The labels of yore wanted to be
in the blue sky business.  Signing something different and nurturing it.
Today’s major wants insurance, a multi-format smash.  So, the landscape is left
completely open to entrepreneurs.

Focus on how you can keep your core satiated, how you can grow that core, not how you can leapfrog into major media exposure.  Because major media exposure doesn’t generate significant profits.

In other words, would you rather have the revenue of touring behemoth Dave
Matthews or the recording revenue of Lil Wayne?

Better yet, do you want to be in the Conor Oberst business or the Jessica
Simpson business?  Conor Oberst has been building his career for years, without a hit.  But he can sell out shows everywhere.

I don’t even like Mr. Oberst’s music.  But I appreciate that it’s honest and not
made to formula.  And that he’s got an audience.

It’s not about impressing the gatekeepers, but making sure your audience has
enough music to listen to, to pass along.

Don’t swing for the fences.  Don’t focus on that one big hit single.  Grow the
audience you do have, don’t try to beat people over the head to get them to
listen.  They won’t.  They’ll only be alienated.  And if everybody was listening
to radio, Clear Channel wouldn’t be on the verge of bankruptcy.”

- Bob Lefsetz

I hate to say it, but somebody has to: Satellite radio will come crashing down to Earth within the next two years. The newly merged Sirius XM Radio is already living on borrowed time — and borrowed money — and simply will not and cannot survive.

First of all, I’m not an anti-satellite guy. I don’t want satellite radio to end (partly because I have a lifetime subscription). My family has two subscriptions in all, and I listen to satellite all the time. But reality is working against both the Sirius XM Radio company, and the idea of radio delivered by satellite.

As a competitor to radio, satellite rules. It has most of the advantages as radio, namely that it’s easy to use, it’s in the car and it has content you can’t get elsewhere (Howard Stern, for example). Plus, it has qualities regular radio doesn’t have: better sound quality, far more content and focused channels, like the Elvis Channel. Satellite radio isn’t remaining static, either. It’s evolving into something better than what it used to be. The devices are becoming better and smaller, and gaining great features, such as the ability to “TiVo” programs.

Unfortunately, however, the rest of the world is evolving, too. Six trends will kill satellite radio:

1.) The rise of MP3 phones. Cell phones in general, and the iPhone in particular, are mainstreaming the idea of listening to music on a cell phone. Because people carry cell phones everywhere, including in the car and other places where current subscribers listen to satellite radio, every phone is now a direct competitor to satellite radio.

2.) The rise of MP3-compatible cars. When satellite radio first hit, it was very difficult to listen to an iPod in a car. Now, it’s becoming very easy, with dashboards either containing MP3 players or supporting them with jacks.

3.) The coming wave of mobile broadband dashboards. Cars are increasingly getting cell phone wireless connectivity built in to the dash, starting with the same high-end automobile categories that are most likely to offer satellite radios — and targeting the same kinds of car buyers: audiophiles with money. Once your car is on the Internet all the time, iTunes (or something like it) becomes the Mother of All replacements for satellite radio.

4.) The rise of podcasting. This “talk radio” delivery system has been very slow to take off, but it has been growing and will continue to grow unabated. The difference between the growth of satellite radio and the growth of podcasting is that podcasting doesn’t depend on the marketing of one company, or an expensive delivery system. It’s free.

5.) The rise of live podcasting. Most podcasts are better served asynchronously. But for news and games, live is superior. And that was a huge advantage of radio — satellite or otherwise — over podcasts. But sites like BlogTalkRadio are changing all that, and podcasting is quickly turning into a medium where shows are broadcast live, then made available as a download forever.

6.) The economy is “cratering.” The stake in the heart of satellite radio, the looming recession, will finish off the Sirius XM Radio company — and the concept of satellite radio — forever. How bad is the economy for Sirius XM? Let me count the ways.

First, understand that Sirius XM has $3.4 billion in long-term debt, $1 billion of which is due next year — $300 million of that due by February. The company racked up this debt during an economic boom. We are now entering a bust. How will Sirius XM get out of this fix? The current plan appears to be little more than creative debt refinancing — this in the most hostile credit market ever — to buy time for some unspecified future miracle.

Satellite radio depends almost entirely on subscription revenue. The biggest source of new subscribers has been new-car buyers. Unfortunately, the downturn has not only radically cut car sales, but is reducing the percentage of new cars that have the fancy satellite radio upgrade (compared with pre-recession projections). The biggest channel for satellite radio is — or was — GM, which has recently suffered a 45% reduction in new-car sales. Other car companies are looking at reductions of between 20% and 30%. And that’s now, before the recession has really even begun. Sirius XM Radio hasn’t released recent sales figures, but it’s likely that lucrative new-car subscriptions have decreased by at least 40% in the past couple of months.

One advantage Sirius has is Howard Stern. But Stern is also a disadvantage because he gets paid $100 million per year. As the Sirius ship starts to sink, and the board starts looking for cargo to throw overboard, Stern and his giant salary will be the first to go. As the King of All Media, and with a fiercely loyal following, Stern will probably go on to mainstream the concept of subscription-based podcasting. Why? Because Stern is tired of being jerked around first by the FCC, then by the old-and-busted radio industry, and now by the financial unsustainability of satellite radio. A subscription podcast would finally put Stern in complete control of his show.

The ugly truth is that satellite is simply an obsolete way to deliver sound. It’s nothing more than an insanely expensive, limited, proprietary content delivery system that increasingly competes head-to-head against the Internet itself. The monopoly that provides satellite radio is billions in debt, with no way to pay off that debt and a looming recession characterized by dramatic slowdowns in consumer spending.

It’s over. Satellite radio is dead.

November 19, 2008
By Mike Elgan

This is an article that I read today that I found very interesting, and wanted to share with you. It forecasts great things for Internet Radio (iRadio)

3G or Not 3G? That Is the Question

It’s now no longer a question of if, but rather when, the wireless Internet will have measurable impact on radio listening. The proliferation of broadband wireless devices (both handhelds and automotive) and 3G/4G services (using EV-DO, HSDPA and WiMAX technologies) is well underway, and popular units like the iPhone already offer branded applications that make it easy to listen to certain Internet radio streams. Some Internet radio services also present iPhone-optimized pages to which iPhone users are automatically directed when seeking those URLs from that platform.The effect of this trend on broadcast radio can be either positive or negative, depending on which streams users choose to listen to.

If they are broadcasters’ streams, those stations thereby extend their brand and influence to a new platform. This is particularly important because many of those handheld devices do not include broadcast radio receivers, so the path for broadcasters’ content to flow to the users of these devices is via wireless broadband, not AM or FM transmission. If listeners choose non-broadcast Internet radio streams on these devices, however, this is yet another nail in broadcast radio’s coffin.

Thus it is critical for broadcasters to acknowledge this movement and to compete in this fast-moving marketplace. This implies that broadcast engineers should now become familiar with the process and platforms involved, if they are not already.

Some large broadcasters may want to address these new platforms (such as the iPhone) on their own, while it may make sense for other broadcasters to work with a third party — such as Radiolicious, iheartradio or others — for such efforts.

Alas, poor Radio…

It seems a bit silly to broadcasters to have to go through the Internet to get to these devices when they exist within stations’ local broadcast coverage zones, but such is the control that wireless network operators obtain through their subsidy of these devices.

There is still a battle afoot over whether at least FM receivers will be included (via mandate or voluntarily) in wireless devices, but odds appear to be against this happening to any large measure. It is therefore to broadcasters’ advantage to play along rather than fight; discretion is the better part of valor.

Consider that getting to these handsets costs the broadcasters no more than it does to get to any other unicast Internet terminal, so if the 3G path is the only way in, why not take it?

Another advantage to broadcasters is the continuing improvement of the quality and penetration of Internet audio delivery. The cost of these rapid and massive infrastructure improvements are borne by the network operators, and are essentially free to broadcasters or other streaming providers.

Think of it as a third-party transmitter company that carries your content to a secondary set of users at minimal cost, and which continues to expand the coverage and quality of its delivery service for you at no extra charge. (If anything, bandwidth costs to large users like streaming audio services are decreasing in many cases.)

Of course, most of the cost for this delivery service is actually paid by the end users, who are willing to do so to get Internet access in general. The fact that Internet radio becomes available in the process seems like a bonus feature to these customers, and thus it appears “free” — which fits nicely into the broadcast service tradition.

Broadcasters are not the direct beneficiary of any of this service revenue collected by wireless networks, but they can benefit indirectly via advertising, as they always have. Bandwidth costs to broadcasters can be considered as paid in lieu of transmitter amortization and maintenance. On a per-listener basis, these fees may be at relative parity to the ongoing cost of supporting over-the-air delivery (depending on the relative sizes of on-air vs. online audiences).

Meanwhile, the 3G network providers obtain a great value-add to the appeal of their service from Internet radio offerings, giving them further incentive to not include AM/FM receivers on their devices.

Note also that the general trend of telecom providers toward “triple play,” in which the same service provider offers multichannel TV, telephone and Internet access, or even “quad play,” in which wireless voice/data service is bundled as well, notably leaves out radio — at least the broadcast variety (i.e., some TV services include their own music channels, which are either the remains of the old “cable radio” services, or provided as alternate delivery services by Sirius XM).

All’s well that ends well?

So if radio broadcasters in the U.S. are to take their place among the digital service trinity of Voice, Video and Data, it will necessarily be by their own doing, via the Data component.

This implies that they will also have to promote their presence there, since they will be bundled among a nearly infinite number of other services, and in a “pull” environment, which is quite a different service model than what broadcasters are used to.

That could be the greatest challenge of all, but a synergistic balance of cross-promotion and counter-programming between on-air and online services could provide an extremely powerful combination in the new media world, and is something only broadcasters can offer.

Also bear in mind that while wireless Internet service may seem a far cry from broadcast radio in terms of availability and coverage today, this too is changing rapidly.

Consider that today there are already resourceful listeners who choose to listen to local AM stations via the (wired) Internet, preferring the quality and building penetration of the streaming service over the RF delivery — no surprise, if the Internet is available and free at the listener’s location.

Beyond such early shifts, the eventual goal of wireless service providers is seamless 3G/4G coverage in most markets, with some devices perhaps even switching transparently between transmission technologies. This could truly make radio delivery via Internet streams a viable equivalent (or in some cases, superior, as in the AM example above), even within broadcasters’ local markets.

As an interesting and relevant aside, consider that T-Mobile already offers a phone that switches between the cellular network and VoIP-over-WiFi during a call.

(For example, a user can start a voice call in the car via the cellular network, and upon reaching home, office or anywhere else where a WiFi hotspot open to the device exists, continue the call via WiFi without even knowing the switch had occurred — unless the user happened to look at the handset’s screen, where an icon displays the current connection mode.

Notably, T-Mobile bills for the call from where it started, so although WiFi calls are free, if the call was started on the cellular network, the time spent in WiFi mode still counts against the caller’s cellular minutes. On the other hand, the opposite is also true; a call started in a WiFi hotspot remains free even after it switches onto the cellular network, at least under the current billing scheme.)

Some anecdotal reports have also circulated recently regarding Internet radio listening via 3G in a moving vehicle, which found remarkable continuity over long distances. (Other informal tests have found the opposite, however, so this capability is not yet broadly assured.)

Finally, remember that Internet radio listening is measurable, more so than over-the-air service, in fact, since it can be accomplished either via streaming service reports from host servers, or via audience research (diary or PPM). Any out-of-market listening via the Web is a bonus, but it will be difficult to monetize.

Thus broadcasters’ focus should be on building audience for their streaming services in their local markets, and adding this component to their traditional sales processes.

So it’s once more unto the breach for radio broadcasters. Exploring this area sooner rather than later is the prudent course, since it may soon become an important venue by which your countrymen lend you their ears.