Infinity Broadcasting to air podcasts on the radio
posted Apr 27th 2005 8:00PM
From the same company bringing visual radio to the States comes another, um, creative stab at salvaging flagging revenues: putting podcasts on the air. Infinity Broadcasting will be launching the world's first all-podcast radio station on May 16, dubbed KYOURadio. They're converting previously talk-radio format 1550 KYCY, a San Francisco AM station, to entirely listener-submitted content. Podcasters will submit digital audio files for consideration, which will be reviewed for quality standards and FCC guidelines before being simultaneously broadcast over AM and streamed online at KYOURadio.com. Infinity is going to cover licensing fees so podcasters can use major record label music in their shows, although this won't really benefit those who play primarily indie and unsigned artists. Plus, licensing complications have prevented Infinity from offering downloadable program archives, which misses one of the essential aspects of podcasting: the time-shifting element. The whole reason many of us find the time to listen is because we can download shows and take them anywhere on portable players — so while we think it's a positive trend that the airwaves are being opened up to the great unwashed masses, it's really a different animal from podcasting proper.
All Im gonna say is its a BIG step forward.
Hmm...one second you hate these radio pricks, then they go and do something like this. They took away our Alt. Rock station in Philly, but I guess this would be interesting; if only it were on this side of the continent.
Might be a big step forward for radio, but it's anything but podcasting. It's so very disappointing to see them (and everyone covering their story) blatantly misuse the term.
This is OhMyNews (the online Korean newspaper run by readers) for radio
It will still suck. If I can't fast forward I won't listen to it. The only reason I like podcasts is I can skip the crap and there is lots of that.
I'll take a shot at it... lol who would listen anyway???
Are they going to broadcast the Eric Rice show?
Neat... now all you someone needs to do is convince me to buy an iPod. And subscribe to iTunes. And spend more money - and...
Crap! I guess I'm the only one in San Francisco who listens to that station.
KYCY is (was) the local affiliate for the Don and Mike show. I guess I'll have to get a big ass antenna so I can try to pull in the Sacremento station...
KYCY has been making most of their money selling blocks of time to people who are faking talk/news shows but are really selling something. (E.g. their financial news shows peddling bad stocks).
But a big congrats to Infinity who just realized that there are tons of content producers out there who are happy to give their content away for free for any amount of exposure.
Perhaps Infinity will "hire" some free interns to screen all that free podcast content...!!
Humm, you can sign up now to upload content. But on further inspection of their T&C, you'd have to be insane to submit programming to them. Look at this from their terms and conditions (only available to registered users):
``Submitter will indemnify and hold harmless Infinity, and its affiliates, parent companies, subsidiaries, officers, shareholders, directors, employees, agents, representatives, successors, and assigns, ("Infinity Entities") against any and all loss, liability, claims, damages and other expenses, including reasonable attorneys fees, arising from (a) Infinity's use of the Material under this Agreement; (b) any act or omission by Submitter; (c) any breach of Submitter's representations and warranties in Paragraph 2 above. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, United States of America, without application of conflict of laws principles. Submitter agrees that all disputes arising under this Agreement will be litigated and adjudicated exclusively in State and/or Federal Court located in the State of New York, United States of America.``
So not only are you giving them free content, you're taking on all the legal responsibilities for that content DIRECTLY ONTO YOURSELF. Because we wouldn't want a giant corporation like Infinity to get sued. Just some poor little podcast producer.
My advice: get incorporated (humm, will they let corporations upload content?) or get some media liability insurance naming Infinity as a co-insured before doing this.... or you could find yourself at the ugly end of a lawsuit with Infinity not even attempting to defend you.
This will get them a lot of press. They might even find some good talk show hosts out of this. They'll probably get good ratings for 3 weeks. And then it will be on to something else.
OK