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iHeartRadio launches on BlackBerry 10
You may have moved to a brand-new BlackBerry, but you won't have to give up the traditional sounds of iHeartRadio -- Clear Channel has released a port of the streaming app for BlackBerry 10 devices. It largely keeps pace with versions for other platforms, including Perfect For mood matching as well as the usual choices of live and customized stations. Provided you live in a US territory, you can download the BB10 edition at the source link.
iHeartRadio slips local news into streams, hopefully without the used car ads
The advent of internet radio let many of us tune into music we never would have heard without packing our bags for a trip. However, it often keeps us isolated from events just outside our door -- a disconnect that Clear Channel wants to end through its newly launched Add-Ins for iHeartRadio streams. Check the right boxes and hourly local news, traffic and weather will appear between tracks, whether for the nearest city or a manually chosen favorite. Add-Ins don't have much mystery involved as a result, but they could keep us grounded in the real world... minus some of the all-too-real commercials.
iHeartRadio coming to Chrysler and GM autos, iHeartAuto for aftermarket devices launches
iHeartRadio isn't limiting its CES announcements to mobile and PC wares. The internet streaming service is heading to Chrysler Uconnect and 2014 GM infotainment systems. Soon, the company's library of 1,500 channels will be available in-dash with mobile app compatibility for further fine-tuning with Chrysler's Uconnect Access software on Android and iOS handsets. In addition to the manufacturer news, iHeartRadio has also teamed up with Clear Channel Media and Entertainment to bring the iHeartAuto app for aftermarket vehicle gadgets. This software will allow standardized tools for devs and easy implementation for manufacturers. As of today, support for Clarion Smart Access, Pioneer's AppRadio platform and Kenwood's DNN990HD receiver is now available. For a bit more info on both of the happenings, take a look at the full PR that resides below.
Daily iPhone App: IHeartRadio
Clear Channel is a huge force in radio. When the Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened up radio ownership, Clear Channel Communications scooped up several stations in most big markets, consolidating power. The company also has a spinoff called Live Nation, which is among the biggest event and ticket promoters in the world (currently in a merger with Ticketmaster). In other words, Clear Channel runs the show when it comes to radio and music events. And that's essentially why the iHeartRadio app is so important -- it's Clear Channel's official hook into iOS. Most of the company's stations offer live streams within the app, along with song information and other updates. A recent update lets users create custom "stations," similar to Pandora. Unfortunately, those features require a login through Facebook. The service itself isn't bad, but given just how many honeypots Clear Channel has its hands in, some users aren't exactly comfortable with passing over more private information. That said, if the station you're looking for is available in the app, this is essentially the only way to get it streaming on the iPhone, so this one is pretty much your choice. And there is something to be said for Clear Channel's clout: the company is hosting a huge music festival in Las Vegas later on this month, all centered around this iHeartRadio brand. With the company's access, the custom stations on this app have access to plenty of different music choices and songs you might not hear elsewhere. It's just too bad the iHeartRadio app is part of the big Clear Channel empire -- something that's crushed a lot of local radio markets (and hearts) in the past. The iHeartRadio app is now available for free in the App Store.
Pandora's song-finding flair comes to Spotify, IHeartRadio via separate initiatives
Ruh roh. That's the sound emanating from Pandora's stock price, which has taken a serious beating in the wake of two separate announcements in the past week. First off, Clear Channel and Echo Nest have teamed up to produce a self-proclaimed "Pandora killer," with a new technology enabling IHeartRadio users to build out customized radio stations right on the app. As you'd expect, folks will be able to construct a custom playlist "based off the selection of a single seed song or artist, both online and on mobile phones," and it'll be featured when the app relaunches in beta form this week. In related news, Echo Nest has also concocted a Pandora-esque streaming radio feature for use in the Spotify app; it's a gem called Echofi, and if you surf down to the source link, you'll be able to give it a whirl. Type in a single artist, mash go, and watch as Spotify is launched and related music is spun until you decide you've heard enough. Here's to competition... right?
JVC KW-NT30HD / 50HDT navigation systems offer iPhone-controlled HD radio
JVC's new in-dash GPS navigation systems won't whisper soothing reassurances in your ear when traffic gets bad, but they can offer some easy listening (if you're into that sort of thing) for your daily commute. The KW-NT50HDT and KW-NT30HD, which JVC debuted at CES 2011, sport 6.1-inch displays and come equipped with HD radio and iPhone connectivity via USB. Using ClearChannel's iheartradio app, you can view song and artist information and scan channels from either the navigation device or the iPhone. The NT50HDT also comes with a free lifetime subscription to the Total Traffic HD+ Network, which provides data like traffic reports, news, and weather information. Both devices come equipped with WAAS navigation, map coverage of all 50 US states, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico, and voice guidance in English, French, and Spanish. The musically inclined navigators hit the market in March, with the NT30HD running $1,000 and the NT50HDT coming in at $1,200.
Live Nation releases free app
Ticket seller Live Nation has released its very own iOS app on the App Store -- you can download it for free there right now. Not only can you browse upcoming events and buy tickets to shows directly from within the app (as well as get news about presales and upcoming deals on tickets), but once you go to a show in person, you can pick up setlist information, see photos and videos and check-in with friends through social networks. Personally, I have kind of an issue with Live Nation, given its rocky past with Clear Channel Communications and Ticketmaster, so I can't really recommend the app just to buy tickets with. The company's never really been generous to customers, to say the least, taking advantage of high ticket fees and the artists that it works with. If there's an alternative way to buy your tickets, either from the venue itself or from the artists involved, it'll probably be cheaper than Live Nation, and better for the industry at large. But they are a huge company with a lot of partnerships going, and quite a few shows nowadays (if not all of the big venue shows) are sold through Live Nation. So if you're planning to buy tickets with them anyway -- and sometimes you don't have a choice -- using the app will give you some nice bonuses.
Skullphone decides to speak, probably shouldn't have
Now that Skullphone's act of purported electronic billboard hackery has been proven to be nothing more than a simple act of forking over some cash, the graffiti artist has apparently decided to try to explain things somewhat, albeit without going so far as to completely fess up. What's more, as evidenced by the tidbits of the conversion provided by PAPERMAG, Skullphone also didn't go so far as to make a lot of sense. On the central issue of hacking, Skullphone said that, "once again, it's a matter of semantics. What does it mean to hack the system. Is getting people to think for themselves hacking?" As if that wasn't enough profundity, Skullphone also said that "the art of hacking I know nothing about. What is hacking? What is art?," before going just a tad over the top by saying that "people thought Bob Dylan sold out when he went electric. I guess people weren't ready for it." If that's got you intrigued, you can hit up the link below for some more bits of wisdom.[Thanks, David]
Skullphone's Clear Channel billboards not hax0r3d, actually pa1d for
That Skullphone billboard hack we saw yesterday had everyone at Engadget HQ pretty impressed with the corporate-pranking hijinks. Too bad it turns out that Skullphone is actually a phony (and total buster, we might add) who had to pay The Man (aka Clear Channel) cold hard cash to "glitch up" the digital billboards. According to Curbed LA (and our reliable tipsters / commenters), Skullphone paid the massive media conglomerate for one-day Los Angeles-wide ads -- there was no hacking involved at all. From now on, he should just leave the signage-goofing to the pros, or at least make it clear there's some money changing hands. Fool us once, shame on you... and... we won't get fooled again.[Thanks, Dakota]
Clear Channel digital billboards in SoCal hax0r3d
We've gotten pretty used to seeing crashed digital billboards and signage dot the landscape, but just like regular billboards, what's really interesting is when the graffiti artists manage to get their own messages up on the big (big) screen. Looks like Clear Channel is the latest victim - 10 LA-area billboards owned by the media giant started displaying the logo of 18-year-old graffiti artist Skullphone last Thursday, slotted innocuously within the regular ad rotation. Sure, it's not quite at the anarcho-political level of the Billboard Liberation Front and their ilk, but every great leap begins with just a small step, no? Hit the read link for tons more photos.[Via Textually.org]
Clear Channel wants the FCC to force XM / Sirius to obey indecency laws
Apparently Clear Channel's new motto is "if you can't beat 'em, make life suck on the other side of the merger." The broadcast giant has dropped a whole big list of requests on the FCC to impose as conditions upon XM / Sirius for a merger, not the least of which is asking for broadcast decency rules be applied to satellite radio. Clear Channel feels the competitive threat of satellite radio could be mitigated a bit if the "edgy" content (Howard Stern) ceased to make terrestrial radio's edgy stuff look weak by comparison. Of course, the big difference is that XM and Sirius are paid subscription services, and we're guessing they're going to pound the "but HBO can do it" argument for all they've got, but it seems like these days no request is out of reach for terrestrial radio: Clear Channel also wants another satellite radio competitor, 5 percent "public interest" radio, and zero local programming or local advertising.
NAB trying to get Sirius / XM to surrender spectrum?
As the recent action in the 700MHz auction has shown, wireless spectrum is a valuable commodity -- which is why it looks like the NAB and Clear Channel might drop their lawsuit against the Sirius / XM merger if the two companies agree to give up a chunk of the airwaves. Industry observers close to the deal have called this the "endgame," saying that the broadcasters have been after the spectrum all along, but we're not so sure -- we'd think that the NAB would be pretty happy if Sirius and XM decided not to get hitched after all. Still, it's an interesting tactical move, if true -- let's just hope it doesn't delay a decision on this merger even longer.
Microsoft and Clear Channel team up on MSN Direct HD for HD Radio
Microsoft and Clear Channel are teaming up to have MSN Direct deliver data like weather, traffic, movie listings, sports scores, and stock prices to HD Radio receivers. The new service, which will be known as MSN Direct HD, should start showing up in compatible HD Radios next year.
ClearChannel, Cingular to offer radio station streams
ClearChannel, purveyor of all things terrestrial radio, think they see the writing on the wall when it comes to mobile streaming -- and they don't intend to get left out of the fun. A fairly far-reaching deal with Cingular announced this week gives customers the option to download radio broadcasts from ClearChannel stations for $2.99 a month, while streaming adds another 99 cents to the bill. Only New York's WHTZ-FM is available initially, but plans are in the works for "up to 100" additional stations to launch in the next year. The download plan gives folks access to interviews and features, but it looks like the closest they'll be offering to music will come in the form of a list of the last 10 titles and artists that graced the airwaves. And if you thought $2.99 was enough to buy you out of advertising, think again -- "sponsor announcements" will be part and parcel with the service.[Via MocoNews]
