Mobile Radio Simplified. Accessible. Relevant.

The tech community is all abuzz about the forthcoming Gphone (a.k.a. Google Phone), officially the T-Mobile G1. Featuring the much discussed Android open source platform, it is surely a developer and geek’s dream. The speculation and buzz on the web even includes the future plans to make the Gphone like a remote control. MocoNews reports:

Eventually, Android phones will be able to act as remote controls, as PacketVideo plans to adapt its “PVConnect” software to let users send content such as video, photos, and even TV shows between their computers, TV’s and game consoles, similar to AT&T’s (NYSE: T) recent announcement that it would link the iPhone to its high speed internet and video U-verse service. There will also be an app store, much like Apple’s. The applications come from big and small developers, with 50 chosen from its Android Developer Challenge.

Note the word “eventually.” This off-in-the-future functionality is cool and inviting to the top-tier of tech-savvy folks who would utilize such things and gleefully endure the purchase of numerous iterations of the phone, as well as multiple pieces of software and proprietary hardware to make such remote control functionality a reality. Not to mention the knowledge and patience required to figure out how to string it all together.

I’ll take this opportunity to reiterate that ANY PHONE will work NOW to act as a remote control for accessing mobile radio on demand. While listening to a cellecast, your phone serves as a remote control to get you where you want to go anywhere within the program, its archives or the CelleCast system. All it takes is the keypad of your phone, cellular or land line.

If only simplicity was deemed worthy of such hype.

I usually don’t send a retort to posts on competitors’ blog, as I just figure people can derive their own conclusions from what they read, but I am so annoyed by this effort to cajole the radio industry that I have grown to respect, that I will only feel relief by openly rebutting it. It is nothing other than a cheap shot at an industry in genuine transition. I understand what drives the thinking within it, because I too have been frustrated at the slower than expected pace of radio networks moving content to mobile radio, and have been tempted to do likewise. The thing that stops me though is the wisdom of mentors who cautioned me not to lash out for attention when you are frustrated.

Before I go deeper into how counterproductive this partisan outsider approach is, my first point is that the 36 month prediction of radios relegation to “the dustbin” is just plain wrong. Not only is there no precedent for it, as radio has survived quite well over many cycles of similar predictions, the various tools emerging to potentially supplant radio are only now getting their first market tests (apart from general web streaming). They are mostly device and/or carrier dependent, not to mention requiring consumer adaptation hurdles acceptable currently only to narrow demographics. To borrow from Thomas Jefferson, “We (those within the radio industry) hold these truths to be self-evident”. In short, the industry will not expire, but it will gradually transform into a multi-platform model. The platforms that still reach 93% of the population are not going away anytime soon, nor should they.

Secondly, talking down radio, as David Rehr so aptly stated in his NAB Radio Show Opening Keynote Address today is a senseless self-inflicted wound that we would expect to be reserved for radio’s detractors. The only people that benefit from creating a divide between new and old media are those seeking to acquire old media’s hard earned treasure. What happens when we leave these kind of new media startup pronouncements left unchecked? We create two narratives: One where new media people continue to talk about the stodgy old radio executives that are too slow to progress, and another where radio executives are content to withhold support from new initiatives without high guarantees of success.

The course I have decided upon for CelleCast, as newcomers working within a mature radio industry, is to present cell phone radio on demand as a complement to the goals of radio, rather than a supplanter of the position of radio. Not only does this dismantle the pointless partisan narrative that impedes progress, it opens dialog to where it needs to be. For the life of me I can’t figure out why this has eluded so many, unless it is indeed true that radio’s culture is so change resistant that it vilifies all newcomers. My experience is not consistent with that. Instead, I talk to smart radio people everyday that, despite the deluge they are under trying to do more with less, are totally open to what we offer, provided that we are not pushing the revenue question off into the future as Silicon Valley seems content to do. Radio has a long legacy of making money, which of course newcomers want to grab a piece of, so it is no surprise to me that today’s industry gatekeepers are slow to experiment with unproven ideas.

Long live Radio!

This morning as I came into work I exclaimed the usual “good morning” to some of my co-workers. Not until I made the utterance did I realize that I was still sporting the “morning voice.” You know, the foggy-sounding tones that clearly announce your pipes aren’t quite warmed up yet.

While I was momentarily embarrassed, it did call up a valuable reminder. The human voice, if not exercised, remains an under-utilized (and rough sounding) tool that is capable of so much more. Let your voice go unused, and what’s left is the groggy sounding tones I heard emanate from my mouth this morning.

The broader and more philosophical point is that we all have a voice, both literal and figurative. Our thoughts, convictions and core beliefs make up the latter voice. The one that we that we long to use to communicate, to let ourselves be known to those around us. In today’s society, where the media guide and direct the cultural conversation (for better or for worse), our best opportunity to communicate is often in response the ongoing conversation presented by various media.

Nowhere is this more true than with talk radio, where hosts passionately espouse their opinions on culture, news and policy. As consumers of talk radio, we find personality(s) with whom we resonate and often find that their voices become very influential in our day-to-day thinking and discussion.

This is where the beauty of cellecasting and mobile radio on demand comes in. You listen on your schedule and being a passive listener is no longer required. Its fully interactive nature allows you to chime into the conversation via Talkback whenever you wish, without having to wait to be put on air. It gives you an immediate outlet for your voice, your opinions. The ones you want to share with the world but never really had a channel for. In so doing you not only exercise your voice and get the self-expression you seek, you potentially spark a dialog within that community of listeners and begin to draw others to join the conversation.

Clear the frogs out of your throat and let’s hear what you have to say.

Ok, so if you are paying an extra $70/mo to Sprint, or perhaps your boss is, that makes you an exclusive member of 3% of the 264M US cellular subscriber marketplace. Congratulations to you for getting the NFL games live to your phones for the 5% of the time you gotta have it, and have time on the road to catch it live.

Mr. Brian Rolapp, talk to us when you want to reach 100% of the marketplace, as we can deliver all the games via mobile radio on demand so people can hear them not only when it is live, but on-demand on their own schedules.

Then, you’ll have a cool press release.

For $58/mo, plus installation and activation, you will be able to get wireless internet in your car.

It is basically a cellular data card for your dashboard that also has a wireless router within it. Wireless data cards can of course just go direct to your PC’s via USB, so I would just do that instead of losing portability this way. When I was in India, I used a CDMA card and went online from Chennai to Delhi, the Taj Mahal and back. I had internet in cars, airports, hotel rooms and offices… In short, everywhere, as India has as good a cellular tower network if not better than the US.

That said, Chyslers move and pricing model is good to monitor. Although it wont affect radio per se for some time, it is in the zone of interest for simplifying mobile media.

The idea of making a great product or service shine in a overwhelmed marketplace is every entrepreneurs challenge. One approach used through history is epitomized by the Taj Mahal. Sheer size is not all that qualifies it for the “7 wonders of the world” list, but the focus that made such a monument possible. Since I just got back from Agra, this metaphor is close to my heart this week.

In radio, everyone is after largeness, and we are no exception. One of the biggest temptations in industry is to seek growth through offering variety. HD Radio is based on this approach, but few people are listening. The key instead is to seek greatness by building intricate detail into a focussed product. For us, we are finding our focus by bringing mass access to personal premium talk radio on demand. Mass variety is not our goal, nor the goal of our radio partners, who are the leaders in the industry.

Mark Ramsey tells it best, by citing Positioning, a book that I should have read a long time ago, but am currently 2/3rds the way through.

There are new waves of people getting clear on what Twitter is capable of.

Although it is very easy just to see it as a way to be constantly irritated, distracted and annoyed, it is also quite valuable if used carefully to have real updates from real friends, companies, services and networkers.

We, being all about mobile media, see some great tie-ins. Announcements coming soon.

This video outlines it for those new to Twittering, straight from the founder…

Jack Dorsey Presents Twitter from biz stone on Vimeo.

Feel free to track my status anytime by just going to Twitter

This article in BtoB speaks a loud message that companies of all sizes need to heed. Just as in 1999 the strategy shifted from “get a website to be ahead of the pack” to “get a website to avoid being irrelevant”, we are coming into a time where a marketing strategy without content is incomplete.

We are not just talking about more lengthy product pitches, but content that aids business partners of various types. Tips for consumers. Timely updates for strategic partners. Industry news for PR. Internal communications for team members in the field. Whatever you can do to become a great source for good information is good for business.

Enjoy the article and consider two things while you read. 1) How does your budget break down in comparison to the finding of the survey, and 2) Can you see how an audio component available fully on-demand over the phone can help in this regard? This is a new area of research for us, and we see cellecasting as an advantageous way to create and distribute customized content on the enterprise level through our messaging and audio-on-demand tools.

Of course, as always I am talking about the cell phone, and about the voice channel.

What bears re-iterating in this post is that with all the intrigue about the next manifestations of New Media, the elemental success factors cannot be separated from what the mainstream can access and adopt.

We are finding that our competitive advantages are emerging in how we are not only innovating ways to make it easy for people to get radio media easily on demand, but in innovating around the power of the natural, familiar advantages that are inherent with the telephone.

As we are about to go from soft launch to the actual launching and announcement of the CelleCast Community version 1.0, and deliberating with team members, industry friends, and early adopters about what we are building, I am amazed by the advantages we have. We have made on-demand audio and sharing a no-barrier deal for all.

Having said that, we have a lot of work to do on messaging focus, so features and benefits are not too long of a laundry list. It is good to have great people and partners around me with who we can share problems and solutions with.

Thanks Mark, Israel, Geoff, Jim and the team for your great input this week as we are about to announce what radio is longing for.. a way to bring their listener communities together to opine, share info, and meet up with others around the shows they are loyal to.

Andrew

The Equity Kicker’s post about the trending of social networks is excellent in it’s forward thinking. I agree that the future of it is not all automatically guaranteed rosy, and that there is going to be a shakeout of this space soon… at least the generalized networks, where the community factors are an end unto themselves.

Our socnet niche is in building for a specific audience of people that love talk radio, or more specifically, thoughtful, informative discussion and debate that is relevant to their lives. Since people have a built in affinity around the media voices they listen to, there is a natural desire to gather together with others who share that affinity. Empowering this paradigm, we plan to bring a whole a new group of people into social networking, who have not bothered with it to this point.

The talk media channels are just the beginning, but are a powerful beginning, provided we can convince our emerging talk partners that the model is being built to support them, rather than derail their focus.