Mobile Media Simplified. Accessible. Relevant.

Or rather CelleCast in Convergence. Radio Ink Convergence, that is. Thanks to Brida and the Radio Ink team for their thorough, accurate coverage of CelleCast’s unique spin on radio convergence. We always appreciate boosts in getting the word out about what we’re up to in making radio on demand more accessible for listeners and hosts alike. Some highlights from the article:

June 26, 2008: Music on mobile phones is much talked-about these days, especially since the iPhone began becoming the ubiquitous replacement to the ubiquitous iPod. But, along with all that music, Talk radio has a home on the phone as well, by way of CelleCast. And not just mobile phones — it works on landlines too.

CelleCast (say “sell-uh-cast”) lets people get talk programming on demand, over any phone, for free. Founder and CEO Andrew Deal tells Convergence Weekly, “We work with a system that creates maximum accessibility. We want people to be able to get to the content without having to be in a special plan, a special phone — we’re basically a walled-garden-buster to allow radio on demand to be as successful as radio.”

CelleCast’s programming lineup includes United Stations Radio Networks’ Lou Dobbs, Take on the Day’s Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Clear Channel Talk KFI-AM/Los Angeles afternoon hosts John & Ken, and syndicated tech show Into Tomorrow With Dave Graveline.The shows are available segment by segment on the day of broadcast, with a delay of about 20 minutes. There’s also a menu of podcasts and short features.

After some early announcements at the Talkers Conference and some early successful tests, we are about to make a larger announcement about out newest product feature in the Cellecasting experience — CelleGrams.

CelleGrams allow avid radio listeners to “capture and share the best moments in radio” with their friends.

Try it now by simply pressing 3 while listening to any cellecast, and let us know what you think, as we refine it further before our major announcement.

MocoNews reports this conclusion as to why Cliq failed as a music to mobile provider…

“Grierson said the mobile platform failed through no fault of our own. He said, Launching anything Internet-connected on mobile networks can be a problem. Mobile operators can’t unite on the protocol required so that handsets can use the same (internet) connectivity.”

Look for more of these statements to be made over and over again in the next 18 months before some kind of standard arises. The problem is these companies knew about this protocol compatibility challenge from the beginning, but pitching mobile to investors in the last few months has been easy money until this marketplace reality has been understood. The irony is that it hurts companies like ours from the valuation we deserve even though our model is free from this complication, but we’ll keep plugging 100% universality of access until more savvy partners arise out of the ashes of the current wave of mobile deals.

I am only taking credit to a small degree, but I must say that their well demonstrated approach reflects what I have been hearing myself say for a long time now to radio network execs and show hosts, as we build out our all-accessible media network.

The walled gardens we see so readily among the cell carriers and more recently Facebook and MySpace are nothing new to radio.

So FriendFeed, I salute you in hailing the value of media finding new outlets and new audiences! Let us join our rings of power together to amplify the message that the universe is indeed expanding. Media wealth is still being created. The new consumer is daily more empowered and sharing information between the newsmakers/pundits and the consumers will uncover an unprecedented yet-to-be-appreciated market awareness in the months ahead.

Andrew

P.S.
I got inspired reading and listening to these posts today…

/why-friendfeed-deserves-a-one-billion-dollar-valuation/

http://gillmorgang.techcrunch.com/2008/05/29/gillmor-gang-052908/

http://gillmorgang.techcrunch.com/2008/05/31/gillmor-gang-053008/

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.

Our thanks go out to Danno Wolkoff at Envision Radio Networks for the recent plug he gave CelleCast as a guest on Blogtalkradio’s RadioSyndicationTalk. We discovered the interview and were pleased at Danno’s expounding upon the benefits of placing Envision content on demand to any phone. While we find the advantages for content providers to be self-evident, it is always appreciated when others note them, with or without a microphone.

So, thank you Danno. And thank you for allowing us to cellecast Envision’s many great content offerings.

Check out the full interview here.

Cruising home from the mountain this weekend, on my way back from a spring skiing adventure, I found myself getting extremely frustrated with the lack of good stuff available on the radio while I was trapped in the car. Each time I scanned through my presets, it seemed all I found were commercials or something I didn’t want to listen to. I endured this for a while until I had a realization that should have occured to me much sooner.

I can get dozens of streaming stations of all genres right from my phone. Feeling both relieved at the new options, and sheepish at my delayed realization, I pulled up some good roadtrip music and set the phone next to me, content at last. What freedom comes from listening to what I want, when I want, and without commercials!

As I was listening, it occured to me that to make my experience truly complete, I would like to be able to skip through things I didn’t want to hear - a feature not usually available with streaming radio. So the ultimate would be listening to what I chose, with full file control. If only someone would amass lots of great radio and audio content, make it accessible on demand, and allow me to jump around within the audio, they’d really be on to something.

Hey…

With the painfully high prices of gas of late, many are seeking out more efficient two-wheeled alternatives for transportation.

As such, there’s never been a better time for current and would be bikers to get their biker news on the go (just not while operating your motorcycle, please :)). Enter the American Biker Minute cellecast, chock full of biker news & interviews and exciting adventures by real American bikers, in their own words.

Simply call (360) 282-5400, and get all things biker instantly, on demand, with any phone. Simplicity for any grizzled road warrior.

Leather jacket and attitude not included.

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.

If so, you might hear an exclusive interview with him on Chop Shop, now available on CelleCast.

The Chop Shop is America’s Guitar Radio Show. Hosted by Steve Black (WRIF/ Detroit,) The Chop Shop is the first radio show dedicated to the guitar. All aspects of rock music incorporate the guitar to some extent. The Chop Shop invites the listeners to hear the songs they know and love from different perspectives, while occasionally introducing the audience to some guitar gems they may have missed. CelleCast and The Chop Shop are excited to present extended versions of interviews heard on The Chop Shop, and also exclusive CelleCast only content!

Catch it on demand with any phone at (360) 547-6644 or online at http://cellecast.com/thechopshop.

(Insert air guitar solo here, preferably played with teeth rather than fingers)