Less than 50% of ALL North American terrestrial stations are streaming their broadcast!

As of the latest Arbitron Radio Today 2009 Report . . . (9-2009)

Only 48% of all FM stations are streaming

Only 32% of all AM stations are streaming

Classical stations are the most likely genre to stream their programming – 82% of classical stations are streaming online. Then, Contemporary Christian, CHR, Alternative and AAA formats are most likely to be streamed.

As a point of interest, only 52% of news/talk stations and 48% of talk/personality stations are streaming online. Those stations aren’t required to pay SoundExchange for performance music royalties, which keeps some broadcasters from streaming, so it’s surprising that they’re not streaming online.

Source: Arbitron 2009 Radio Today – How America Listens to Radio

http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/RadioToday_2009.pdf

SoundEx "undistributed funds" top $200 million, Digital Music News finds

SX: AMOUNT REFLECTS “EXPLOSION” OF NET RADIO

SoundExchange is holding over $200 million in unpaid royalties, according to Digital Music News. “And, given the growth arcs,” Digital Music News writes, “the amount may be quite a lot more.” SoundExchange’s current pile of $200 million is up from $96.7 million it had at the end of 2006, “highlighting the problems this organization is facing locating performing artists.” That said, according to IRS returns, SoundExchange had nearly $260 million at the end of 2008, showing that “a huge ramp-up in artist outreach” is having some effect.

The problem, SoundExchange said, is in part caused by the booming popularity of online radio. “The whole industry is increasing year-over-year,” said SoundExchange executive Laura Williams. “We’re just a part of, or more accurately a reflection of, that explosion.”

Yet to Digital Music News, $200 million in unpaid royalty payments still “sounds like a monstrous number, and one that should be drawing some scrutiny. One attorney reviewing the situation noted that ‘any non-profit carrying more than $200 million on its books has a serious problem.’”

Digital Music News questioned why services like Pandora have to pay “such heavy royalties if the money ends up in a holding tank, with large amounts undistributed?” Pandora reportedly spent $30 million of their $50 million revenues in 2009 on royalties. Yet Pandora founder Tim Westergren sympathized with SoundExchange. “I think, and I say this as a musician myself, that musicians need to step up here,” he said. “I don’t think SoundExchange is trying to hold on to money. It’s just remarkably hard to get musicians to take the initiative.”

Court caps off ASCAP interim fees, saving radio $40M

The radio industry came home from court with a new ASCAP rate that will take effect in June or July and will remain in effect until a new rate is negotiated or imposed. The Radio Music License Committee says it will save the industry about $40M in annual fees.

RMLC’s Executive Director, Bill Velez, commented, “We are pleased that the Court has afforded significant fee relief to the radio industry even as the litigation continues. We view this as an important first step towards a return to reasonable fee levels for the industry that reflect current economic conditions.”

Judge Denise Cote handed down the new rate, a reduction of the prior interim fee that both parties settled on back at the beginning of the year.

Although a reduction in the monthly bill will be a nice bonus for radio stations, it will not have a long-term effect. When a new fee is determined, it will be retroactive to 1/1/10, meaning whatever has actually been paid will be adjusted to reflect the eventual official rate.

For more information visit http://bit.ly/cbrzyK

Internet Radio Becoming More Competitive in 2010

SNL Kagan recently published an updated 2010 analysis of Internet Radio.

While the major radio broadcast names such as CBS and Clear Channel Communications are receiving the bulk of Internet radio ad revenues, based on publicly reported data, on the strength of their well-established local audiences, Internet radio pureplay Pandora Media has shown it can be profitable without the tower component, doubling its revenues and audience in 2009.

According to the Arbitron-Edison Research Infinite Dial 2009 study released April 8, Kagan notes the weekly average online radio audience remained steady at 17% of the age 12+ U.S. population through 2/10. After growing from 33 million in 2008 to 42 million in 2009, the online radio audience has leveled out as broadband penetration among those who have Internet access has matured at 84%.

The study also revealed that the percentage of monthly online listeners streaming Internet-only stations has overtaken the percentage listening to AM/FM stations' simulcast streams, at 55 percent versus 40 percent.

In SNL Kagan’s updated analysis, they developed a table of major providers’ which includes average monthly Unique users.

Click on the chart to enlarge:

Pure Internet Radio Threesome Head for the U.S.

British digital and internet radio enthusiasts have enjoyed the quality sound and cool styling of PURE products for a good while now. Happily, the company has just announced that three of the range first announced at CES 2010 will shortly be available to U.S. customers. The award-winning EVOKE Flow, the independence-inducing Oasis Flow and the Siesta Flow bedside companion are leading the charge, with others following a little later.

PURE‘s Internet and digital radios will undoubtedly raise a smile thanks to their cool retro styling but should also please those who want, as Paul Smith (general manager of PURE worldwide) puts it: “the best in terms of value, features, design and quality.” The company announced the creation of its U.S. wing at CES 2010 and promised to deliver its range sometime in 2010.

True to its word, PURE has announced availability from July 1 for three of its products showcased during the tech event. The award-winning EVOKE Flow will be priced at US$229 and features integrated 802.11b/g WiFi for access to the thousands of Internet radio stations as well as any media streaming computers, FM 87.5-108 MHz tuner with Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS) support and an auxiliary input for connection to a portable music player (for when users are out of streaming range). There’s also a full drive three inch speaker, touch sensitive controls and a high contrast OLED display.

At US$249, the rugged, rechargeable Oasis Flow is built with the outdoor life in mind. Waterproof and splash resistant (even the detachable aerial is rubberized) and benefiting from a 10W full range four inch drive unit, it offers all of the connectivity of the EVOKE in a grab and go portable package.

Styled very much like an eighties alarm clock radio, the compact Siesta Flow weighs in at US$139 and comes with access to a different weird and wonderful Internet alarm sound for every day of the year, up to four independent alarms and a selection of ambient sounds to go to sleep to. It’ll give 2.3W per channel output from each of its speakers, charge any device connected to its USB PowerPort and like the device’s above, is WiFi-enabled and receives FM with RBDS and RadioText support.

All of the Flow range has access to PURE’s radio and media portal, the Lounge, where users can organize and synchronize favorite internet radio stations as well as search through recommendations and popular picks. Various accessories to complement the range will also be available.

The company has also announced that its flagship Sensia radio and Sirocco 550 sound system will also enjoy a U.S. release with pricing and availability for each announced shortly.