[SBE] Fwd: NAB FM chip proposal

[Dennis C. Brown]

    Every minute that a cell phone user is listening to free radio, he's 
not paying the cellular carrier for entertainment content offered by the 
carrier.  Every minute that a cell phone user is listening to free 
radio, she's draining the battery, increasing the risk that she'll look 
at the battery meter and decide against making a long, billable, phone 
call.  Every minute that the user is listening to radio, he's not 
thinking about making a billable phone call.  Now, if a deal could be 
worked so that the cellular carriers would get paid for collecting radio 
listening information which would be integrated into ratings, maybe CTIA 
would have a different attitude.

Richard Rudman wrote:

> Greetings from Washington:

>

> NAB has launched a major initiative to mandate FM radio chips in all cellphones.

>

> Attached is an Adobe Reader presentation given by NAB at the EAS Summit yesterday.

>

> They are marketing this idea as an enhancement to EAS.  Obviously there are 

> other benefits that would accrue to FM broadcasters. The EAS benefits may not be 

> as clear cut as they think at this point.

>

> Obviously NAB is looking for other industry entities to back their proposal. I 

> recommend talking to NAB about this if the Board thinks the idea has SBE member 

> benefits. One could say that anything that gets more radios in the hands of 

> audience is a good thing for SBE members. I think SBE could make some 

> constructive suggestions to NAB to make it more likely their proposal would have 

> merit for emergency public information and EAS.

>

> Here's my take on what they presented. Clay and Gary and Art were there and can 

> chime in with their takes. 

>

> Advantages:

> 1. Users can tune to an FM station after getting a CMAS warning (coming to you 

> cellphone no sooner than 2010-2012 by some accounts)

> 2. FM is added universally to cellphones as an option

> 3. FM/RDS can display warning messages

> 4. Value added for cell phone users

> 5. Cost to add the chip is low - some phones already have them

>

> Disadvantages:

> 1. AM is left out in the cold

> 2. No recognition in existing cell FM chipsets for either SAME or CAP.

> 3. Not as many FM stations have news departments as AM stations and/or have 

> prepared for severe emergency operations.

> 4. RDS data rate is only 1187.5 bit per second and has other uses now at 

> RDS-capable stations.

> 5. Cellphone displays of RDS date would be restricted so EAS CAP messages would 

> require a lot of scrolling to read.

>

>

> FYI, the CTIA representative on the panel, Brian Joseph, Dir. of Public Affairs 

> for CTIA,  was cool to the idea -- possibly icy.

>

> Regards,

>

> Richard

> >

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