Category Archives: Radio (Online, XM, AM, FM)

Pandora Tops Terrestrial Radio

Music, Video & Print, Radio (Online, XM, AM, FM)

I had no idea Pandora was this popular…

RAIN 7/28: Pandora beats all terrestrial stations among A18-34 in top five markets

A lot of it is radio-ratings-speak, but it is interesting that in NYC, Chicago and L.A., Pandora beat all of the top terrestrial stations in those markets.  I believe that the proliferation of smartphones and home streaming devices (such as the Squeezebox) helped make it more popular as well, as you need an internet connection to use Pandora.

The Infinite Dial also mentions their Tuesday report from Edison Research and Arbitron showing that 10% of respondents nationally had listened to Pandora in the previous week.  They make a good point here:

While Pandora’s personalization and the ability to skip songs leads some people to think of it as “the other,” it’s actually the culmination of what many radio programmers have been trying to do for the last 35 years, since listener music research took hold on a large scale: progressively eliminate more and more of the “bad songs.” It’s just that Pandora users have the advantage of deciding for themselves what the “bad songs” are, even if their own tastes aren’t all that different from what 100 respondents typically decide.

Putting programming control into the hands of listeners seems to be the key to their success.

“Juke In The Back” – Matt The Cat’s New Radio Gig

Radio (Online, XM, AM, FM)

As many fans of the late, lamented XM5 channel will remember, Matt The Cat was one of XM’s greatest talents.  Out on his own for a couple of years now, Matt has been keeping the Friday Night Cat Fight alive through a weekly podcast.  His newest program is called “Juke In The Back,” and is being carried by a growing number of radio stations around the country.  This program features “The Soul Before Rock & Roll,” the rhythm and blues that predated the rock and roll era.  The name comes from the era when the jump blues records would not be available on the jukebox in front of an establishment, but were instead found on the jukebox in the back.  This is another excellent show.  Check the site often for local listings, or stream it via Rock-It Radio.  If you are a radio programmer, consider becoming an affiliate.

Pandora, Last.FM and Slacker (Upcoming Shootout)

Music, Radio (Online, XM, AM, FM)

I’m in the middle of comparing three popular online radio services:   Pandora, Last.FM and Slacker Radio.  All three offer you the choice of picking a favorite artist and “training” your own custom stations.  Given my recent experiences, my success rate varies among the three companies’ offerings.  In their free modes, there are limitations, which I will outline in my coverage of all three.  Look for the full comparison in a few weeks.  In the meantime, I’ll outline each one individually in separate articles, including a how-to guide to get the most out of them.