Terrestrial radio, the old guard of the music industry wants to stick with you. Just like the good ol’days when you took your boombox  to the sandlot and listened to Casey Kasem…

Wait! None of that happened to me. I remember being forced to listen to radio hits that I didn’t like until our lord and saviour the Internet arrived.

Well now, as radio sees its market share diminish because of awesome sauce technologies like iPods, the National Assn. of Broadcasters (NAB) wants to legally mandated to be on your iPod. The idea has been introduced as part of its negotiations with the RIAA over performance rights royalties to the the U.S. market. We’ll keep an eye on this as it develops.

Via the LA Times

The Consumer Electronics Assn., the trade group behind the annual CES event, has lashed out at the radio industry’s push for FM radio tuners to be a government-mandated addition to mobile devices.

“We believe that product design is the domain of innovators in the marketplace — not the government,” reads a letter signed by Gary Shapiro, CEA’s president and chief executive.

In increasing the number of mobile phones with FM tuners, radio believes it could better compete with fast-rising streaming services such as Pandora, as well as boost its listenership and increase advertising.

The NAB’s executive vice president of communications, Dennis Wharton, said in a statement. “Nonetheless, the public safety benefits of having free and local radio’s lifeline service in mobile devices is undeniable, a fact underscored by the disability community’s recent endorsement of this technology.”

Take Control of Your Music
Voyno