A while back - almost a year ago now I guess, I joined the XM Nation - that radical group of folks that for a small fee, get to select their music from a wide variety of choices rather than have it dictated to them by the radio stations that are forced on most folks. You see, XM is satellite radio, the radio version of satellite TV. One of the services that XM has started providing is local traffic and weather. After all, why should I have to switch to my car radio for several minutes, listen to the boring commercials that I got XM to avoid and then hope the traffic report is for my side of town. XM give a rolling report with the weather on the digital display.
Well, it seems that the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) isn't too happy that XM is providing its paying members this service. It seems they feel impinged upon (actually, they are scared that their already shrinking ad revenue is going to shrink further - after all, why would ANYONE voluntarily listen to the their stations if XM provided what the listener really wants?) It is all a simple case of money, and the NAB is scared they are going to lose even more than they are. XM is over a million subscribers and growing each day. Want to learn more? Visit XM at http://www.xmradio.com and the grassroots campaign to put the NAB back in its box at http://www.xmradio.com/grassroots/index.jsp.
In case you wonder how I really feel - I sent this to the FCC:
It would seem that the NAB just doesn't get it - again. Why else would people be flocking in droves to XM? It couldn't be because of the choice that NAB stations offer their listeners - because they don't. It couldn't be the large scale LOCAL programming, because it isn't local. Perhaps it is because the NAB sees the writing on the wall, and it isn't pretty.
After years of homogenizing commercial radio, the NAB is crying because XM offers better programming and actually listens to its paying customers - the radio listeners.
The FCC has shown over the last few years that it puts its opinions where the money is. The MONEY is NOT with the NAB, but with XM and similar services. I don't listen to commercial radio anymore - there is nothing there for me. XM provides me with all the service I need - a good choice of music, talk and sports when I want it, not when the NAB chooses to allow me to have it.
I find it very nice that I can quickly find out how bad the backup on the Wilson Bridge is by tuning to XM214, and it is more accurate and more timely than ANYTHING Clear Channel has to offer (or Bonneville - sorry Lisa).
The NAB can pack up and go home, they don't have a leg to stand on.
11:03:32 AM 
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