Hear 2.0

What the CBS Radio/Last.fm announcement REALLY means

From Radio Ink:

CBS Radio's broadcast stations will be streamed to Last.fm users and CBS Radio's streaming audience will have access to Last.fm's library of free, on-demand music under a new deal announced Tuesday. The new partnership will also include new content and features for both Last.fm and CBS Radio websites, and will, CBS said, "open the door to cross-promotional opportunities throughout their respective platforms."

What's being missed in this announcement but is very much between the lines is this:

CBS Radio listeners will be able to create customized versions of their favorite CBS stations online. Undoubtably, KROQ (for example) will soon enable you to create "myKROQ, powered by last.fm."

This will usher in an era where there is no such thing as a "station stream," per se, since the stream will vary based on the tastes of the listener that "programs" the stream. There will be as many "streams" as there are listeners interested in hearing them, each branded by your station.

Further, it's only a matter of time before this capability is shopped to groups outside CBS - by last.fm and others.

For your consideration, what does "radio" mean when one station can have infinite flavors?

Comments