From Motley Fool: "It's a silly rumor. Google is buying Sirius? Really?...

"I'm a fan of both Google and Sirius... The problem is that this feels more like a comedy shop's chattering teeth than legitimate rumor-mill chatter...

"I have no doubt that Google could improve the monetization process at Sirius. There are certainly areas where the two would come together like peanut butter and grape jelly. Really.

• Early last year, Google acquired dMarc Broadcasting, a provider of automated radio ads for the broadcasting industry. Beyond the commercial-free music channels, Sirius has some great ad-backed programming. As fate would have it, ad revenue per user is surprisingly slipping at Sirius. A purchase by Google would help.
• Sirius is rolling out backseat video, a premium service that lets car owners stream up to three channels of kid-geared content. Google's push to video ads would come in handy here...
• Both Sirius and XM allow subscribers to stream select programming online. That means more Web traffic and a greater opportunity for paid-search market leader Google to wow us with its impressive wingspan...

"Pretty picture, isn't it? Now hit the delete button and flush out your eyes. It's just not going to happen.

"Forget for a moment that Sirius has been engaged to XM for more than seven months now.Any potential hookup of Google and Sirius is clearly intended as a rebound, just in case regulatory forces block the proposed pairing of the satellite-radio powers.

"There are several other reasons to hold off on eyeing the bridal registry or booking a wedding singer.

• dMarc's client base consists of mostly terrestrial radio stations. They view Sirius as a mortal enemy.... Google would kiss the terrestrial business goodbye in pursuit of the thinner sliver of radio ad revenue available on satellite radio? Impossible...
• If Google were to buy a satellite-radio company, XM would be the better play. XM can be had for less yet offers a larger subscriber base and a wider range of ad-centric programming.     

"Don't get me wrong. I can definitely see Google and Sirius striking up the kind of broad marketing alliance that would flesh out many of the benefits that I first pointed out. If Google doesn't take the plunge, Yahoo! or Microsoft will. That is reason alone for Google to work on its Mel Karmazin handshaking skills."

Read the entire article at the Motley Fool.

RAIN is brought to you today by:

Jones TM, based in Dallas, has been around since the 1960s and is the world's leading creator and provider of products and services for the broadcast industry. Jones TM creates, produces, and distributes music-based products for broadcasters, webcasters and other media. Programming services include HitDisc and GoldDisc. Jones also has a wide range of production & imaging libraries like Steam, Short Bus Radio, Audio Architecture, and Imagio; plus commercial jingles and IDs, prep services, the Daily Service, and more. Visit www.JonesTM.com or call 972-406-6800 for more information.

From MediaDailyNews: "It's official: everyone wants a piece of online classifieds. The latest competitor to throw a hat in the ring is Citadel Interactive and  ABC Radio Networks, both divisions of Citadel Broadcasting.

"The radio companies join local TV broadcasters that have already set up shop with online classifieds...

"On Tuesday, Citadel and ABC announced the creation of a new online classifieds site for ethnic recruitment, IHaveADreamJob.com, in partnership with RegionalHelpWanted.com.

"According to the companies, the soft launch of the site has already attracted 70,000 job listings and 100,000 resumes...

"Television has already plunged into the online classifieds rumble. Over the last year, CBS, NBC, and Young Broadcasting have all beefed up their online classifieds. There's also competition from third-party companies. In April, Internet Broadcasting Systems, a national network of local NBC affiliates, struck a deal with Monster.com to share online recruitment listings in 108 markets...

"These sites are being heavily promoted with TV ad spots provided by the stations, as well as ads on the Internet."

Read the entire article at MediaDailyNews.

From I4U News: "ASUS has a new Internet radio device that has cleared the FCC. It is named simply ASUS Internet Radio. The device ships with an old school looking radio in what appears to be a walnut colored case, a remote control and an AC adapter.

"The device is stand-alone and needs no PC to operate. You simply plug it into your network via a RJ45 jack on the rear and  it has an up to date list of more than 10,000 online radio stations.

"You also get the ability to set 250 favorite stations... In addition to wired connectivity options, the device can connect wirelessly thanks to built-in 802.11 b/g. A 128 x 64 FSTN graphics display is built in and a 3.5mm headphones jack, 3.5mm line in jack, RCA line out and a DC jack are included as well. Supported audio formats are MP3/WPA2 at 16Kbps~320Kbps."

This short review can be found at I4U News here.

Advertisement