RIAA & broadcasters want FM radio mandatory on smartphones

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and radio broadcasters typically don't see eye-to-eye on many things, but both sides feel that FM radio should be mandated on mobile phones and other electronics.

This move is an attempt by the music industry to cling to broadcast radio for a while longer, even if it doesn't work.  The RIAA and broadcasters continue to disagree over royalties, while copyright groups finally want radio to begin paying additional fees that Internet and satellite broadcasters already pay.

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Consumers clearly aren't interested in FM radio on their mobile phones and other consumer gadgets -- especially with the availability of Pandora, Slacker, iheartradio and other similar smartphone music apps that are now widely popular.

“The backroom scheme of the [National Association of Broadcasters] and RIAA to have Congress mandate broadcast radios in portable devices, including mobile phones, is the height of absurdity,” said Gary Shapiro, CEA president, in a recent interview.  "Rather than adapt to the digital marketplace, NAB and RIAA act like buggy-whip industries that refuse to innovate and seek to impose penalties on those that do.”

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I honestly think this is an absolutely ridiculous idea, and am baffled this is the issue both sides agreed on.  This is all about giving FM radio the chance to cash in on a new wave of electronics -- and on a generation of users that largely ignores FM today.

Shapiro is likely correct in his assertion that this is a clear sign the RIAA and broadcasters don’t feel like they can keep up in the digital age -- obvious signs we’ve seen due to lawsuits and other issues dealing with online music, including the continued nightmare of music licensing in a digital world.

I don't think we'll end up with smartphones and other consumer gadgets with mandatory FM, but this reveals how desperate the RIAA and broadcasters are to try to forcefully find new customers and revenue.  Hopefully Congress doesn't pass the Performance Rights Act, which would force traditional radio stations to pay the same performance fees that are paid by satellite radio and Internet-based stations.

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