Microsoft Slams Google's Ad Practices

Microsoft Slams Google's Ad Practices

Microsoft and Google are locked in a battle over the lucrative search advertising market

March 17, 2010

- Brian Morrissey

Microsoft used a speaking slot provided by the Association of National Advertisers to open a broad assault on rival Google, accusing the Web giant of using its market clout to the detriment of advertisers.
Microsoft deputy general counsel Mary Snapp laid out her company's case to advertisers gathered in Washington, D.C., today for the ANA Advertising Law & Public Policy Conference, which Microsoft sponsored. Ironically, Microsoft based its criticisms on Google's size in the market, mirroring charges leveled against the software firm in the 1990s.
Snapp said marketers should demand that Google allow them to take advertising data out of AdWords for use in other ad tools. She also decried Google's policy that lets competitors bid on a brand's search terms, saying it drives up prices. Microsoft only sells search ads on brand terms to companies that own those terms.
"Google, of course, benefits handsomely from this policy by collecting lots of money from the investments that you and other companies have made in their brands," she said in her prepared remarks.
Microsoft and Google are locked in a battle over the lucrative search advertising market, with Microsoft trailing far behind. The companies have sparred regularly over which is abusing its power. Google suspects that Microsoft will use its operating system and browser market power to steer users to its search engine. Microsoft sees Google's stronghold in online advertising as detrimental to competition.
"We realize that, given the state of the market, few of you can afford to give up using Google because of these restrictions," Snapp told advertisers at the conference. "But that doesn't mean you should have to accept them either. And the fact that Google has might, does not make it right."
Google representative Adam Kovacevich painted the attack as part of a broader Microsoft effort to combat Google using legal maneuvers. He pointed to a recent Wall Street Journal article that found Microsoft behind an unusual antitrust claim filed in Ohio by a small Web advertiser.
"In light of recent revelations, we're not surprised by these comments," he said. "But we work hard to compete fair and square, and our policies are intended to provide users with the most relevant results possible and give advertisers the best possible return on their investment."
Google contends that its trademark policy, which allows bidding on brand terms, balances trademark owners' rights with providing consumers as much information as possible in search ads.
Kovacevich said the AdWords API policy is a non-issue.
"As we have repeatedly made clear, advertisers can easily export their ad campaign data out of AdWords into competing ad platforms like Microsoft and Yahoo, both through CSV export and the AdWords API," he said. "In fact, both Microsoft and Yahoo offer their advertisers explicit tips and tools for exporting Google campaign data into their platforms."
In a later phone interview, Snapp said Microsoft is making progress toward providing a counterweight to Google in the online ad market. But that doesn't excuse what she called "artificial restrictions" created by Google, she said.
"The solution is that Google changes some of these practices to be more open and transparent," she said.
Microsoft's legal and regulatory efforts have so far borne some fruit. It was able to rally opposition to scuttle Google's proposed search advertising deal with Yahoo in 2008. Microsoft subsequently struck a deal with Yahoo that will result in bumping its search market share to around 25 percent from the 12 percent it controls today.
Snapp also used the speech to reiterate Microsoft's support for the Federal Trade Commission investigating Google's proposed acquisition of mobile ad network AdMob.
"This isn't just grumbling," she said. "This is making sure the next generation of commerce is one that's healthy, vibrant and competitive."

Wireless Broadband Disruption – WiMAX, LTE or Wi-Fi

 

LTE (News - Alert) versus WiMAX is a standard topic in the press and at conferences, as if something disruptive was happening or might happen. Wrong! WiMAX and LTE are technical variations on the same business model providing similar services. If we’re looking for disruption, we need to catch up on what’s happening with Wi-Fi.

Today, WiMAX (News - Alert) is ahead of LTE, but only for green field deployments. All GSM operators will adopt LTE so, by 2015-2020, there will be billions of LTE devices sold each year. WiMAX will survive as a service platform alternative, but for the same services and business models as LTE.

Wi-Fi is a very different story. There are no carriers. Individuals, corporations, communities – anyone who’s interested buys their own infrastructure and deploys it wherever they want. Carriers are still needed for Internet connectivity, but otherwise, Wi-Fi infrastructure is a completely different beast.

First, Wi-Fi and “freemium” go together. Business models range from completely free to retail sponsorship (your local coffee shop), community sharing (the FON network) and/or bundled with other services (e.g. Verizon (News - Alert) adds Boingo to FiOS subscriptions). Yes, a few paid hotspot services remain, but they are a small part of the Wi-Fi ecosystem.

People who need completely mobile Internet connections purchase a traditional service – 3G, WiMAX or, eventually, LTE – leaving Wi-Fi hotspot aggregators to cut deals with traditional service providers, as Boingo (News - Alert) has done with Verizon. Arguably, freemium is the logical result of license-exempt spectrum and infrastructure ownership.

The most important result of Wi-Fi’s ownership model has been widespread adoption, leading to lower prices and ever more adoption. Projections are that there will be more than a billion Wi-Fi chips per year by 2011, with Wi-Fi showing up in all smart phones and all manner of other devices.

Finally, Wi-Fi has technology leadership. 4G leverages orthogonal frequency division multiplexing and multiple input multiple output, aka MIMO. But Wi-Fi adopted OFDM in versions 802.11a (in 1999) and 802.11g (in 2003), allowing Wi-Fi to achieve 54mbps operation. And Wi-Fi adopted MIMO with 802.11n (draft in 2007). Today, 11n devices ship in high volumes, use 2.4gHz or 5gHz spectrum and provide 100-300mbps. New Wi-Fi silicon will deliver as much as 600mbps, and beamforming antennas will increase range and allow dramatically more wireless connections in the same area.

As consumer devices with access to more spectrum than either WiMAX or LTE, Wi-Fi can deliver more megabits per second per dollar. Expect to see both fixed and mobile carriers including free Wi-Fi access in their subscription bundles as Wi-Fi trumps femtocells. Conventional operators are not going away but, over the next decade, it’s Wi-Fi that will shake up business models and drive disruption. IT

Brough Turner (News - Alert) is co-founder of

Fonte: http://www.tmcnet.com/voip/0210/wireless-broadband-disruption-wimax-lte-or-wi-fi.htm

Mobile Ads Set for Growth in BRIC Nations

Mobile Ads Set for Growth in BRIC Nations

March 17, 2010

- eMarketer Staff

Mobile advertising is still in a relatively nascent stage across the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), and each market will develop along a different trajectory, per eMarketer.
China, which has the largest mobile subscriber and Internet population, will emerge as a significant mobile advertising market by 2012, although spending will still be low relative to the size of its user base. In Brazil, India and Russia, spending levels across the primary mobile advertising channels -- messaging, display and search -- will remain modest.

Given the high concentration of SMS usage, especially relative to the low level of mobile Internet usage in all the BRIC countries but China, messaging-based campaigns will provide marketers with the widest exposure to mobile consumers.
However, as smart devices proliferate and consumers' appetites for advanced applications such as video increase, marketers will have more sophisticated opportunities to engage mobile users.

A New Definition of Digital Magazines (circulation measurement)

The move comes in anticipation of the growth of Apple's iPad and other e-reading devices

March 16, 2010

- Lucia Moses, Mediaweek

Amazon's Kindle

The Audit Bureau of Circulations, anticipating the growth of e-reading devices like the Apple iPad, has expanded its definition of digital magazines to accommodate the shift.

The ABC originally defined a digital magazine as an exact replica of the printed version, and had in mind magazines delivered on PCs, not the forthcoming tablets with their wide range of interactive and multimedia capabilities. 

The new language, adopted at the bureau’s board meeting last week, says a digital magazine has to contain the same content and advertising as its print counterpart but doesn’t need to be identical in layout to the print version to be counted as paid circulation.

The most immediate beneficiary of the language change is Wired magazine, whose anticipated iPad edition will qualify as a digital replica under the revised definition. Another Conde Nast title, GQ, has already received approval for its digital replica, which has been distributed on the iPhone and iPod Touch since December 2009.

“We have to understand that the presentation of the content may be different [on tablets],” David Leckey, evp, consumer marketing, American Media Inc., and a vice chairman of the board, said of the language change. “We need to keep the ABC ahead of the curve on this one and talk about how the future can embrace all platforms.”

“ABC’s action is good news and a timely step forward for both publishers and advertisers in advance of the iPad launch,” said Brenda White, svp, publishing activation director, Starcom USA, and an ABC board member.
The ABC also has been looking at how to account for the evolution of newspapers across platforms and its effect on advertising models. As a result, ABC last week gave initial approval to a new report that reflects a newspaper’s total audience across multiple platforms including e-readers, the Web, mobile phones and spinoffs of its flagship edition.
The expanded reporting option will be available starting Oct. 1.

ANAC: Novos Direitos dos Passageiros em caso de Atraso ou Cancelamento de Vôos ou Overbooking

 

A ANAC publicou no DOU de hoje novas regras a serem cumpridas pelas cias éreas em caso de atrasos ou cancelamento de vôos ou overbooking. Elas explicitam as opções que devem ser apresentadas ao passageiro (no meu entender é ele quem escolhe a opção e não a cia aérea – advogados me corrijam se estiver errado!) nesses casos. Agora o passageiro passou a ter que ser atendido em algumas necessidades básicas já quando se ultrapassa a primeira hora de atraso e não mais 4 horas como antigamente.

As novas regras passam a valer em 90 dias.

Eu podia fazer um resumo, mas vou postar na  integra a resolução da ANAC (boa de imprimir e guardar…) a fim de que todos leiam e conheçam seus direitos direto da fonte. Fiz alguns grifos das partes mais importantes.

AGÊNCIA NACIONAL DE AVIAÇÃO CIVIL

DIRETORIA

RESOLUÇÃO No- 141, DE 9 DE MARÇO DE 2010

Dispõe sobre as Condições Gerais de Transporte aplicáveis aos atrasos e cancelamentos de voos e às hipóteses de preterição de passageiros e dá outras providências.

A DIRETORIA DA AGÊNCIA NACIONAL DE AVIAÇÃO

CIVIL – ANAC, no exercício da competência que lhe foi outorgada pelo art. 8º, incisos X, XXXV e XLVI, e art. 11, inciso V, da Lei No-11.182, de 27 de setembro de 2005, tendo em vista o que dispõem os arts. 229, 230, 231 e 302 da Lei No- 7.565, de 19 de dezembro de 1986, que institui o Código Brasileiro de Aeronáutica – CBAer, a legislação complementar, a Lei No- 10.406, de 10 de janeiro de 2002, que institui o Código Civil, e a Lei No- 8.078, de 11 de setembro de 1990, que institui o Código de Proteção e Defesa do Consumidor, e considerando o deliberado na Reunião Deliberativa da Diretoria realizada em 9 de março de 2010, resolve:

Art. 1º Disciplinar, nos termos desta Resolução, as Condições Gerais de Transporte aplicáveis aos atrasos e cancelamentos de voos e às hipóteses de preterição de passageiros.

CAPÍTULO I

DO ATRASO DE VOO

Seção I

Da Informação sobre o Atraso de Voo

Art. 2º O transportador, ao constatar que o voo irá atrasar em relação ao horário originalmente programado, deverá informar o passageiro sobre o atraso, o motivo e a previsão do horário de partida, pelos meios de comunicação disponíveis.

§ 1º O transportador deverá manter o passageiro informado quanto à previsão atualizada do horário de partida do voo.

§ 2º Quando solicitada pelo passageiro, a informação deverá ser prestada por escrito pelo transportador.

Seção II

Dos Deveres do Transportador em Decorrência de Atrasos

Art. 3º Em caso de atraso no aeroporto de partida por mais de 4 (quatro) horas, o transportadordeverá oferecer as seguintes alternativas ao passageiro:

I – a reacomodação:

a) em voo próprio que ofereça serviço equivalente para o mesmo destino, na primeira oportunidade;

b) em voo próprio a ser realizado em data e horário de conveniência do passageiro;

II – o reembolso do valor integral pago pelo bilhete de passagem não utilizado, incluídas as tarifas.

Parágrafo único. O transportador também poderá oferecer ao passageiro, nas hipóteses deste artigo, a opção de reacomodação em voo de terceiro que ofereça serviço equivalente para o mesmo destino.

Art. 4º Em caso de atraso no aeroporto de escala ou de conexão por mais de 4 (quatro) horas, o transportador deverá oferecer as seguintes alternativas ao passageiro:

I – a reacomodação:

a) em voo próprio ou de terceiro, que ofereça serviço equivalente para o mesmo destino, na primeira oportunidade;

b) em voo próprio, a ser realizado em data e horário de conveniência do passageiro;

II – o reembolso:

a) integral, assegurado o retorno ao aeroporto de origem;

b) do trecho não utilizado, se o deslocamento já realizado aproveitar ao passageiro;

III – a conclusão do serviço por outra modalidade de transporte.

Art. 5º O transportador só poderá invocar o prazo de 4 (quatro) horas para adotar as providências de que tratam os arts. 3º e 4º caso não estejam disponíveis medidas para pronta reacomodação em voo próprio.

Parágrafo único. Sempre que o transportador já dispuser de estimativa de que o voo irá atrasar mais de 4 (quatro) horas em relação ao horário originalmente previsto, deverá, de imediato, disponibilizar ao passageiro, conforme o caso, as alternativas previstas nos arts. 3º e 4º.

Art. 6º Em caso de atraso, será devida assistência na forma prevista no art. 14.

§ 1º Nos voos com conexão, assim consignados no bilhete de passagem, o transportador que realizar o transporte até o aeroporto de conexão e que, por atraso do voo, der causa à perda do embarque no voo subsequente, deverá providenciar a reacomodação do passageiro, bem como proporcionar a assistência prevista no caput deste artigo.

§ 2º Cessará o dever de assistência caso o passageiro opte por qualquer das alternativas contidas nos arts. 3º, incisos I, alínea “b”, e II, e 4º, incisos I, alínea “b”, e II, alínea “b”.

CAPÍTULO II

DO CANCELAMENTO DE VOO E DA INTERRUPÇÃO DO SERVIÇO

Seção I

Da Informação sobre o Cancelamento de Voo e a Interrupção do Serviço

Art. 7º O transportador deverá informar o passageiro, imediatamente, sobre o cancelamento do voo ou interrupção do serviço e seu motivo pelos meios de comunicação disponíveis.

§ 1º O cancelamento programado de voo e seu motivo deverão ser informados ao passageiro com, no mínimo, 72 (setenta e duas) horas de antecedência do horário previsto de partida.

§ 2º Quando solicitada pelo passageiro, a informação deverá ser prestada por escrito pelo transportador.

Seção II

Dos Deveres do Transportador em Decorrência de Cancelamento de Voo e Interrupção do Serviço

Art. 8º Em caso de cancelamento de voo ou interrupção do serviço, o transportador deverá oferecer as seguintes alternativas ao passageiro:

I – a reacomodação:

a) em voo próprio ou de terceiro que ofereça serviço equivalente para o mesmo destino, na primeira oportunidade;

b) em voo próprio a ser realizado em data e horário de conveniência do passageiro;

II – o reembolso:

a) integral, assegurado o retorno ao aeroporto de origem em caso de interrupção;

b) do trecho não utilizado, se o deslocamento já realizado aproveitar ao passageiro;

III – a conclusão do serviço por outra modalidade de transporte, em caso de interrupção.

Art. 9º Em caso de cancelamento de voo ou interrupção do serviço será devida assistência na forma prevista no art. 14, exceto nos casos em que o passageiro optar por qualquer das alternativas contidas no art. 8º, incisos I, alínea “b”, e II, alínea “b”.

CAPÍTULO III

DA PRETERIÇÃO DE PASSAGEIRO

Art. 10. Deixar de transportar passageiro com bilhete marcado ou reserva confirmada configura preterição de embarque.

Parágrafo único. Quando solicitada pelo passageiro, a informação sobre o motivo da preterição deverá ser prestada por escrito pelo transportador.

Art. 11. Sempre que antevir circunstâncias que gerem a preterição de embarque, o transportador deverá procurar por passageiros que se voluntariem para embarcar em outro voo mediante o oferecimento de compensações.

§ 1º As compensações de que trata o caput deverão ser objeto de negociação entre o passageiro e o transportador.

§ 2º Não haverá preterição caso haja passageiros que se voluntariem para ser reacomodados em outro voo mediante a aceitação de compensações.

§ 3º O transportador poderá solicitar ao passageiro a assinatura de termo específico reconhecendo a aceitação de compensações.

Art. 12. Em caso de preterição de embarque, o transportador deverá oferecer as seguintes alternativas ao passageiro:

I – a reacomodação:

a) em voo próprio ou de terceiro que ofereça serviço equivalente para o mesmo destino, na primeira oportunidade;

b) em voo a ser realizado em data e horário de conveniência do passageiro;

II – o reembolso:

a) integral, assegurado o retorno ao aeroporto de origem em caso de interrupção;

b) do trecho não utilizado, se o deslocamento já realizado aproveitar ao passageiro;

III – a realização do serviço por outra modalidade de transporte.

Art. 13. Em caso de preterição de embarque será devida a assistência de que trata o art. 14, exceto nos casos em que o passageiro optar por qualquer das alternativas previstas no art. 12, incisos I, alínea “b”, e II, alínea “b”.

CAPÍTULO IV

DA ASSISTÊNCIA MATERIAL

Art. 14. Nos casos de atraso, cancelamento ou interrupção de voo, bem como de preterição de passageiro, o transportador deverá assegurar ao passageiro que comparecer para embarque o direito a receber assistência material.

§ 1º A assistência material consiste em satisfazer as necessidades imediatas do passageiro, gratuitamente e de modo compatível com a estimativa do tempo de espera, contados a partir do horário de partida originalmente previsto, nos seguintes termos:

I – superior a 1 (uma) hora: facilidades de comunicação, tais como ligação telefônica, acesso a internet ou outros;

II – superior a 2 (duas) horas: alimentação adequada;

III – superior a 4 (quatro) horas: acomodação em local adequado, traslado e, quando necessário, serviço de hospedagem.

§ 2º O transportador poderá deixar de oferecer serviço de hospedagem para o passageiro que residir na localidade do aeroporto de origem.

Art. 15. Aplicam-se as disposições do artigo anterior, no que for cabível, aos casos em que os passageiros já estejam a bordo da aeronave em solo e sem acesso ao terminal.

CAPÍTULO V

DAS DISPOSIÇÕES FINAIS

Art. 16. O transportador deve assegurar as medidas necessárias para a efetivação do reembolso tão logo lhe seja solicitado, incluídas as tarifas aeroportuárias e observados os meios de pagamento.

§ 1º O reembolso dos valores já quitados e recebidos pelo transportador deverá ser imediato, mediante restituição em espécie ou crédito em conta bancária.

§ 2º O reembolso será efetuado em nome do adquirente do bilhete de passagem.

§ 3º Havendo concordância entre as partes, o reembolso poderá ser efetuado por meio de créditos junto ao transportador.

Art. 17. O dever de reacomodação não se sobrepõe aos contratos de transporte já firmados, sujeitando-se à disponibilidade de assentos.

Parágrafo único. A reacomodação de passageiros enquadrados em uma das hipóteses regulamentadas nesta Resolução tem precedência em relação à celebração de novos contratos de transporte.

Art. 18. O passageiro de transporte aéreo tem pleno direito à informação clara e ostensiva acerca do serviço contratado e suas eventuais alterações.

§ 1º Para fins de reacomodação, o transportador aéreo deverá fornecer informações ao passageiro sobre os horários de voos que ofereçam serviços equivalentes.

§ 2º O dever de informação estende-se às hipóteses em que seja devida a reacomodação em voos de terceiros.

§ 3º O transportador deverá disponibilizar, nas zonas de despacho de passageiros (check-in) e nas áreas de embarque, informativos claros e acessíveis com os seguintes dizeres: “Passageiro, em caso de atraso ou cancelamento de voo e de preterição de embarque, solicite junto à companhia aérea informativo sobre seus direitos, em especial no tocante às alternativas de reacomodação, reembolso e assistência material”.

§ 4º O transportador aéreo deverá disponibilizar aos passageiros informativos impressos sobre seus direitos, nos casos de alteração no serviço contratado contemplados na presente Resolução.

Art. 19. O descumprimento aos termos desta Resolução configura infração às Condições Gerais de Transporte, nos termos da alínea “u” do inciso III do art. 302 do CBAer.

Art. 20. Os deveres e garantias previstos nesta Resolução não afastam a obrigação do transportador de reparar eventuais prejuízos suportados pelo passageiro.

Art. 21. Esta Resolução substitui as disposições dos arts. 6º, 9º, 22, 23 e 24 da Portaria No- 676/GC-5, de 13 de novembro de 2000, publicada no Diário Oficial da União de 14 de novembro de 2000, Seção 1, páginas 10, 11 e 12.

Art. 22. Esta Resolução entra em vigor 90 (noventa) dias após sua publicação.

SOLANGE PAIVA VIEIRA

Diretora-Presidente

Crowley monitora Clip FM e Band FM em Campinas

Crowley monitora Clip FM e Band FM em Campinas

A Crowley Broadcast Analisys  instituição oficial de pesquisa, que monitora mais de 270 emissoras de Rádio do Brasil desde 1997, anunciou que  a Clip FM de Indaiatuba (88.7 MHz) e a Band FM deCampinas (99.7 MHz) passam a ter suas grades de programação monitoradas pela empresa. Agora serão 12, as emissoras em  FM que passam a contar com o serviço, que deixa de ser apenas na cidade de Campinas e passa a atingir a região metropolitana.
As demais emissoras são :
Notícia FM 88,9; Jovem Pan 2 FM 89,9;  Vox 90 FM 90,3; Educadora FM 91,7; Cidade FM 92,5;  Transamérica Hits FM 93,9;Raízes FM 98,7; Estereosom FM 99,9; Jornal FM 100.7 e Onda Livre FM 105,3.
No mercado de Ribeirão e São Carlos, 9 rádios possuem essa prestação de serviço e monitoramento. São elas:
Band FM 90.5, Difusora FM 91.3; Mega FM 92.3; Jovem Pan 2 FM93.1; Conquista FM 97.7; Clube FM 100.5. Completam a lista Clube FM 104.7 São Carlos, Hertz 2 FM 96.5 de Franca e Estúdio 1 FM 91.1 de Cristais Paulista.
Falando com exclusividade ao RA, Paul Smith, Diretor Geral da Crowley Broadcast, disse que "a razão de aumentar a monitoração da cidade para a região metropolitana é refletir bem a questão demográfica e sócio-econômica destas regiões. Até o final do ano, mais 5 cidades entrarão na monitoração, incluindo capitais e interior."

Paul Smith

Ele ainda destaca que o serviço tem o objetivo de fornecer informações rápidas e confiáveis ao mercado publicitário em relação à efetiva veiculação das campanhas contratadas junto às emissoras de rádio, promovendo, dessa forma, a maior credibilidade do meio.  "Nossoportfolio, contendo as emissoras cadastradas em nosso banco de dados, é entregue à todas as agências de publicidade do país, com objetivo de dar visibilidade e trazer novos recursos, também, às emissoras fora de grandes centros",  diz Smith.

Por: Editor
08h00 @ 12.03.2010
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Lufthansa estuda retomar voo direto para o Rio devido à forte demanda

12/03/2010 - 14h59

Lufthansa estuda retomar voo direto para o Rio devido à forte demanda

RIO - O forte aumento da demanda por parte de passageiros do Rio de Janeiro faz a Lufthansa estudar a possibilidade de retomar os voos a partir da capital fluminense, encerrados em 2005.
Atualmente, a Lufthansa tem dois voos a partir do aeroporto de Guarulhos, em São Paulo, um seguindo diariamente para Frankfurt e outro cinco vezes por semana para Munique. Com a Swiss, controlada pela empresa alemã, há também frequências diárias entre Guarulhos e Zurique.
No ano passado, o Rio respondeu por cerca de um terço dos passageiros embarcados pela companhia a partir do Brasil. O volume de passagens vendidas no Rio de Janeiro para os três voos do grupo a partir do Brasil cresceu 26% na comparação com 2008.
A classe econômica contribuiu com um crescimento de 33%, enquanto o setor premium, que une a primeira classe e a executiva, subiu 10%.
A maior parte dos passageiros que compraram bilhetes no Rio viajou ano passado a lazer, enquanto apenas 40% embarcaram a negócios. Apesar de ter a menor fatia, o volume de viagens de negócios subiu 48%.
"Está em estudo voltar para o Rio de Janeiro e as chances são boas", ressaltou Albena Janssen, diretora de vendas e marketing da Lufthansa para o Brasil, que fez questão de frisar que ainda não há uma decisão final sobre a possível volta dos voos diretos para o Galeão.
"Para o brasileiro, está mais barato viajar para o exterior e não acho que (esse crescimento) seja algo pontual", acrescentou.
Para 2010, a empresa alemã espera começar a colher mais frutos do acordo de compartilhamento (code share) com a TAM, que a partir de 13 de maio entra para a Star Alliance, maior aliança de companhias aéreas do mundo.
O acordo de code share já permite que os clientes da Lufthansa embarquem em diversas capitais em aviões da TAM para conexão em Guarulhos, onde embarcam nas aeronaves da Lufthansa ou da Swiss.
Com a entrada da brasileira da Star Alliance, a expectativa é de que até o fim do ano já seja possível utilizar o code share a partir de todas as capitais brasileiras onde a TAM opera.
Globalmente, o grupo Lufthansa fechou 2009 com 55,5 milhões de passageiros. Apesar de não abrir o volume de passageiros no Brasil, Janssen confirmou que o crescimento na América Latina ficou acima da média de outros continentes, com destaque especial para o mercado brasileiro.
A frota atual da Lufthansa é de 549 aeronaves, sendo 19 jatos da Embraer. Até 2011, o grupo espera receber mais 170 aparelhos, sendo 17 da Embraer e 15 Airbus A380, o maior avião de passageiros do mundo.
Nos voos a partir do Brasil, a empresa usa o Boeing 747-400 para voar até Frankfurt e o Airbus A340-300 para os destinos de Munique e de Zurique, este último operado pela Swiss.
Apesar de operar o terminal 2 do aeroporto de Munique, construído pela empresa e em operação desde 2000, a companhia acha prematuro falar na possibilidade de uma participação em projetos de concessão de terminais no Brasil.
"Somos um usuário espectador", disse Janssen, acrescentando que em Munique o grande volume de operações do grupo Lufthansa justifica a operação de um terminal no local.
(Rafael Rosas | Valor)

Radio Advertising Slows Plunge in Q4, down 8%

Radio Advertising Slows Plunge in Q4, down 8%

Published on February 21, 2010 | Email this article

 

The Radio Advertising Bureau says total radio ad revenues fell 8% in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008.

For the full year 2009, radio ad revenues slipped 18%, compared to the previous year.

The fourth quarter showed a strong rally, compared to the first three quarters of 2009, which saw radio revenue 24%, 22% and 16%, respectively.

Fourth quarter ad revenue came to about $4.3 billion, with full-year revenue at $16 billion, according to MediaPost.

Network radio sales were down 5% in the fourth quarter, while local and national fell 10%.

Automotive advertising made a comeback in Q4, jumping 9% to $341 million - and regaining its place as the industry’s top category. Digital ad revenue from radio station websites jumped 15%, to reach an all-time high of $133 million, writesCrain’s New York Business.

Digital was up 13% for the year, to $480 million.

There are some positive signs for the beginning of the year, as well. For Q1 10, Katz Media Group chief executive officer Stu Olds projects that national spot radio for the company will be up 19%, with January seeing a 21% rise, followed by a rise of 2% in February and a 7% rise in March.

Barclay’s Capital released revised predictions for the ad industry last week, including good news for radio: the medium is now expected to see positive growth. Barclay’s predicts growth of 2.2% in 2010, up from its previous expectation of a 4% drop.

TargetSpot Streams Ads in Mobile Radio Applications

TargetSpot Streams Ads in Mobile Radio Applications

Published on February 22, 2010 | Email this article

 

TargetSpot, the nation’s largest internet radio advertising network, has launched a mobile advertising platform, allowing marketers to serve audio ads to mobile applications on various smartphones.

Slacker Radio, a pure-play internet radio service, will use TargetSpot’s online advertising platform to make mobile ad inventory available to advertisers through Slacker’s mobile apps on iPhone, Android and BlackBerry smartphones. Other TargetSpot partners will be able to sell their mobile inventory via TargetSpot’s online ad platform, as well, the company says.

“Through our partnership with TargetSpot, we are able to offer consumers free music while building an attractive and sustainable advertising revenue stream through our mobile platform,” says Slacker CEO Jim Cady. Slacker has 13 million registered users.

Separate Revenue Stream for Radio Partners

Until now, the audio ads that ran in-stream on Slacker’s service - two to four of them an hour - were the same ad units that ran on its internet platform. The new capabilitiy creates two separate advertising streams, writes Mediaweek.

Other radio partners are likely to follow, and TargetSpot is in the midst of discussing options with charter advertisers.

Mobile Advertising to Reach $1.56B by 2013

eMarketer and Gartner have predicted that mobile advertising spending will reach $1.56 billion by 2013. Ad-sponsored mobile applications are expected to generate almost 25% of revenue for mobile app stores. Consumers will spend $6.2 billion this year on mobile apps, downloading 4.5 billion apps.

Shazam Lets Users Create Mobile Radio Stations from Tagged Music

 

Published on February 14, 2010 | Email this article

 

Shazam, the mobile “music discovery provider,” has enhanced its iPhone apps Shazam Encore and (Shazam)RED, giving iPhone and iPod touch users the ability to use Pandora and Last.fm to create internet radio stations using their tagged music.

In addition to directly accessing Pandora or Last.fm to listen to stations from their track, users can also now continue their music discovery by accessing tour and ticket information for tagged artists, Shazam says. When a song is tagged, an icon will be displayed that, when tapped, provides tour info for that band or artist. Users can also find out where their favorite tagged artists are performing locally, with automated geolocation functionality.

The Pandora App is currently only available in the U.S. The Last.fm app is available in the U.S., U.K. and Germany.

Shazam is a service that allows users to hold their iPhone or iPod touch to a radio speaker and let it “listen” to a few measures. Shazam then identifies the track and the artist.

Mobile Music Gaining in Popularity

Mobile music services are seeing increased use, and advertising is on the rise. Clear Channel Radio has said that it is sold out of its iheartradio inventory for both the web and mobile in January. Clear Channel says Fox and the CW were the biggest advertisers.

Mobile Apps to Exceed 4.5B in 2010

Globally, consumers are expected to spend $6.2 billion at mobile application stores in 2010, while related advertising revenue will generate $0.6 billion worldwide, according to Gartner, Inc.

Mobile app stores will exceed 4.5 billion downloads in 2010, 8 out of 10 of which will be free to end users.

Radio, TV Digital Local Ad Revenue to Seriously Outpace Overall Ad Spend

 

Published on March 10, 2010 | Email this article

 

Digital TV and radio local ad revenue will significantly outpace overall local ad revenue growth in those media,according to a new report from BIA/Kelsey.

Mobile and web platform digital revenue will jump 17.8% (compound annual growth rate), to $18.3 billion, while total ad revenue for those media will grow just 2.8%, from $29.9 billion in 2009 to $34.3 billion in 2014.

This year, local TV revenue is expected to grow 4.3%, to $16.8 billion, while digital revenue will reach $600 million - a 20% increase, reports Brandweek. Radio revenue will grow 1.5%, to $13.9 billion, with digital revenue jumping 25% to $500 million.

“Evolve to Participate”

BIA/Kelsey’s chief strategy officer and program director for Digital Strategies for Broadcasting urges broadcasters to evolve in order to “participate in more areas of the media ecosystem.” This means developing the right multiplatform and multiple revenue stream strategies, which in turn requires new workflow, partnerships, business models and resources.

All Local Media

BIA/Kelsey recently predicted that U.S. local ad revenue across all media will have an annual growth rate of 2.2% from 2009, reaching $144.9 billion in 2014.

Following a significant contraction in 2009, local media spending will be slow through 2011, with meaningful recovery beginning in 2012.

The prediction for slow spending this year and next is being driven in part by the larger than previously forecast declines in newspaper and direct mail and slowing growth of the interactive/online sector (including search, display and classifieds).

Internet Radio Expands Its Reach

 

by Leslie Stimson, 02.16.2010

 

LAS VEGAS Companies at this winter’s Consumer Electronics Show featured gadgets to help drivers get around more easily, access their music databases and give voice commands in car models that will come out this year. Some versions of these products include radio features.
Another trend: More in-dash receiver manufacturers are dropping CDs in favor of a connection for an iPod or other media device.

Radio has more competition coming from programming delivered on small screens.

Mobile DTV was demoed on devices coming to market this year, including laptops, netbooks and cell phones. Similarly, there were lots of Internet-connected TV sets — enabling direct hookup from a TV set into the growing array of online video services. And for consumers who don’t want to buy a new Web-equipped HDTV set, there are services that you can hook up to your TV set to see those Internet video streams. Manufacturers showed 3D TV prototypes.

Possibly the biggest story for radio coming out of CES is the progress Internet radio is making toward parity with traditional radio’s penetration not only in the home but in the car.

Pandora Internet Radio, for example, is making gains in the automobile through deals with Ford, Alpine and Pioneer, giving drivers another non-broadcast entertainment option. “We’re about bringing personalization to radio. We’re about being anytime and anywhere,” said Chief Executive Officer Joe Kennedy during a session on connectivity in the car.

“In the future every car will have an embedded Internet connection,” he predicted.

A radio programmer at CES who tracks where eyes and ears will be years from now summed up the Pandora announcements as “bad news for radio stations.” Radio is not just a distribution service that happens to have an aux transmitter, he told Radio World, noting the substantial investment broadcasters have made in their transmission systems.
Here are some of the more notable devices coming on the market as seen at CES. Look for digital radio product news from CES in our next digital radio section.

Myine’s Abbee Strips Out Spots, DJs
A new FM tuner promises to strip out commercials and DJ talk from FM content; the developer of the underlying technology says it could be adapted to any kind of media player that contains a radio. The user then enjoys full access to the stored songs, including playback, fast forward and rewind functions.

Might this be the first system to gain market traction that does for radio what TiVo did in TV, letting consumers record and save only those parts of a station’s programming that they want to hear?

Jake Sigal, the founder and CEO behind Myine Electronics, said he designed his commercial-free FM radio with his parents in mind. They don’t want to use one of his old iPods, for example, because they don’t want to go through the process of connecting the devices to a computer, downloading music and creating a playlist to hear the music.

Myine’s Abbee model AB001 promises to remove the commercials and DJ talk for hours of uninterrupted music.

Sigal said when you tune to a station, Abbee’s FM tuner records the audio stream, and, using the Popcatcher detection algorithm, analyzes the audio and removes the spots and DJ patter. The individual songs are saved as MP3 files and stored on the docked Music Lock portable player for playback over the built-in speakers or elsewhere. The player has a 500 song capacity or 2 GB of storage space, according to the company.
Myine also worked with the National Federation for the Blind to make the portable player accessible. Buttons for skip, pause, play, fast-forward, as well as save and delete command are raised and are different shapes.

The Abbee commercial-free music system is shipping and available from Myine and Amazon. It lists for $249.99.

Sweden-based Popcatcher says its technology “can be integrated with almost every kind of media player that contains a radio.” It’s pursuing deals to integrate its technology in cell phones, portable MP3 players and car stereos. Popcatcher says it can detect repeat songs and skip those, too.

Ford, Pandora Meet in the Dash

This view of the MyFord Touch shows the display on the right side of the steering wheel, an MP3 player-originated song.

Ford is integrating Pandora, the “personalized Internet music service,” into its Sync platform using Bluetooth connectivity. The automaker updated its Sync communications platform, which allows for hands-free use of the cell phone, radio and music from other sources using controls on the wheel or in the center console.

“Four-point-one billion texts were sent per day in 2009. In Ford vehicles, listening to a text is no different than listening to the radio,” said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford Connected Service Solutions, during a keynote speech.

The automaker wanted to incorporate entertainment features into the car, rather than use a bolt-on approach, spokesman Charles Zinkowski said in an interview.

The updated Sync — which controls the user’s phone, navigation, entertainment and climate using the MyFord Touch user interface — will be available on some 2011 Fords and Lincolns using MyLincoln Touch later this year.

Sync will stream audio over Bluetooth and control the application on a cell phone using vehicle controls, application engineer Joe Ross said. Users can use voice commands or the buttons in the center stack to make or receive a call, play music from a CD or MP3 player or listen to the radio, in addition to listening to Internet radio through Pandora.

The iPhone connected to the vehicle via USB port is controlling the Pandora service and other choices; the driver uses the big screen in the center console or two somewhat smaller screens on either side of the steering wheel. To use Pandora, drivers choose “Mobile Applications” from the menu. It displays song, title and artist. The user can listen to the current song, skip to another track using voice commands or continue deeper into the menu until hearing an audio confirmation of the choice.

Asked how the driver can be sure there’s enough bandwidth in a particular area to use Pandora in a moving vehicle, Ross said Pandora varies the bitrate based on connection speed, and that’s controlled by the user’s phone.

To listen to talk Internet radio content, the driver would need to use the Stitcher application.

AM/FM radio is still part of the entertainment choices in Fords, and RDS messages can be displayed. HD Radio is being added to Sync this calendar year for 2011 model vehicles (more coverage in our next issue).

Pioneer Adds Pandora Capability to Nav System

The Pioneer touch-screen AVIC-X920BT navigation system will detect iPhones and iPod touches that have Pandora installed and put the consumer’s Pandora settings on the screen so drivers can hear their favorite channels.

Starting this spring, Pioneer will sell a navigation and entertainment device that allows Pandora users who stream the service on their iPhones to access the Internet music service in their cars.

The touch-screen AVIC-X920BT navigation system will detect iPhones and iPod touches that have Pandora installed and put the consumer’s Pandora settings on the navigation screen so drivers can hear Pandora channels.

In an interview with Radio World, Pioneer Corporate Communications Manager Jaed Arzadon said Pioneer is actually providing a Pandora link by supplying a cable with an iPhone connector on it to use with the in-dash unit. “The link enables you to get everything Pandora is doing within an iPhone device — and now you’re getting that on a larger screen on the dash.”

Using Pioneer’s navigation system with Pandora will require an application that users will download onto their iPhones.

In addition to built-in navigation capabilities, the AVIC-X920BT features 4 GB of flash memory, a large 6.1-inch WVGA touch screen display, a 3D graphics accelerator, DVD playback, built-in Bluetooth for hands-free calling and music streaming, USB connectivity for iPod/iPhone connectivity, micro SD card slot and back-up camera input. It is compatible with Pioneer satellite and HD Radio tuners.

The AVIC-X920BT navigation system will ship to retailers in March/April and cost about $1,200.

Alpine Too, Gets to Know Pandora
Apple iPhone users who are also Pandora fans will be able to get a taste of Internet radio during their commutes when the Alpine iDA-X305S is released this spring. Alpine Electronics has added Pandora Internet radio support, but omitted a CD drive, in the new iDA-X305S car stereo. The company says the unit is optimized for users who keep their music libraries on an iPod or iPhone.

The iDA-X305S is able to control the Pandora app on a connected iPhone 3G or 3GS, streaming user-created radio stations over a 3G data connection and out of the vehicle’s speakers.

Its high-resolution 2.2-inch color TFT screen is used to display audio source information. The unit has a double-action encoder knob that is used for volume control plus iPod or iPhone music file access as well as viewing album artwork and tracking metadata, changing stations, skipping tracks, giving a song the thumbs up and down and bookmarking songs.

Optional tuners are available to add HD Radio reception with iTunes Tagging support or satellite radio services.
Alpine has a suggested price of $400 for the iDA-X305S.

Pure Introduces 5 FM/Internet Radios
U.K. radio designer Pure is introducing five Internet radios to the North American market. They should be available later this year, according to spokeswoman Vicky Deacon.

 

The Sensia units feature a large color touchscreen. Users can listen to streamed content when within range of a Wi-Fi network.

For the U.K., Pure designed Internet and DAB radios; the U.S. devices will include FM analog and Internet radio.

The Sensia units feature a large high-resolution color touchscreen. Stereo sound plus an input for iPod/MP3 players and access to applications such as Facebook and Twitter offer consumers the ability to access and control their digital content from a central interface. Users can listen to streamed content anywhere within range of a Wi-Fi network.

Partnered with its elliptical shape in four color options — red, yellow, black and white — is a tilting stand and remote control. Users may also take the unit off the stand and use it in their laps, much like a laptop keyboard, Deacon noted.

The product will list for $349. Favorites and settings can be saved using the Pure Lounge media portal.

The company describes Evoke Flow as a kitchen radio. The wireless portable unit features FM with RBDS. The company says the unit, to list for $229, gives consumers access to digital content from almost anywhere.
The bedside Internet and FM radio Siesta Flow features touch-sensitive controls, up to 365 alarm settings and a USB PowerPort, which provides power for USB accessories. A Wi-Fi connection lets you listen to Internet radio, podcasts and Pure sounds or stream music from a computer. Siesta Flow will list for $139. In its booth, Pure showed this radio on a nightstand beside a tiny bed display.

 

Pure says the aluminum surround and rubberized seal of the Oasis Flow offers the user Internet connectivity with portability.

For those who want to take their radio camping or to a picnic, the aluminum surround and rubberized seal of the Oasis Flow combines Internet connectivity with portability. The rechargeable Internet and FM radio will list for $249.

Pure describes the Sirocco as a micro-sized home hi-fi shelf unit that combines access to Internet content with the ability to play digital music from portable iPod and iPhone devices, USB memory drives, SD memory cards and CDs. The Sirocco will list for $449.

Livio Showcases Pandora, NPR-Branded Internet Radios
Livio says it tries to make Internet audio streams accessible to more people in more places by designing audio products that work fast without complicated menus.

The company showcased its Livio Radio, designed to let users listen to Pandora Internet radio in the home “without a Ph.D. in consumer electronics,” according to CEO Jake Sigal.

The Livio Radio, which offer Pandora’s “thumbs up, thumbs down” controls on the front panel and via remote, helps users customize the music and programming they receive.

If you have a power source and a Web connection, the unit connects quickly and plays some 11,000 Internet radio stations through its own speaker, without needing access to a computer interface to operate, according to the maker. The Livio Radio lists for $199.99 at the company’s Web site (where in late January the unit was listed as sold out).

The new NPR Radio by Livio, the first branded NPR consumer electronics device, is an Internet radio that features NPR stations, programs and content in a special NPR menu. The menu allows users to search, find and bookmark their NPR stations, podcasts and content, by topic or by program. In addition to approximately 800 NPR stations, the unit features the Reciva database of Internet stations and receives an additional 16,000 Internet streams.

While the user does not need to have a computer to use the NPR Radio by Livio, he or she must have an Internet connection with a wireless router (or an available Ethernet port for a wired connection).

Livio also plans to add a branded AARP radio to its lineup.

GSS, Silicon Labs Work to Get FM Alerts in CE Devices

GSS sells the Alert FM system, which delivers alerts using FM RBDS, SMS (text) and e-mail. GSS is working with other companies to get FM chips in cellphones and other devices for alerting purposes.

Global Security Systems and its partner Silicon Labs are speaking with consumer electronics manufacturers and wireless companies about alerting. We’ve reported that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is moving forward with implementation of public alert via broadcasters as well as devices such as cell phones.

GSS Executive Vice President Matthew Straeb heads a Consumer Electronics Association working group addressing implementation of Common Alerting Protocol-based alerts among consumer electronics devices that process CAP-encoded data, independent of delivery method — whether consumers receive the alerts from a broadcast station, over the Internet from their computer or via their cellphone or other CE device that contains an FM chip.

Wireless carriers are also a part of the CEA’s “R6 WG16” working group, though another working group is focusing on cellphone alerting as well.
The group that’s working on fixed and mobile alert warning devices comprises cell carriers, TV set manufacturers, weather radio, broadcasters, data service providers and receiver manufacturers.

“We’re providing a road map for companies that want to provide alerting capability, but don’t know what to do,” Straeb said in an interview on the show floor. Members are looking at the behavior of the alert, how it would be displayed and the interaction of that alert with other features of the device.

“We want commonality, which leads to more consumer adoption.”
Straeb and Silicon Labs Marketing Director Wade Gillham noted that FM radio chips in cellphones, for example, are capable of receiving audio EAS messages with FM-based data alert messages. The committee’s work would incorporate FM RBDS. “The reason having cell phones that incorporate an FM receiver is now you’d have a ubiquitous point-to-many multi-points for a proactive alert,” said Gillham.

SiLabs makes FM chips. GSS sells the Alert FM system, which delivers alerts using FM RBDS, SMS (text) and e-mail.

Slacker Radio Showcases Mobile Capabilities
Slacker Radio, another competitor in the online “personalized radio” game, demonstrated new mobile capabilities including station caching for a range of devices that will enable listeners to get the Slacker experience without a network connection. Slacker also showed a new Slacker app for the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi, in addition to announcing plans to integrate ABC News into the Slacker Personal Radio offering.
Slacker Personal Radio enables listeners to create personal radio stations based on any artist or mix of artists, or listen to and personalize 120 “expert-programmed” genre stations.

The company said the wireless station caching capability will enable iPhone, iPod touch, Android and BlackBerry smartphone users to save their favorite Slacker stations, storing the music on the device or SD memory Card, to listen anywhere whether they are connected to a wireless network or not.

Fraunhofer Shows Consumer Hardware Using HD-AAC
Fraunhofer introduced consumer hardware using its lossless HD-AAC codec, the Logitech Squeezebox Touch, available for $199.99. This enables consumers to download or rip one file that will play on existing AAC devices, such as most mobile phones and all iPods, and also playback “losslessly” through their living room stereo using the Squeezebox Touch connected to their PC or the Internet.

Fraunhofer says its new MPEG HD-AAC codec offers music quality superior to the CD and compatibility with iPods and AAC-enabled mobile phones. Based on the MPEG-4 SLS and AAC-LC standards, Fraunhofer’s HD-AAC provides lossless compression of 16/24-bit and up to 192 kHz quality music content.

The company also demoed MPEG Surround, a new standard delivering iPod-compatible surround sound at stereo bitrates. Attendees experienced MPEG Surround from a legacy iPod through a Fraunhofer-designed iPod docking station prototype.

Also of Interest

— Audiovox added Pandora to its next generation of Wi-Fi-equipped tabletop Internet radios. They also feature Slacker Radio, Weatherbug and MP3 tunes services, as well as access to individual Internet stations.

— The first Internet radio from iLive is the iRP800B, a tabletop model with no AM/FM. It includes an iPod/iPhone dock on the top, enbedded Wi-Fi and Ethernet port. The unit lists for $149.

— Audiovox says the XMp3i is the smallest portable satellite radio and MP3 player in the Sirius XM line. The device records up to 100 hours of live XM programming including 10 hours of songs, and gives users the ability to pause, rewind and replay up to 30 minutes of satellite radio. With an optional kit, users can enjoy satellite radio through a vehicle’s FM radio. XMp3i will list for $229.95.

— The Bluetooth Special Interest Group chose apt-X Creative Inspire S2 Wireless Speakers as the winner of its 5th Annual Best of CES 2010 Awards, an event to highlight Bluetooth-enabled products. The group said the products exemplified functionality, innovative design and a user-friendly experience.

— CEA had been estimating 110,000 attendance prior to the show, compared to 113,000 from 2009. However CEA President/CEO Gary Shapiro said total attendance was more than 120,000.

BMW to Integrate Web Radio in Mini Cooper

 

03.04.2010, Radio World

 

BMW is going to offer Internet radio as an option in one of its Mini Cooper models this year. The feature is being demonstrated at the International Motor Show in Geneva through March 10.

RadioTime, a technology developer for finding and listening to Internet radio, said Mini has included the RadioTime Web radio service in its Mini Connected option, which has a USB interface so drivers can integrate their Apple iPhone in the car's audio and infotainment system.

 

Drivers can choose analog AM/FM as well as Internet stations using the in-dash display and "Mini Joystick" to tune to Web radio. Mini Connected system will be available in the 2011 Mini Countryman, Mini's version of a small SUV. The automaker plans to offer it in additional vehicles this year.
Ford and Chrysler will incorporate Internet radio into their entertainment offerings using hands-free communications systems this year and Alpine and Pioneer have introduced aftermarket navigation systems that also offer Internet radio as a choice, in addition to HD Radio and satellite radio.

Radio By the Numbers (U.S.)

 

When someone asks you how many radio stations there are in the United States, you can say “14,420.”

Of course, as with most statistics, you can qualify this; you can say: “… unless you include LPFMs, in which case it’s 15,284. And of course, you can add in FM translators and boosters, which have been booming lately; that makes the number 21,439.” At which point your friend will wish you knew how to give a straight answer.

But that’s how the Federal Communications Commission reports these things, and those are the licensed station totals as of Dec. 31, 2009.

There are 4,790 AM stations. That's four more AM licenses than at this time last year and 16 more than five years ago, which is of particular note considering our recent discussions in Radio World about the health of the AM band and whether a significant number of AMs have gone off the air in recent times. Though the number of current licenses is only one measure (and the statistic tends to lag the market because stations can be off the air and yet still licensed), this does seem to imply that there hasn't been any kind of precipitous decline.

There are 6,479 FM commercial stations (an increase of 4% compared to five years ago), 3,151 FM educational stations (up 24% over five years) and 6,155 FM translators and boosters (up only a bit since last year but up 58% compared to 3,890 five years ago, a statistic that will surprise no one who follows the special world of radio translator strategies).

There are 864 stations in the relatively new class of low-power FMs.
Once you add in the various flavors of TV licenses, the total number of U.S. broadcast licenses is 30,503.

Posted by Paul McLane at 03/02/2010 01:09:03 PM |

Pandora Creates Automotive Business Development Position

 

 

Looking to deliver its brand of "personalized Internet radio" to consumers in cars, Pandora Media has hired a satellite radio executive as vice president of automotive business development, a new position.
George Lynch worked at Sirius XM Satellite Radio for 11 years; since 2004, he was vice president of automotive partnerships and before that director of OEM accounts. Lynch also had stints at Panasonic Automotive Electronics Co. and United Technologies Automotive Group.

 

Senior Vice President Jessica Steel said delivering Pandora's service to its 48 million listeners in connected vehicles is a key company focus this year.

We reported that Ford is adding Pandora to its Sync hands-free communications control platform to its cars available this year and that Pioneer and Alpine plan to introduce navigation systems this year with a link that enables listeners to control their Pandora iPhone application from their in-dash Alpine and Pioneer radios.

Fonte: Radio World 04/03/2010

Rádio cresce no Brasil

 

segundo estudo, 88,9% da população possui o aparelho.

A Abert divulgou em seu site o relatório atualizado com os números mais recentes da radiodifusão brasileira. Os dados, divulgados pelo IBGE, são relativos a 2008 e mostram que houve aumento na presença do rádio e TV nos lares brasileiros, ao longo dos últimos anos.

Segundo o estudo, 95,1% da população possuem TV em casa, o que representa cerca de 6% a mais que em 2001. O aumento no número de aparelhos de rádio foi uma pouco menor: 88,9%, em 2008, contra 88,0%, sete anos antes. Somados, os dois meios chegam a mais de 57 milhões de domicílios no país.

Esses e outros números constam do relatório “Radiodifusão – uma abordagem numérica”, elaborado pelo diretor-geral da Abert, o economista Luís Roberto Antonik. O estudo traz, ainda, uma radiografia da situação econômica e social brasileira, relacionando-a com o desempenho da radiodifusão e o acesso aos diversos meios de comunicação. O objetivo é apresentar à sociedade a importância socioeconômica do segmento de rádio e TV no país.

26/2/2010 - 16:55

Fonte: AdNews

Lançada nova série de TVs HD com banda larga e Skype

 

Os aparelhos permitem fazer chamadas de vídeo e de voz.

A Samsung Electronics, em parceira com a Skype, anunciou o lançamento da nova série de TVs de alta definição modelo LED 7000 e 8000 que permitem aos usuários fazerem chamadas de vídeo e de voz diretamente dos aparelhos.

As TVs incluem serviço gratuito de internet, o que possibilita o acesso online a um conteúdo selecionado. Para usar o Skype, o televisor precisa estar conectado à web e equipado com uma câmera Freetalk TV da Samsung, disponível no www.skype.com/store. Chamadas de vídeo via Skype serão gratuitas, assim como chamadas de voz entre usuários Skype.

Os modelos LED 7000 e 8000 foram lançados hoje na Coreia do Sul e chegarão a outros mercados ainda no primeiro semestre de 2010.

26/2/2010 - 15:28

Fonte: Olhar Digital

Credibilidade do Ibope volta a ser questionada

Credibilidade do Ibope volta a ser questionada

03/03/10

As especulações em torno da suposta falta de credibilidade e idoneidade do Ibope voltaram à tona. Após polêmica com relação às panes que prejudicaram a briga pela audiência da TV no fim de 2009, o Instituto é notícia novamente sob suspeita de atuar fora dos padrões de medição. A informação ganhou destaque no começo desta semana após matéria realizada pela coluna Outro Canal, da Folha de S.Paulo.
O texto, assinado por Andrea Michael, repercute auditoria feita pela Ernest & Young. A pesquisa na medição de TV aponta falha dos controles remotos dos equipamentos de aferição de público estavam fora dos padrões de referência.  Segundo o estudo, isso acontece em 18,75% dos 80 domicílios que são registrados. Vale lembrar que o Ibope tem exclusividade na medição de audiência na TV.
De acordo com a Folha, na auditoria de 2009, a que a coluna teve acesso, técnicos apontaram que havia controles com baterias fracas, com falta de nome de integrante do lar no aparelho ou com nome de quem já não morava mais lá, além de falta de filme protetor.  No relatório de 2008, em 12,50% dos domicílios auditados os controles também estavam fora dos padrões. A auditoria abrange São Paulo, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte e Salvador. Procurado, o Ibope não respondeu se as indicações feitas pelos auditores poderiam influenciar a medição da audiência.
A divulgação dos dados acendeu sinal de alerta e o deputado Milton Flávio (PSDB) convidou o presidente do Ibope, Carlos Montenegro, a depor. O requerimento deverá passar por aprovação da comissão e, Flávio já avisa que pretende propor a abertura de uma CPI caso as respostas de Montenegro não elucidem o caso. Em depoimento à Folha, o deputado explicou a convocação de Montenegro: “gostaria de entender como, no apagão [em novembro do ano passado], teve audiência para a Globo”.

A reportagem procurou o Ibope, que afirmou se pronunciar em breve.
Relembre
Nos dias 10, 15 e 22 de novembro, o Ibope apresentou falhas que geraram questionamentos sobre a credibilidade do Instituto. Durante o horário nobre, em uma das ocasiões, a medição deixou de funcionar o que levou a Rede Record a especular um favorecimento à Rede Globo.
A medição começou a apresentar problemas às 20h15, do dia 22, quando os resultados eram apresentados com 8 minutos de atraso. Por volta das 21h, o atraso era de 20 minutos. Mas, às 22h o Ibope caiu totalmente. A pane foi atribuída ao serviço de transmissão de dados dos domicílios da amostra para o Instituto, fato desmentido pelas operadoras à época, o que aumentou a especulação e desconfiança sobre o caso.
A rede Record questionou a validade e a imparcialidade do Ibope em uma matéria veiculada no programa "Domingo Espetacular" de 29 de novembro. Na ocasião, o Instituto informou que respeita a manifestação do cliente, apesar de não concordar com as críticas.
Já a Globo afirmou que trabalha com números consolidados de audiência, que ficam disponíveis no dia seguinte, após a conferência final realizada pelo Instituto "Portanto, não fomos diretamente prejudicados com a interrupção do serviço", informou a nota. Em nota, na mesma semana de novembro, a emissora comentou a exclusividade do Ibope no segmento de medição de audiência televisiva. Disse "desconhecer uma alternativa disponível no mercado brasileiro que seja equiparada ao serviço oferecido pelo Instituto".

Na época, a Associação Brasileira de Anunciantes (ABA), Associação Brasileira de Agências de Publicidade (ABAP) e o Grupo de Mídia São Paulo saíram em defesa do Instituto, através de nota publicadas no site: "[O Ibope] tem o objetivo de servir ao mercado publicitário como um todo, não se atendo aos interesses específicos de uma empresa ou grupo em particular, seja do setor de anunciantes, seja do setor de agências, seja do setor de veículos".
Em fevereiro desse ano, o Ibope voltou a apresentar problemas durante uma das chuvas que atingiu a cidade de São Paulo, por vários minutos, o sistema interrompeu a divulgação dos índices às emissoras, sobretudo no horário nobre. O reflexo também foi sentido na audiência dos canais. O percentual de TVs ligadas no horário nobre despencou de 65% para 56%. Além disso, o Instituto, em vários momentos, trabalhou com o número mínimo de domicílios medidos, 450, quando a amostra na região metropolitana de São Paulo é de 750.

Volta Devassa …

Conar não suspende comercial de 30 segundos da Devassa

02/03/10

A liminar divulgada na sexta-feira (26) pelo Conar recomendando a sustação de peças da campanha Devassa Bem Loura não inclui o comercial de 30”. A peça foi considerada “menos agressiva” que a versão original de um minuto.

Peças de mídia impressa, spots de rádio, banners em portais e algumas páginas do site da Devassa somadas ao filme de um minuto foram suspensos pelo Conselho de Autorregulamentação Publicitária.

Mesmo com a liberação, o Grupo Schincariol decidiu retirar do ar toda a campanha. A decisão comunicada em nota, na última segunda-feira (1) reitera que “o filme estrelado pela modelo Paris Hilton não ofende, em nenhum aspecto, a qualquer norma ou orientação emitida pelo Conar. Apesar disso, a Schincariol acata a decisão e já trabalha na defesa do caso”. A Mood, agência responsável pela conta da cerveja já trabalha em uma nova ação para a Devassa.

O futuro da campanha só será decidido quando agência e anunciante se pronunciarem e passarem pelo crivo do relator, antes do envio para a Câmara de ética - o que deve acontecer em 30 dias.

A ação desenvolvida pela Mood e IDTBWA, que engloba TV, hotsite e Twitter, teve mais de 460 mil visualizações no YouTube e, segundo a agência, atingiu oito milhões de usuários no Twitter por cerca de 50 mil mensagens postadas em menção a campanha– até a semana passada.  A suspensão ainda impulsionou alguns twitteiros a usar a hashtag #voltaDEVASSA.

A informação é do MM Online.

DSE Momentum as Calendar Heats Up

 

March 2, 2010

by David Keene

Digital Signage Expo 2010 wrapped last Thursday with a good deal of energy, on all fronts: association news, new product debuts, and generally a great start to the digital signage industry event calendar year. As we now look to NAB, The Digital Signage Show, Digital Signage 2010 (the April 28 InfoComm/NewBay virtual event) and InfoComm, there’s a great momentum building.

Awards first:

DSE's First Annual Awards Dinner took place last Wednesday at the show. Six out of nearly 60 entrants for DSE's Content Awards were honored during the dinner, while 22 Apex Awards were presented to winners in eight categories.

The annual DSE Apex Awards honor innovation in the development and deployment of technology in the global digital out-of-home industry.
I was one of the Judges this year. Judging was based on the creative or technological solution to a digital signage installation challenge and the accompanying result. This year Gold, Silver and Bronze APEX Awards were presented to winners in eight categories, from a field of 57 outstanding entrants. The venue winners, including the partner providers who nominated them, included:

Arts, Entertainment, Recreation
• Gold – NYC & Company with GestureTek
• Silver – Adler Planetarium with NEC Display Solutions
• Bronze – The Olympic Experience Museum of the Olympic committee of Israel with C-nario

Corporate & Government
• Gold – Unisys Belgium NV with X20 Media Education & Healthcare
• Gold – Northern Virginia Community College with Cisco Systems
• Silver – BC Children’s Hospital Foundation with Scala Inc.
• Bronze – Indiana University with Scala Inc.

Public Spaces
• Gold – Amsterdam RAI with Scala, Inc.
• Silver – IDS Center-Inland American Office Management with AlivePromo Inc.
• Bronze – Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. with Aerva Inc.

Hospitality
• Gold – Zoom Media & Marketing LocaModa Inc.
• Silver – ARAMARK with Wireless Ronin Technologies
• Bronze – Portland Trailblazers/Rose Garden Arena with Omnivex Corp. Retail
• Gold – Miele Inspirience Centre with Scala Inc.
• Silver – Sprint Studio Store with Scala Inc.
• Bronze – Turk Telekom Group/TTGaleri with Dreambox

Stadium & Arenas
• Gold – Miami Dolphins Land Shark Stadium with Cisco Systems
• Silver – Miami Heart/American Airlines Arena with Sony Electronics
• Bronze – Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment with Digital Display &

Communications/Omnivex Corp.
Transportation
• Gold – The Port Authority of NY & NJ with Tightrope Media Systems
• Silver – Underground of Barcelona with ADmira Digital Networks
• Bronze – Monopoly MediaZoom TV with Scala Inc.

Judges for the DSE 2010 Apex Awards were Brad Grimes, editor, Pro AV Magazine; David Keene, executive editor, Digital Signage Magazine; Richard Lebovitz, editorial director, DigitalSignageExpo.net; David Silverman, editor, Sound & Communications; and Bill Yackey, senior editor, DigitalSignageToday.com.

Also, news post DSE show:

According to Exponation, their newly launched “Digital Signage Federation” is taking off well:
“Immediate industry acceptance of the Digital Signage Federation (DSF) swelled the ranks of the nascent organization to just under 150 members last week compelling the DSF to extend its initial offer of six months free membership for an additional two weeks to anyone who was registered at Digital Signage Expo 2010.

John Johnson, Interim Executive Director said, “Attendees and exhibitors alike complained that Digital Signage Expo was so busy they many just didn’t have time to take away from doing business on the floor, or attending what was the largest educational conference ever staged, to come by the booth to sign up.”

Digital Signage Federation is offering:
“To accommodate those who attended, but were not able to take advantage of the initial membership offer, and to clearly demonstrate that the organization intends to be as inclusive as possible, anyone who was registered at DSE can still sign up until Friday, March 12th after which a reasonable dues structure requires payment of dues at enrollment. For more information, or to join the Digital Signage Federation and volunteer for open committee positions, email John Johnson, Interim Executive Director at john@digitalsingagefederation.org, call at 571-215-3028, or visitwww.digitalsignagefederation.org

Wi-Fi Usage on the Rise

Wi-Fi Usage on the Rise

The number of Wi-Fi spots in the U.S. grew to 69,786 in Q4, up 2.9 percent over the previous quarter

Feb 25, 2010

- Katy Bachman, Mediaweek

Thanks to more places offering Wi-Fi for free, usage grew 8.2 percent in the fourth quarter compared to Q3, according to JiWire, a company that operates a Wi-Fi ad network designed to help local marketers reach prospects.
Usage was strongest in airports, up 26 percent, followed by cafes, up 22.9 percent. The number of Wi-Fi spots in the U.S. grew to 69,786 in Q4, up 2.9 percent over the previous quarter.
JiWire is forecasting a 15 percent increase in Wi-Fi use this year, primarily due to McDonald's, which announced in January it would stop charging for Wi-Fi and offer it for free at 11,500 restaurants. In total, more than 52 percent of public Wi-Fi spots provide connection service at no charge to users.
Wi-Fi users are big shoppers, with 49 percent making purchases online while on the go, up 38 percent from first quarter of 2009. Online superstores such as Amazon and eBay were the most popular destinations at 58 percent; followed by electronics superstores such as Best Buy and Radio Shack at 57 percent; and discount retailers at 44 percent.
Most Wi-Fi users (56 percent) are connecting via mobile devices, but laptops still rule at 83 percent.
Results for JiWire's third Mobile Audience Insights Report were based on data from 285,000 public Wi-Fi locations; and a survey conducted Dec. 2009-Jan. 2010 of 1,024 of JiWire's customers.

Arbitron Exceeds Expected People Meter Sample for January

Arbitron Exceeds Expected People Meter Sample for January

March 1, 2010

 

COLUMBIA, MD.: Arbitron said today that it met or exceeded all of its sample-size metrics across its 33 Portable People Meter markets in its January survey. The audience-measurement company said its average “Designated Delivery Index,” or DDI, for people six years and older, was 109, and 104 for those 18-to-54.
DDI is the actual sample size for a given demographic, divided by the target sample size for the demographic, multiplied by 100. A DDI of 100 means that Arbitron achieved its sample target; a DDI of greater than 100 means that Arbitron exceeded its sample goal.
Arbitron claimed a new high DDI of a 98 for African-Americans 18-to-34. The DDI was 94 for all people 18-to-34; 91 for Hispanics 18-to-34 and 94 for all others aged 18-to-34.
The company describes its PPMs thus as using “a passive audience measurement device about the size of a cell phone to track consumer exposure to media and entertainment, including broadcast, cable and satellite television; terrestrial, satellite and online radio as well as cinema advertising and many types of place-based electronic media.” The device is carried around by randomly selected participants and can track when and where they watch TV, listen to the radio and interact with other media. It picks up inaudible codes in the audio portion of media and transfers it to a central computer from a docking station at the end of each day.