NAB and RIAA: Govt should mandate FM radio in all MP3, cellphone, PDA etc..

[Fumesucker]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/08/radio-riaa-mandatory-fm-radio-in-cell-phones-is-the-future.ars

Music labels and radio broadcasters can't agree on much, including whether radio should be forced to turn over hundreds of millions of dollars a year to pay for the music it plays. But the two sides can agree on this: Congress should mandate that FM radio receivers be built into cell phones, PDAs, and other portable electronics.

The Consumer Electronics Association, whose members build the devices that would be affected by such a directive, is incandescent with rage. "The backroom scheme of the and RIAA to have Congress mandate broadcast radios in portable devices, including mobile phones, is the height of absurdity," thundered CEA president Gary Shapiro. Such a move is "not in our national interest."

"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."

But the music and radio industries say it's a consumer-focused proposition, one that would provide "more music choices."

[LiberalFighter]

1. What happen to the free market?

Personally, I don't believe that there is any legitimate reason to require it. If the consumers are wanting to buy devices that have FM radio receivers then so be it.

I don't see how this would provide more music choices for the consumers. How often would consumers have their cell phone, pda, and other portable electronic devices in music mode? Wouldn't it be difficult to determine if the cell phone is ringing? Or why on a pda which is more likely to be used in a business environment that precludes the use of entertainment devices?

Screw the broadcasters and the RIAA on this.

[Fumesucker]

2. The RIAA and NAB business models are failing..

Hence the attempt to interfere with the free market..

Funny thing is that I had a cell with FM quite a few years ago.. Now I have a 4 gig microSD card in my cell and a playlist longer than even the best radio stations had back when I used to listen.

I actually use my cell in music mode quite a bit, the music blanks out for a moment and I get a tone over the headphones when a call or text comes in.

[Raineyb]

3. If I wanted to listen to shitty music interrupted by constant yammering I'd listen to the radio.

I have an Ipod to avoid that crap. Now I can listen to my favorite talk shows via podcast and my music that I've ripped from CD without interruption.

The NAB and RIAA can piss off.

[Fumesucker]

4. I think you mean shitty music repeated ad nauseam and interrupted by constant ..

Inane, trite and tasteless yammering.. :)