CBC is running a great 3-part series right now on the shifting landscape of media entitled, The End:
- The End of Radio
- The End of TV
- The End of Print
I watched the first segment, The End of Radio, on the web and really enjoyed it. (Sidenote: Finally (!) the CBC has moved away from the awful Real Player.) The topic is presented in a snappy flow, with enough detail and first-hand interviews to satisfy my geek tendencies while at the same time remaining accessible to a general, non-geek audience. I recommend it to get a great snapshot of what’s happening in audio production and distribution: radio, satellite radio, iPods and podcasting.
I learned the following items:
- The CBC can still do some damn cool multimedia graphics.
- Top 40 = 40 song playlist
- Classic / Album rock = 150 song playlist
- “Jack” format-less format = 400 song playlist
- Internet radio = 1,000 – 3,000 song playlist
- What is a podcast? Answer: Episodic audio programs you can subscribe to and receive over the Internet, then listen to on any digital audio player (your computer, an MP3 player, an iPod, a CD player playing a CD burner from the digital file).
- What is satellite radio? Pretty much the same as current conventional radio, with the following differences: no advertising in the programs, over a hundred channels to choose from, costs to purchase a receiver unit and monthly subscription costs to maintain connection, global reception of signals (no more driving out of range).
- What is DAB radio? Digital Audio Broadcast radio (DAB) is high-definition, 2-way radio.
- How MySpace can fit into the music discovery cycle.
All that and a great closing from host Jian Ghomeshi. I’ll be watching the next two episodes later today.
