NAB, RIAA May Seek Mandate For FM Radios In Mobile Devices

Trintech writes with this quote from an article at Ars Technica: "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 [National Association of Broadcasters] 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.'"

Sure and maybe

[Anonymous Coward]

Candles should be built into all light bulbs

Okay so then Steve Jobs will have a problem

[RobertLTux]

any FM radio has to have some sort of antenna to receive the signals

WHERE WILL YOU PUT THIS ON AN iPHONE??

maybe the broadcasters should begin providing a simple way for web devices to get the raw webstream instead??

right now most radiostations either don't provide a webstream or they wrap it into a 5 meg flash applet with a half dozen ads builtin taking up 80% of the bandwidth.

(oh and don't you dare try to go to another tab or otherwise not have THE HOLY PLAYER APPLET in front of you)

WTF???

[SpongeBob Hitler]

FM receivers on phones??? What's next? A mandate that portable electronic devices be able to play phonographs??? It's the 21st century, people! I'm old enough to be able to say "Get off my lawn, you damn kids!" but even I think this is stupid and backwards.

Re:Sure and maybe

[Joce640k]

Buggy whips obligatory with all new cars?

Re:It must be my age..

[will_die]

A cell phone with a built in easy-bake oven!!!!!
Where do I get it?
Besides where is the love for AM radio.

Re:It must be my age..

[Anonymous Coward]

Your phone will vacuum? My kids won't even do that!

Re:Consumer Focus or Consumer Manipulation?

[NotBornYesterday]

Sir, I am outraged, OUTRAGED, that you oppose consumer choice like FM radio in cell phones, mandatory 78 rpm record players in CD players, and of course the ever-popular integrated 35mm film projector and DVD player.

Re:It must be my age..

[dangitman]

but I bought my phone to make phone calls?!?

Well, I bought my phone so I could make a phone call to tell you to get off my lawn.

Re:Sure and maybe

[Anonymous Coward]

As a representative of the Consumer Household Lighting Association, I must point out that such a proposal makes me incandescent with rage.

Re:Consumer Focus or Consumer Manipulation?

[Dishevel]

Impossible! People have no power over their own lives. They need organizations and government protections to thrive. Only through rules, regulations, laws, taxes, unions, corporations and big government can people be expected to be well.

Re:Consumer Focus or Consumer Manipulation?

[Stewie241]

We don't NEED no steenking rock stars.

But then who would do benefit concerts for the environment, G8, aids, etc etc?