Internet Delivery of Radio in the UK

I used to be an avid Shortwave listener – and I actually used a device called a “radio”.  But that has all changed, especially when I got my Apple iPod Touch.  Using the iPod Touch along with my home wireless network I have access to thousands of “radio” stations.  “There’s an app for that.”  In fact there are dozens of apps for that.

Best of all there is the long tail of radio content that is archived and available for delivery on demand.

Finally there is clarity on message vs medium.  I wonder how many traditional shortwave listeners will listen on the internet now that content is clearly separated from the traditional delivery medium of RF.  Do traditional shortwave listeners listen to the medium or the message?

Check out what is going on in the UK with radio delivered over the internet

Check out the video – http://www.vimeo.com/19057677

Here is the site where you can listen to UK radio – http://www.radioplayer.co.uk/

Check out some radio broadcast history – https://frrl.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/radio-broadcast-history/

The story of radio from the BBC –
https://frrl.wordpress.com/2009/09/24/the-story-of-radio-from-the-bbc-across-the-pond/

The skinny on what is happening:

As of the start of 2011, only 2% of radio listening in the UK is through the PC using software like the BBC iPlayer. This is despite the fact that 75% of UK households have some sort of broadband – certainly broad enough to listen to audio.

Michael Hill leads a cross-industry group that is working on a way to make radio easier to access via the PC platform. It is also going to be important for putting next generation radio players onto the PS3, XBox, and the tablets. In this interview, made at the recent Radio Festival in Salford, UK, I asked Michael Hill what the Radioplayer will mean to all radio stations in the UK (including community and student stations). The good news is that everyone is involved.

radioplayer.co.uk is the place to go to get details of how the radio player design has been thought through. With over 150 stations live already and 100s more to follow in coming weeks, Radioplayer is set to become the primary way of listening to UK radio online. Radioplayer offers all the simplicity of a traditional radio, with the benefits of digital, including search functionality and bookmarking.