FM Tuners In Cell Phones Passes Feasibility Test…

Friday, November, 13, 2009 by Mel Phillips.

(Weekend Edition)

Not only will FM receivers in cell phones allow stations to (wink-wink) enhance public safety by alerting audiences to emergencies and instructing them how to deal with those emergencies, it would also give radio operators an FM signal in every cell phone. With the latter thought in mind, group heads from every major broadcast group met with FCC Commissioners Michael Copps, Meredith Atwell Baker, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and Robert McDowell to plead their case. When the group heads met with the FCC commissioners, they brought an ace-in-the-hole with them — the cost of FM radio functionality…

FM radio integrated circuits are ready now and could easily penetrate the marketplace during the typical 22-month turn-over of cellular handsets and here comes the best part — the cost.  Total cost for FM radio functionality is only $1 or less per handset. That cost could be absorbed by a buck increase in the price of the cellphone without consumers even feeling it…

While they were meeting with various members of the FCC, the head talking heads also made their pitch for approval of the recent joint request by NPR and iBiquity to allow a power increase for HD Radio but their strongest case is for cell phones equipped with FM radio…

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1789] Death and Taxes: Benjamin Franklin writes in a letter to a friend, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” (11/13)…
2. 1926] NNNNNBC: The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) debuts with a radio network of 24 stations. The first network broadcast is a 4-hour special featuring live big band music from the Waldorf Astoria (11/15)…
3. 1967] Triple Crown MVP: The Red Sox’ Carl Yastrzemski wins the AL MVP in a year that made him a Hall of Famer. All Yaz does is win the Triple Crown (highest batting average, most home runs (tie) and runs batted in). It was the best individual performance by any player (including Mantle & Maris) I’ve ever witnessed. To this day, there hasn’t been another Triple Crown winner yet (11/15)…
4. 1968] Premiered on this date: “Yellow Submarine“, the animated movie (11/13)…1997] The Disney musical “The Lion King” opens on Broadway (11/13)…
5. 1974] “Happy Trails“: Karen Silkwood, 28, a technician and union activist from Oklahoma who inspired a movie of her life, is killed in a suspicious car crash (11/13)…
6. 1979] Vote for the “Gipper“: Former California Governor Ronald Reagan announces his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination while visiting New York (11/13)…
7. 1979] ‘Chocolate Thunder’: 76er Darryl Dawkins shatters a fiberglass backboard doing a monster dunk in Kansas City and starts a new fad that provides ESPN with about a million ‘Sports Update’ show opens (11/13)…
8. 1986] It’s a family affair: Doubleday Publishing agrees to sell the Mets to Nelson Doubleday & Fred Wilpon for $80.7 million (11/14). The publishing company bought the team for a then-record $21.1 million in 1980…
9. 1996] Wedding Bells: Michael Jackson and mother-for-hire Deborah Rowe make it official (11/14)…1998] Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman marry but there’s some debate over who wore the bridal gown (11/14). The marriage ends in 9 days. So what took so long??? Back in May, Howard Stern talked to Rodman…
10. 2004] McGrieved: New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey leaves office 3 months after resigning due to a gay extra-marital affair. State Senator Richard Codey takes over as interim Governor (11/15)…









Music Memories:

• 1961] Released on this date: “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” - Tokens (11/13)…1969] “I Want You Back” - Jackson Five (11/15)…1970] “Black Magic Woman” - Santana (11/14)…1971] “Old Fashioned Love Song” - Three Dog Night (11/13)…
• 1961] Number One on this date: “Georgia On My Mind” - Ray Charles (11/14)…1972] “I Can See Clearly Now” - Johnny Nash (11/14)…
• 1987] Reunited and it feels so good: Sonny & Cher reunite on the ‘David Letterman Show’ and sing “I Got You Babe” (11/14)…

Commentary: 

There’s a great piece in the Buffalo Examiner on Bill Rock whose New York on-air career has spanned 4 decades and counting. Bill is currently hosting a Saturday night show on Sirius. You can link to it here. Way to go Rocko!!!  

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“: (11/13) Jimmy Kimmel (42), QB Vinny Testaverde (46), Whoopi Goldberg (54), Chris Noth (55), Joe Mantegna (62) and Garry Marshall (75)…(11/14) Josh Duhamel (37), Curt Schilling (43), Condoleezza Rice (55), Yanni (55), Stephen Bishop (58), Britain’s Prince Charles (61), Buckwheat Zydeco aka Stanley Dural Jr. (62) and Jimmy Piersall (80)…(11/15) Frida Lyngstad of ABBA (64), Sam Waterston (69), Yaphet Kotto (72), Petula Clark (77), Edward Asner (80) and judge Joseph Wapner (90)…

Timeline Countdown: 13 days until Thanksgiving, 28 days until Hanukah, 39 days until winter and 42 days until Christmas…

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