PDs Critique The New XM, AOLRadio
By Marc Schiffman
Friday, November 9 2001
Friday, November 9 2001
Published on AllBusiness.com
For years, some PDs have had trouble taking the potential impact of rival media seriously. Satellite radio's launch continued to be delayed, while Internet radio's numerous small players resulted in few major brands and, recently, a slew of shutdowns. But now, XM Satellite Radio is up and running across the South, and the latest version of AOL's software includes 75 channels of music programming on AOLRadio. And unlike many of its Internet predecessors, AOL has an established brand name and millions of potential cumers.
So what do PDs think now? An Airplay Monitor poll of those who have actually listened to the services don't think much of AOLRadio, except from a brand recognition standpoint. But one consultant is impressed with XM and its creativity. And many PDs, including those who are AOL users, simply haven't heard either service yet.
"Both companies are offering narrower, more targeted product," says consultant Guy Zapoleon, who has been warning clients to watch for AOL's influence for a while now. "AOL's got much narrower products . . . If you have very targeted interests and you want to hear more than the top 300-400 songs for classic rock or hot AC or '80s or oldies, you have a much deeper library."
But WDJX Louisville, Ky., APD/MD Jim Allen was "underwhelmed" with AOL's Top Pop channel, which was experiencing, he says, a five-minute gap in programming when he responded to Monitor's poll. "I've seen the message 'song loading' for quite a while now," he says. "I hear flow problems, long gaps without anything that's actually contemporary. I expected much more than what AOLRadio is delivering thus far. There is no production, no segues, no personality of any kind. I compare it to something that I would hear in a department store."
With large libraries and few production values, Saga Communications executive VP of programming Steve Goldstein says the new service sounds like a "repurposed" version of predecessor Spinner. "I didn't think that most of the programming of the AOL services were very sophisticated or all that appealing or attractive. Having said that, I'm not happy that 30 million people have a simple way to access an alternative to terrestrial radio, and I can only assume AOL will improve it over time. With [radio veteran] Bob Pittman at the head of the company, at some point this hits the radar screen."
And Goldstein adds that the service is "reliable and works well, and that's always been the magic of AOL. This is the first real threat, because it's sitting on AOL's desktop."
Edison Media Research's Larry Rosin spent some time with AOLRadio and agreed with PDs' consensus that it was "dull" but thought that fit the AOL mission statement of being "so easy to use." Rosin says, "I'm wondering if 'dull' is what they were looking
So what do PDs think now? An Airplay Monitor poll of those who have actually listened to the services don't think much of AOLRadio, except from a brand recognition standpoint. But one consultant is impressed with XM and its creativity. And many PDs, including those who are AOL users, simply haven't heard either service yet.
"Both companies are offering narrower, more targeted product," says consultant Guy Zapoleon, who has been warning clients to watch for AOL's influence for a while now. "AOL's got much narrower products . . . If you have very targeted interests and you want to hear more than the top 300-400 songs for classic rock or hot AC or '80s or oldies, you have a much deeper library."
But WDJX Louisville, Ky., APD/MD Jim Allen was "underwhelmed" with AOL's Top Pop channel, which was experiencing, he says, a five-minute gap in programming when he responded to Monitor's poll. "I've seen the message 'song loading' for quite a while now," he says. "I hear flow problems, long gaps without anything that's actually contemporary. I expected much more than what AOLRadio is delivering thus far. There is no production, no segues, no personality of any kind. I compare it to something that I would hear in a department store."
With large libraries and few production values, Saga Communications executive VP of programming Steve Goldstein says the new service sounds like a "repurposed" version of predecessor Spinner. "I didn't think that most of the programming of the AOL services were very sophisticated or all that appealing or attractive. Having said that, I'm not happy that 30 million people have a simple way to access an alternative to terrestrial radio, and I can only assume AOL will improve it over time. With [radio veteran] Bob Pittman at the head of the company, at some point this hits the radar screen."
And Goldstein adds that the service is "reliable and works well, and that's always been the magic of AOL. This is the first real threat, because it's sitting on AOL's desktop."
Edison Media Research's Larry Rosin spent some time with AOLRadio and agreed with PDs' consensus that it was "dull" but thought that fit the AOL mission statement of being "so easy to use." Rosin says, "I'm wondering if 'dull' is what they were looking
