Wednesday, April 27

You Don't Play Jack

Can iPod Jukebox really work as a radio format? Viacom's Infinity Radio division seems to think so, and is reportedly converting a San Francisco-area station into all-podcast, listener-submitted content. (Major label content will be covered by the broadcaster's blanket license.) Could be interesting, but I'm skeptical that advertisers will buy into the eclectic concept.

P.S. See the second item in my first link above for recent developments in online social networks going exclusive:

On Catch27, which claims thousands of users and touts itself as the 'most hip,' member profiles appear as baseball cards. The site encourages members, many of whom fall between the ages of 18 and 30, to trade their friends for 'hotter, smarter ones,' and rank others by their 'looks' and 'smarts.' The site also is launching a 'black ball' feature that some members will be able to use to kick others off."

Wow, does this mean a Friendster profile is now as unhip as an AOL e-mail account?