Broadcast Radio Remains Dominant In-Car Listening Source...

A new study of in-car listening discloses that 85% of U.S. respondents listen to broadcast radio - 49% listen to CDs or cassettes and 23% listen to music on a digital device through the car stereo. Other findings show 16% listen to satellite radio while 9% stream audio or podcasts on a smartphone through the stereo. Vision Critical's study found that broadcast radio "remains by far the most common media used in-car," followed by CDs and cassettes. One in four consumers studied in the U.S., Great Britain and Canada said they regularly use the car stereo to listen to personal digital music. The difference between the days when radio was the only source for music in-car and today is that there are far more choices for drivers to turn to. This is not winning by default and radio had better realize that...

Vision Critical states it well when they say: "Online in-car access provides opportunities for radio stations that embrace interactive and mobile platforms. Given the options that are becoming available, listeners will be expecting more from their radio station than a linear broadcast." VC also says streaming services like Pandora appear to be driving interest in in-car audio and they add this note: "We should be careful not to assume that increased use of in-car audio alternatives will displace listening to terrestrial or satellite radio. Even considering the prospect of online audio services in the car, these new alternatives may simply replace the use of other forms of music such as CDs - much like CDs replaced cassettes and 8-tracks." ...

More than half of the respondents in the study are interested in new technologies that would let them listen to online radio or on-demand playlists of music, news/talk and entertainment shows in the car - a desire being addressed by a number of major automakers that are promoting in-car online media. Now, more than ever broadcast radio must really get serious about entertaining its audience with more local and full-service features, in addition to their regular format. Radio needs to provide what listeners can't get from other sources...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1850] No floggin zone: Flogging is abolished as a form of punishment in the U.S. Navy. Hey maybe it can replace water-boarding...
2.1920] Dirty Sox: Eight members of the Chicago White Sox are indicted in the 'Black Sox' scandal. All eight are accused of throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. They will be acquitted in 1921...
3.1941] Teddy Ballgame: Ted Williams goes 6 for 6 in a doubleheader and finishes with a .406 batting average. No one has done it since. Same date 10 years later in 1951, Williams hits a home run in his last at-bat...
4.1951] Oh-no x 2: The Yankees' Allie Reynolds pitches his second no-hitter of the season, beating the Red Sox 8-0. Yogi Berra gets a second chance to catch a foul pop-up after muffing one. This time he catches it ending the game and saving the no-hitter...
5.1955] In living color: The World Series is televised in color for the first time. I watched it in a store window on 13th Avenue in Borough Park - not happy to see the Dodgers win. This was the game that Sandy Amoros made his remarkable grab in left field...
6.1961] Premiered on this date: Richard Chamberlain starts making house calls as "Dr. Kildare". Four days later "Ben Casey" debuts...
7.1976] Rubberband Man: Muhammad Ali wins the rubber-match against Ken Norton in 15 rounds to win back the heavyweight title at Yankee Stadium. Not everyone thought Ali should have gotten the decision...
8.2004] 'Happy Trails': Legendary disc jockey Scott Muni passes away at 74 after suffering a stroke earlier in the year. This is a clip featuring audio of Scott and Norm N. Nite inducting Alan Freed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
9.2005] DeLay dances away: House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is indicted by a Texas grand jury on a charge of conspiring to violate political fundraising laws. The charge is later thrown out. Perhaps DeLay was auditioning for 'Dancing With The Stars' which he appeared on last year...
10.2005] Funny money: The U.S. Treasury unveils the new $10 bill, which features splashes of red, yellow and orange. I think they should have used 'monopoly gold' myself...

Music Memories:

• 1957] Number One on this date: "Honeycomb" - Jimmie Rodgers...
• 1958] Released on this date: "To Know Him Is To Love Him" - Teddy Bears (18-year old Phil Spector, a member of the group, used his father's headstone inscription as the title of the song)...

Commentary...
It's The best radio book I've ever read. If you don't own a copy of KHJ: Inside Boss Radio, you owe it to yourself to get one. Ron Jacobs has written an ultimate chronicle of what it feels like to program a radio station. He'll take you from that first day he walked into KHJ, to the glory days of one of the most famous radio stations of all-time. I especially loved staff memos Ron includes in the book. For additional information on the book and accompanying CDs, click here...In other news, George Blanda, all-time leading scorer in the AFL when he retired in 1976 after 26 seasons as a QB/PK, has died at 83. Blanda, a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer, played with the Chicago Bears, Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders. He won titles with the Oilers in 1960 and 1961. Al Davis, Oakland Raiders owner, hearing of Blanda's passing said this: "We are deeply saddened by the passing of the great George Blanda. George was a brave Raider and a close personal friend."

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Hilary Duff (23), Naomi Watts (42), Mira Sorvino (43), Janeane Garofalo (46), Ben E. King (72), Brigitte Bardot (76) and William Windom (87)...

Timeline Countdown: 8 days until the MLB playoffs start, 30 days until the World Series begins & 34 nights until Halloween...