Emmis Spreads Song Tagging...

Emmis Communications has the right idea. The 23-station radio group is now enabling its FM and HD music station listeners from Los Angeles to New York to tag songs on Apple Devices. TagStation, developed by Emmis and Broadcast Electronics is the conduit to their tagging, according to PR Newswire. TagStation "provides an easy interface for connecting and inserting consistent artist and title information for FM and HD Radio text displays. Programmers have an option to upload a playlist or leave the system to learn songs automatically as they play. It's able to auto-match most of the songs with the industry standard database and then email accuracy reports to programmers, who have the option to manually adjust any song matching discrepancies through the self-service online portal." End of commercial. It's safe to say that Apple device listeners will be happy to identify a song they'll be able to order through iTunes...

The company line is that TagStation "represents a significant break through in the broadcast radio industry." I say, song tagging is long overdue. In this age of 3D TV, all radio stations should have the ability to identify the music they're playing. This is especially true for car listening. How many times have you heard a song that you can't identify, punch the info button, only to find station information but not the title of the song???

I'm happy for this Emmis "break through" but where is everyone else? While I'm at it, how come we don't have true AM Stereo? FM Stereo was developed in 1961. In 50 years, we couldn't find a Steve Jobs for radio???

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1653] Start spreading the news: New Amsterdam, now known as New York City is incorporated…
2.1790] Supes on: The U.S. Supreme Court convenes for the first time…
3.1887] They say we’re young and we don’t know: The first ‘Groundhog Day’ is celebrated in Punxsutawney (PA). The 1993 movie starring Bill Murray immortalizes the day and Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” wakes Murray up 33 times…
4.1946] Debuted on this date: Mutual Broadcasting airs “Twenty Questions” for the first time on radio. The show moves to TV three years later…
5.1967] Jump it up: The American Basketball Association is formed…
6.1972] Bloody Sunday aftermath: The British embassy in Dublin is destroyed in protest over Bloody Sunday…
7.1979] “Happy Trails”: Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols dies from a drug overdose at 21, less than 4 months after fatally stabbing girlfriend Nancy Spungen at the Chelsea Hotel…1996] The legendary Gene Kelly passes away after suffering two strokes…
8.1990] Free Mandela: F.W. de Klerk, allows the African National Congress to legally function and promises to release Nelson Mandela…
9.2007] And somewhere Al Gore smiles: The world’s leading climate scientists and government officials say that global warming is so severe, it would “continue for centuries” and humans were to blame…
10.2010] And the Oscar goes to: "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" get 9 Oscar nominations each...

Music Memories:

• 1956] Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Coasters sign with Atco, an Atlantic Records subsidiary...
• 1959] Released on this date: "Venus" - Frankie Avalon...1959] "Charlie Brown" - Coasters...
• 1966] Number One on this date: "My Love" - Petula Clark...1983] "Africa" - Toto which dominates the Grammies by winning in 6 categories, including 'Record of the Year' and 'LP of the Year' ('Toto IV')...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Shakira (34), Christie Brinkley (57), Graham Nash (69), Tom Smothers (74), Elaine Stritch (86) and Liz Smith (88)...

Timeline Countdown: 4 days until Super Bowl XLV, 11 days until pitchers & catchers report, 12 days until Valentines Day & 19 days until Presidents' Day...