According to UK's SkyNews and Inside Radio, Spotify is about to launch its subscription based, on-demand online music service in the United States. While Pandora executives don't consider Spotify much of a threat, it's still competition. Spotify will create a challenge to pureplay webcasters like Pandora and Slacker. It's been reported that London-based Spotify has already raised $100 million to take on America. Spotify has already signed with Sony and EMI and is currently in negotiations with the other two major labels to begin streaming in the U.S...
They may not take Spotify as a serious threat but Pandora has plenty to worry about. A company representative was recently quoted in arsstechnia.com about the threats they face: "In particular, if known incumbents in the digital media space such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook or Google choose to offer competing services, they may devote greater resources than we have available. They may enjoy a more accelerated time frame for deployment and leverage their existing user base and proprietary technologies to provide products and services that our listeners and advertisers may view as superior." ...
10 Timeline Memories:
1.1856] Cue the elephant: The Republican Party opens its first national meeting in Pittsburgh…
2.1879] Five and dime: Frank W. Woolworth opens his first ‘5 and 10 cent’ store in Utica (NY)…
3.1959] Start your engines: The inaugural Daytona 500 race is won by Lee Petty, father of Richard Petty…
4.1976] “Happy Trails“: Original Supreme, Florence Ballard is the victim of a fatal heart attack. At 32, she was living on welfare after being fired from the Supremes 9 years earlier. Ballard leaves 3 children…1987] Pop Art guru Andy Warhol dies from a heart attack in his sleep following gall bladder surgery. Warhol was 58…
5.1980] Olympic Gold: Al Michaels makes the call: “Do you believe in miracles?” as the U.S. Hockey team beats the Russians in a semi-final game. Two nights later they beat Finland for the gold…
6.1994] Gotcha: The Justice Department charges 31-year CIA veteran Aldrich Ames and his wife, Rosario, with selling national security secrets to the Soviet Union…
7.1997] Hello Dolly: Scottish scientists announce that an adult sheep named Dolly had been successfully cloned. Dolly dies in 2003...
8.2005] Plotted: A Virginia man was charged with plotting with al-Qaeda to kill President George W. Bush. Ahmed Omar Abu Ali is later convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison…
9.2006] Record heist: Thieves steal $96 million from a Bank of England cash depot near London in Britain’s largest cash robbery…
10.2009] Slumdog gold: Slumdog Millionaire wins 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Director (Danny Boyle). Sean Penn wins Best Actor for Milk and Kate Winslet wins Best Actress for The Reader…
Music Memories:
- 1956] First and Ten: Elvis Presley has his first Pop Top 10 hit, "Heartbreak Hotel"...
- 1967] Number One on this date: "Kind Of A Drag" - Buckinghams...1971] "One Bad Apple" - Osmonds...
Events:
The Audio Engineering Society New York Section presents "Lies & Specifications" An Interactive Presentation on Tuesday, March 8. The presentation will be held from 6:30pm to 9:00pm at the New School for Jazz Performance, 55 West 13th Street in Manhattan. For addition information, do a Facebook search for Audio Engineering Society New York Section...
Book It: Donna Halper has written the definitive history of Boston radio. The book is called 'Boston Radio: 1920 - 2010' and it went on sale officially yesterday. Donna, noted radio historian and consultant uses rare photos from some of Boston's best-known air personalities to frame the story of the stations and announcers Bostonians have loved for decades. My copy is on the way and I can't wait to read it. To order your copy of 'Boston Radio: 1920 - 2010', click here...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Rajon Rondo (25), Drew Barrymore (36), James Blunt (37), Julius 'Dr. J' Erving (61), Paul Dooley (83) & Don Pardo (93)...
Timeline Countdown: 19 days until Daylight time, 26 days until the beginning of spring & 37 days until MLB opening day...
