Westergren Takes On Terrestrial Radio...

As Pandora files its Initial Public Offering, hoping to raise $100 million, founder Tim Westergren declares war on terrestrial radio. "Traditional radio stations broadcast the same content at the same time to all of their listeners." That's Westergren's opening shot, according to Radio Ink. And Westergren didn't stop there. "We enable each of our listeners to create up to 100 personalized stations. Traditional radio programmers have always shied away from even letting an in-studio DJ vary from the format. Can you imagine what they would say if callers wanted to program songs? How many times has the PD said this during a 'request hour?'. They only play the songs in the format. And here is Pandora making a life out of such consumer-driven lunacy. It's a dilemma." ...

Westergren's plan of attack is to outline the differences between Pandora and terrestrial radio. The plan includes a boast of redefining radio and personalizing it to a one-to-one radio listening experience." Westergren, a great salesman, hopes to show Pandora's competitive strengths will help his company "realize the potential of our opportunity." Those are the things you say when you're trying to raise $100 million in public shares. What Westergren won't tell you is that the company has lost $83.9 million since its inception and remains unprofitable, according to Friday's IPO filing. In the first nine months of its last fiscal year. Pandora suffered a $328,000 loss on revenue of $90.1 million, according to Huffington Post...

Another thing Westergren can't tell you is that Pandora can ever be local or free. Pandora is an excellent music service but it's not a local radio station and never will be. Advantage: Terrestrial Radio...

10 Valentine's Day Timeline Memories:
1.1918] Me Tarzan...you Jane: "Tarzan of the Apes" is released...
2.1919] What can brown do for you?: United Parcel Service is formed...
3.1924] The real Big Blue: IBM is founded by Thomas Watson...
4.1929] Happy Valentine's Day: The 'St. Valentine's Day Massacre' in Chicago takes 7 lives. All of the mobsters were rivals of Al Capone...
5.1932] Winter Gold: The U.S. wins the first bobsled competition at Lake Placid...
6.1984] Winter Gold Too: Jayne Torvil and Christopher Dean of Britain win a gold medal in pairs figure skating at Sarajevo...
7.1952] Valentine Wedding Bells: Comedian Joey Adams marries gossip columnist Cindy Heller. They were married until Adams died in 1999 (47 years)...1984] Elton John and Renata Blauel crawl down the aisle. This marriage lasts 4 years incredulously...1994] The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia marries Deborah Koons. They stay married until Jerry's death in 1995...1995] Roseanne Barr marries bodyguard Ben Thomas. They divorce in 2002...1996] Prince and Mayte Garcia exchange vows. The marriage is annulled in 1999 but they partied like it was '1999' from '96 through '98...
8.1962] Hi, I'm Jackie your tour guide: First lady Jacqueline Kennedy gives us a televised tour of the White House...
9.1989] No green bananas for you: Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini advises Salman Rushdie not to buy any green bananas as he calls on Muslims to kill the author of "The Satanic Verses". Salman Rushdie lives despite the death warrant...
10.2007] Nor'easter: It will be called "The Valentine's Day Blizzard". It starts on February 12th and won't end until February 20th. It peaks on Valentine's Day, killing 37 and dumping 48" of snow in Stowe, Vermont. The storm affects the east coast from Philadelphia to New England and midwest from Nebraska to Ohio...

Music Memories:

• 1967] Recorded on this date: "Respect" - Aretha Franklin...
• 1977] Valent-Ian Day: Janis Ian receives hundreds of Valentine's Day cards after she reveals that she never received any in her teens, in the song, "At Seventeen"...
• 1983] Number One on this date: "Baby Come To Me" - Patti Austin and James Ingram. The song became a hit when it was featured on "General Hospital"...

Events:
The New Music Seminar is in Los Angeles tonight through Wednesday. Opening events start at 6:00pm. The Seminar is being held at the Sheraton Universal Hotel on Hollywood Drive in Universal City. For additional information, go to Facebook and "search" for New Music Seminar...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Drew Bledsoe (39), Rob Thomas (39), Meg Tilly (51), Jo Jo Starbuck (60), (Raymond Joseph) Teller (63), Pat O'Brien (63), Donna Halper (64), Carl Bernstein (67), Mike Bloomberg (69), Florence Henderson (77), Phyllis McGuire (80) and Hugh Downs (90)...

Timeline Countdown: Today is Valentines Day, 7 days until Presidents' Day, 27 days until Daylight Savings Time, 34 days until spring & 45 days until MLB opening day...