By Scott Westerman
We noted with interest Saul Hansell’s NYT piece entitled “The Ascendance of Internet Radio“. In it, he showcases the pricey Tivoli wifi radio boxes. They are but one of a growing number of Internet appliances that play music. I say play music, because the definition of Internet radio doesn’t necessarily comply with how us Keenerfans might define the term.

Services like Pandora and Rhapsody create playlists for you based on preferences you choose, playing your faves and interspersing them with stuff that the computer logic thinks you also might like. These services include applications that play on IPhones and wifi audio devices so you can take your playlists with you.

There are computer desktop apps that aggregate audio content. ITunes, Slacker.com and Shoutcast all play in this sandbox. You can search their databases for call letters or genres that interest you and the stations instantly burst forth from your speakers. You can also roll your own if you know the web address of your favorite station. Some are web-only, like the pathfinders at 3wk.com, but a growing number of broadcasters have realized that Internet distribution is the inevitable way of the future and have links to customized web players on their sites.

Then there are the first generation wifi radios, devices that mostly rely on aggregators like Reciva to interact with their small microprocessors to populate tiny LCD screens with audio stream options. You may have to set up your device via the Recevia website, or can access the database via a maze of button pushes on the radio itself. It’s similar to programming the buttons on a brand new car radio, only not as intuitive.

These radios are still light on functionality and heavy on price, compared to dropping 50 bucks for a clock radio at Radio Shack, but for early adopters, they can fullfill a need.

My favorite Internet audio device is still the Chumby. The device encompasses much of what I think is cool about the best dot.com ideas: Open source, community designed content, consistent updates, versatility. It’s navigation is still a bit klunky… Setting up custom streams require several steps and getting to your audio content isn’t one screen touch away yet. But the audio quality is good and it’s alarm clock function allows you to wake up to your favorite Internet audio stream.

Internet radio as a concept holds a ton of promise. Theoretically, anybody can be a broadcaster on the web. It’s technologically easy to set up a stream, automated or live, and a variety of vendors are out there to help you scale your content. Compared to buying a radio station license, the cost to get on the web is relatively low.

But there are hurdles that broadcasters don’t yet face. Webcasters must pay additional mechanical license fees, the same kind of windfall that artists have been pressing congress to impose on radio stations. The methodology and rate structure is beyond the budgets of most individuals and the reporting requirements are so draconian that you need to use expensive software just to figure out how to pay your bills.

And nobody has yet figured out how to really make money in this space. IPods and the Internet have so fragmented audiences that terrestrial broadcasting itself is at risk. There isn’t the revenue stream to support the kind of overhead that even our beloved WKNR could sustain in her prime. Some broadcasters are wondering if the kind of relationship radio that was so integral to the Keener generation’s youth is financially viable in this new environment.

We think the Keener concepts are still as valid today as they were when WKNR rocketed to the top of the Detroit radio zigaraut. We still value individuals who can provide interesting background to dovetail with the music we love, energetic folks who can help us make sense of our world, friends who make us feel like we’re the most important people in the world. Someone will figure out how to morph these ideas into a method that plays well in a world where we can take our favorite audio products anywhere.

It won’t be the same. We can’t totally recreate the confluence of technology and history that made Keener what it was. But if the reaction to Keener13.com, the WLS radio reunions, and the continued fascination with all things associated with 60s rock and roll are any indication.. we can come close.