Jelli is the 100% user-controlled radio company, which has had a moderate amount of success spreading its social network idea of sharing music. Next month, Jelli has announced they will become the first terrestrial radio network completely powered socially. Jelli is gambling that Las Vegas where two FM stations (KHIJ and KVBE) will allow listeners to choose in real time, every song they play, will trigger an avalanche of Jelli stations nationally. It wasn't that long ago that we used to call that all-request radio, which radio operators would tinker with just in case someone wanted to hear Kate Smith. The Las Vegas stations are the guinea pigs for all social radio, all the time but can the concept work???
The first thought that comes to mind is that unless Jelli stations adjust the all-request format with a reasonable amount of separation of the most requested songs, listeners who don't love Nicki Minaj will abandon the format quickly. Mike Dougherty, Jelli's CEO, apparently doesn't fear the danger of repetition or anything else: "There are over 150 million people in the U.S.A. that use the social web to share, communicate and consume content every month. The radio medium has seen little innovation in decades but is still massive, with 242 million listeners weekly." Mike adds this: "Jelli combines the power and fun of the social web with the reach of a terrestrial radio broadcast to create something new from something old." ...
Those of us who use the social networks daily should advise Mike that music is not the main topic of conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Depending on the demographics of those socializing it could be about the weather, sports, a new book, TV show, recipe or any number of other social items that are being chatted about. Unless you're programming to the lower end of the demo scale, just playing music that people want to hear is not that special, nor is it that unique...
Timeline Memories:
1958] Rock & Roll Riot: Alan Freed is indicted for inciting unlawful destruction of property in Boston as fans riot at the Boston Arena. Many consider this event the beginning of the end for Freed...
1961] TV Wasteland: FCC Chairman Newton N. Minnow condemns TV as a "Vast Wasteland" in a speech to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)...
1964] Released on this date: "World Without Love" - Peter & Gordon...1970] "Ride Captain Ride" - Blues Image...
1967] Welcome to baseball's Twilight Zone: Cardinals outfielder Roger Maris (#9), hits his first National League home run on the 9th day of the month. The ball lands in seat 9, section 9...
1971] Pow, right to the moon Alice: The last episode of "The Honeymooners" airs but the show will continue in syndication for centuries to come...
1974] Future of Rock & Roll: Music critic (Boston Phoenix, Real Paper, Rolling Stone) Jon Landau sees Bruce Springsteen perform at the Harvard Square Theater in Cambridge and says: "I saw rock & roll's future and its name is Bruce Springsteen." Landau starts a career in management. Guess who his first client is?
1978] Found in a trunk: The bullet-riddled body of former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro, abducted by the Red Brigades is found in a car trunk in Rome...
1987] Wedding Bells: Tom Cruise and Mimi Rogers stroll down the aisle in wedded Scientological bliss. The marriage will last until 1990...
2010] Death of a legend: Lena Horne dies of heart failure on Mothers Day. Horne, 92, was the mother of 2 daughters and a son. She also had 4 grandchildren...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
John Corbett (49), Billy Joel (62), Candice Bergen (65), Tommy Roe (69), Glenda Jackson (75), Albert Finney (75) & Mike Wallace (93)...
Timeline Countdown: 21 days until Memorial Day, 41 days until Fathers Day, 44 days until summer & 56 days until July 4th...
