AccuRadio

Here are some new developments from industry firms (who aren't Apple) we think you may find interesting:

Livio has announced Livio Keys and the FM Traffic Button, two new products they say can generate new revenue for car manufacturers and app developers. Livio Keys is a "communication solution" that links carmakers and software developers with tools and customizable services. The FM Traffic Button uses code added to an embedded app on an in-dash infotainment system to provide up-to-the-minute, on-demand traffic reports for U.S. markets.

Abacast has announced a new partnership with Cue.AD, the first Israeli ad network for digital radio. The deal, says, Abacast, will provide that nation's first solution for digital radio broadcasters and advertisers along with a complete online radio streaming and monetization service.

Industry research firm Reportlinker has a new study out called "Global Internet Radio Industry," which it says provides comprehensive analytics for the U.S., Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and more, with annual estimates and forecasts for 2010-2018. The report covers 45 companies like Pandora, Clear Channel, Slacker, Rhapsody, SomaFM, Digitally Imported, and AccuRadio. Read more (and purchase the report) here.

StreamGuys will now support the open-source Ogg Opus codec, which it says will give webcasters more options for high-quality, low-latency audio streaming. The Ogg Opus codec is free to use, offers broadcast-quality reproduction, and doesn't lag behind real-time broadcasting (like streaming MP3 can).

Triton Digital announced it's successfully deployed its Advertising Platform including Ad Injector to Sao Paulo, Brazil-based broadcaster Kiss Telecomunicações LTDA.

Marketron has expanded its partnership with Saga Communications. The broadcaster will now use Marketron's Insight reporting product, Proof of Performance, and Network Connect.

Two radio industry groups have issued statements of support for the just-introduced Internet Radio Fairness Act (here).

Both thanked Reps. Chaffetz and Polis and Sens. Wyden and Moran for the introduction of the bill, and decried the unfairness that Internet radio alone is subjected to rates determined not by the 801(b) standard of the Copyright Act, but by the imagined marketplace of the "willing buyer willing seller" standard.

"In 1998, Congress passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), instructing the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) to set (an Internet royalty) rate 'that a willing buyer and a willing seller would agree to,'" explained Kurt Hanson, founder and CEO of webcaster AccuRadio (and publisher of this newsletter), speaking on behalf of the Small Webcaster Alliance (which includes services like Digitally Imported, 977 Music, and Radio Paradise). "The difficult-to-interpret language of that standard has been a nightmare for our industry ever since, leading to CRB decisions that have forced Internet radio companies to pay unreasonably high royalty rates and hindering innovation and growth."

The National Association of Broadcasters joined in support of the bills. "NAB... strongly supports legislative efforts to establish fair webcast streaming rates. NAB will work with the bill's sponsors and all interested parties to create broadcast radio streaming rates that promote new distribution platforms and new revenue streams that foster the future growth of music."

We expect to soon have reaction from other supporters, as well as opposition statements from music industry representatives like the RIAA, SoundExchange, and performers organizations, as well as Congressional opponents to these bills.

Michael Damsky has spent most of his 32-year radio career so far at two of Chicago's legendary radio stations. Following a stretch of more than two decades that saw him rise from an account executive at WXRT to that station's general manager, Damsky became WLS-AM/FM director of sales, and then eventually president/market manager.

On Tuesday (when he'll attend RAIN Summit Dallas), Damsky will offcially assume his new role as AccuRadio Executive Vice President of Sales.

"It is our belief that AccuRadio, with its fully built-out platform for personalizable music channels, is well positioned to take a significantly increased share of this fast-growing market," AccuRadio founder/CEO (and RAIN publisher) Kurt Hanson said today. "With his proven ability to build a sales organization, Michael will help provide the increased revenue which we expect to fuel AccuRadio’s growth."

"I am excited to be joining AccuRadio — a pioneering provider of personalizable streaming Internet radio," Damsky said. "I couldn’t pass-up the chance to help grow AccuRadio into a leadership position in what is clearly the most rapidly expanding sector of music listening."

RAIN Publications and RAIN Summits today announce our next industry event, RAIN Summit Dallas, Tuesday September 18, immediately preceding the RAB/NAB Radio Show.

Tim Castelli (pictured), President of National Sales, Marketing & Partnerships for Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, will be the keynote speaker for the event, taking place at the Anatole Hilton in Dallas.

Castelli has more than 20 years of experience in building advertising solutions for major U.S. clients and previously served as SVP/Sales for AOL’s Eastern U.S. Region. His earlier roles include Technology Industry Director for Google and publisher of Rolling Stone magazine. His task at Clear Channel now: finding a way to successfully integrate ads into the company's iHeartRadio custom radio service (according to a recent AdAge article, here).

As always, RAIN publisher and AccuRadio founder/CEO Kurt Hanson will host the RAIN Summit, and give his "State of the Industry" address.

We'll announce more panelists and presenters in the coming weeks. Register for RAIN Summit Dallas (and get further info, including sponsorship opportunities) here.

Congratulations to veteran radio programmer and consultant Dave "The Duke" Sholin, who'll take the afternoon gig at Bend Radio Group's legendary country station, KSJJ in Bend, OR.

Sholin, along with fellow radio legend and research expert Jonathan Little, programs AccuRadio's Americana channel The Train. Sholin will continue his work on The Train, as well as his voiceovers and imaging and running his own marketing firm. He'll also lend a hand with the programming for KSJJ and the group's other stations.

Most pureplay webcasters enjoyed significant growth over the holiday season, according to Triton Digital's Webcast Metrics for December 2011, while most broadcasters declined month-to-month. The growth is likely somewhat attributable to the influx of holiday listeners.

Pandora yet again extended its dominating lead over others in the Top 20 Domestic Mon-Sun 6a-12m daypart ranker. Its AAS increased over 88,000 from November, a 10% growth.

Pandora is now close to surpassing an AAS (Average Active Sessions, which is essentially equivalent to AQH — i.e., average simultaneous listeners) of 1 million in the Domestic Mon-Sun 6a-12m daypart ranker. (Pandora surpassed the 1 million AAS mark in November 2011 in the Domestic Mon-Fri 6am-8pm ranker.)

Pureplay webcaster AccuRadio (brought to by the same folks who write RAIN every day) showed the largest month-to-month rate of growth at 29%.

(The chart above shows the growth of Pandora, CBS, Clear Channel, the top 5 terrestrial radio groups and Slacker from September 2009 through December 2011. Note that Pandora's AAS numbers from December 2010 through mid-August 2011 were affected by the omission of tracking code in some of its mobile apps. Click to view in full size.)

Slacker grew 7% over November, reaching an AAS of 50,767. That's up 96% from December 2010.

Meanwhile, Clear Channel was one of few broadcasters who grew over November, reaching an AAS of 123,427 (monthly growth of 5%). Other broadcasters dropped from November, some significantly: CBS was down 8%, ESPN Radio 9%, Cumulus 13% and Entercom 24%.

Overall, the combined AAS of pureplay webcasters increased 10% from November to December 2011, while that of broadcasters decreased 4%.

You can find the Domestic and All Streams Mon-Sun 6a-12m rankings below. Find out more from Triton Digital’s Webcast Metrics report here (PDF) and find our coverage of November 2011’s ratings here.