Boston Listeners Can Sign Up for Airplay Notice

Backers say a service they’ve launched in Boston gives listeners a way to influence music played by local radio stations.
Called FM411*, the service has big goals: to shake up the radio industry and, ultimately, reverse the erosion of control that local stations have over their own programming, at least according to the entrepreneur in his announcement.
Founded by Jeff Levy, FM411* has a Web site, www.getfm411.com, where consumers can register requests for artists for free and ask local stations to send them an electronic alert via Instant Messenger, cell phone text message or e-mail indicating when their favorite music is about to play.
FM411* makes the data available to stations, which can acquire the rights to notify individuals minutes before the station plays the requested music. Levy hopes to take his service national.
“We’re giving listeners throughout Boston a simple, effective way to tell radio stations precisely what music they want to hear, when they want to hear it,” says Levy. “We believe this kind of data will compel the big media companies to program directly to the desires of local listeners.”
Four groups – Clear Channel, Greater Media, Entercom and Infinity – own 19 of Boston’s 23 top-rated stations.