Clear Channel Radio will be the among the first radio groups to encode station audio to support the Apple iTunes tagging features on new radios that include IBOC reception capability.
Sources told Radio World that in general, stations sign agreements with Apple, to enable customers to buy music with the iTunes tagging feature. The encoding for iTunes is in the IBOC bit stream, in the same portion where the program-associated data resides.
Clear Channel Thursday urged all radio broadcasters to support the new capability.
“Apple has been a strong supporter of radio, previously making an FM tuner available for the iPod, and we view their support of HD Radio as an enormous opportunity,” stated Clear Channel Radio President/CEO John Hogan.
“All of our FM stations broadcasting in HD Radio will be available on these important and unprecedented devices. With substantial gains in online and on-demand programming already under our belt, there should now be no doubt of radio’s ability to constantly evolve and embrace new technology.”
Hogan emphasized, “The iPod is not a competitor to radio — it is a collaborator in connecting with consumers on a continual basis.”
