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Award-Winner: RadioDNS

It uses info already being broadcast to create a pseudo-domain that can point the receiver to your station and its advertising

Photo by Jim Peck, inset photo by Byrion Smith
Radio World this month profiles the recipients of our 2010 “Cool Stuff” Award.

Radio World introduced most U.S. radio folks to RadioDNS when we featured it in our “What to Watch for in 2010” Webinar last winter (be sure to catch the 2011 webinar later this year). The organizers took a high profile in Vegas, with a booth (including yummy Cadbury’s chocolates) and a presentation to the National Radio Systems Committee.

Our judges have shown an admirable willingness over the years to recognize not only good products but good technical initiatives; this is one. RadioDNS is a collaborative project that connects broadcast radio with the Internet to enable IP-delivered enhancements to the listening experience.

“Just because your radio also has an Internet connection within it, that doesn’t instantly mean that it can find more information about what it’s listening to,” the organizers argue.

RadioDNS uses information that is already being broadcast to create a kind of “pseudo-domain” which, by using standard DNS technology on the Internet, can point the radio to the broadcaster and its advertising. It works on DAB, FM, HD Radio and DRM. Applications under development include a way of adding text and visuals synched to the program; an electronic program guide with “universal preset”; and a tagging system.

This not-for-profit system envisions a small fee charged per entry in the DNS lookup table for broadcasters to cover operating costs. It is free to receiver manufacturers and software providers. The first radio with RadioDNS capability is the Pure Sensia: software is in development adding RadioDNS to mobile phones equipped with FM tuners.

This is an open project whose members include the NAB, BBC, Global Radio (the U.K.’s largest private broadcaster), Clear Channel (the largest U.S. radio company), the EBU, the Australian Broadcasting Corp., RadioTime, vTuner and several others. A developer’s mailing list is underway.

Shown, James Cridland works the booth (and doles out the Cadbury’s).

Info: RadioDNS: [email protected], http://radiodns.org

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