When I drive, I usually listen to the radio. However, as many know, it seems like stations tend to either overplay songs, or occasionally, have a string of songs I don't really care for. On top of this, there are long segments of ads. I envision a device that was a touch-screen that listed available radio stations whilst in the car, and also the current song that they were each playing. That way, one could avoid ads, repeated songs, and disliked songs. Also, there could be a timer, much like in a CD player, that tells how much time is left for the song.-- benlevi7, Jan 13 2004 Radio Your Way http://www.radioyourway.com/Tivo-esque radio thing. Not like the idea at all. [waugsqueke, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] This isn't exact...but an option.... http://www.xmradio....s/introduction.htmlcommercial free....and full of your favorite songs... [babyhawk, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] I'm worried about distraction by that touch screen. Make it a neural network instead that analyzes the sounds on all your favorite stations. Initially it will just play some random station. If you don't like it hit the "shut-up botton" and it switches to another. It remembers what you didn't like. Soon it will be able to separate music from advertisements. Some time later it will recognize announcements of your favorite songs, then it may recognize the style of music you like.
There is still some silicon magic involved, but CPUs get faster and software has less and less bugs, so it could work some day.-- kbecker, Jan 13 2004 this is great -- expand it into a Car Radio Tivo. Since many stations now broadcast the artist and the song title, this may be doable. Rather then searching for a "Rock Station", just have your radio Tivo play songs that you want to hear, now or slightly delayed.
Of course you do have MP3 car players and satellite, but this still may be interesting+-- theircompetitor, Jan 13 2004 I remember hearing that a company called Gavin in San Francisco had some whacky automated sampling device tune radios in important markets and listen long enough to determine what song was being played (using pattern recognition) and then tune to the next station and so on all day long. They then took the resulting playlists and cross referenced them to other similar format stations and published standings for songs and who knows what else for their readers. Weird. But the data they generated could be used realtime to support your idea: WXYZ is playing "Copa Cabana" and is 22 seconds from being done.-- DadManWalking, Jan 14 2004 My friend has XM radio...and loves it. It is not what you have described, but is an option to get rid of commercials and having to listen to the songs you don't like.-- babyhawk, Jan 14 2004 Wanting to know what song is on is a good idea - it's partially baked with the emergence of Digital Radio, where the text info that accompanies the audio usually says what the current and upcoming songs are. Analog platforms are trying to keep up, by adding new information to their RDS traffic signals, but this is quite labour intensive.
My problem with this idea is the desire to get rid of adverts. Yes they're annoying, just like paying for a new house is annoying. Building a house costs money, hence nobody gives them away for free.
If people stop listening to adverts, advertisers' sales won't increase. They'll stop advertising, and the radio stations will have less money. They'll employ cheaper DJs and programmers, and the music will suffer. Or, they'll go bust and stop broadcasting altogether.
If you want the product, you have to pay for it, either through subscription, or through advertising.-- Fishrat, Jan 14 2004 Not really a problem, Fishrat. With a system like this you could find out which advertisers typically have their ads playing amongst your favourite tunes (they have statistics for everything) and shop in their stores, throwing in an occasional "Good on ya" for their support of your favourite stations, without ever actually having heard their ads. No harm, no foul.
And if you mistakenly thank a shopowner for his ad on RadioXYZ but he only ever advertises on RadioHJK, well I don't think he'll get upset or throw you out of his store. He'll just think you're a little weird and put your money in the till. ka-ching!
<aside: I my elf have already stopped listening to the ads on radio. A little adaptive consciousness trick called selective listening. chortle, chortle>-- Canuck, Jan 14 2004 make the ads more damned interesting!-- po, Jan 14 2004 the one for WHOOOSH!, cucumber man always made me smile :)-- po, Jan 14 2004 Define: cucumber man-- thumbwax, Jan 14 2004 beyond my powers, thumb.
waiting for an ascii drawing from your good self...-- po, Jan 14 2004 random, halfbakery