Music Choice Jams With Digital Radio example essay topic

Some cable television companies have been sending music across coaxial cable for years. But until recently, these were sent in an analog format using an FM frequency. Now companies are experimenting with sending CD-quality music in digital format across the same coaxial cable. In September 1991, International Cablecasting Technologies began selling a premium cable service, called Digital Music Express (DMX), to subscribers in 146 cable systems. DMX offered 30 channels of music programs, from classical to jazz to hard rock.

DMX had the backing of several big hitters, including cable operators Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) and Viacom, and cable equipment maker Scientific Atlanta. DMX delivered the music channels using the space between existing cable channels for its audio signals, thereby allowing cable companies to increase their revenues without giving up any space on their systems. After trialing the service in residences, DMX was ready to go into the business sector in 1993, targeting hotels, restaurants, retailers, hospitals, and professional offices. It offered several advantages to businesses, including 24-hour music with no deejays or commercials and a specific music style to match the business's need (soothing music for an upscale restaurant, fast-paced easy listening rock for a fast food restaurant).

A business could even choose a different music channel for different locations in the business, for example, a hotel might choose different music selections for the pool area, the bar, the restaurant, the lobby, and the elevator. Competing with Muzak In the commercial arena, DMX's major competitors included Audio Engineering Inc. (AEI) and Muzak. AEI distributed its music through customized tapes and over five channels on a satellite system. Muzak, which had been around since the 1930's, used a sub carrier of the FM radio band. DMX, which charged a little more, felt it could attract business away from these two companies with high-quality digital sound and the variety offered by its highly customized 30 channels.

But at the same time Digital Cable Radio (DCR) was coming on strong. Its supporters included cable operators General Instrument, Adelphia Cable Communications, Comcast Cable Communications, Continental Cable Vision, Cox Cable Communications, Times Mirror Cable Television, and Time Warner Cable and music labels Warner Music Group and Sony Software Corporation. In 1994, EMI Music joined the partnership. DCR's service, called Music Choice, provided its subscribers with a digital tuner that allowed them to use a telephone line, cable line, or direct broadcast satellite input to receive its service. In mid-1994, DCR officially changed its name to Music Choice and, in late 1994, it announced that it would begin a new direct broadcast satellite (DBS) radio service, the first company in the United States to offer this option. By mid-1994, digital audio broadcasting (DAB) was firmly established and had the music industry concerned that it could eventually render records and CDs obsolete, as well as complicate the copyright and royalties questions.

To prevent subscribers from simply recording new album releases, the various DAB providers, like DMX and Music Choice, never played an entire album at once and didn't pre-announce whose music would be next. Congress Amends Copyright Act In October, 1995, the Performance Right in Sound Recordings bill passed Congress and was added as an amendment to the U.S. Copyright Act. In part, the bill granted copyright owners the right to authorize the digital transmission of their works via digital audio cable services, satellite music services, commercial online providers, and other digital subscription services. The new law reduced the chances of lost revenue to record labels and recording artists from digital audio transmission subscription services. Also in 1995, Progressive Networks and Xing Technology introduced software that can "stream" audio to a computer in small digital data packets. Streaming audio allows the PC user to hear the audio instantly as it's delivered to the PC modem.

The PC user can then access a radio station's World Wide Web site through the Internet and use the computer's sound card to listen to the radio station. It also permitted the entry of a new type of digital audio service typified by start-up company AudioNet. AudioNet has a network of 30 radio stations that broadcast over the Internet. Although the number of users for Internet radio is small, the potential is enough to have companies like AudioNet testing the waters.

With passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the telephone companies and cable television companies were given free rein to enter the other's line of business. Three telephone companies (Bell Atlantic, Ny nex, and Pacific Telesis) have formed a joint venture called TELE-TV, whose stated purpose was to offer interactive video services, such as televised concerts, and digital programming directly over telephone lines. TELE- TV's digital programming plans include providing digital music. It also intends to directly sell music titles on television by using its interactive capabilities. The distribution of music in a digital format is one of the latest uses of digital technology and is changing the whole concept of music listening. Radio stations, audio tapes, and CDs are no longer the only source of the latest music releases.

Subscribers can now use their computers and televisions, as well as their radios to receive music programs. Business subscribers have more variety and more options for providing "canned" music throughout their company. And, the music may be provided by their local cable company, their local telephone company, or a satellite dish. Sources Atwood, Brett; "Music Choice Goes into Orbit with DBS"; Billboard; October 22, 1994 Bernier, Paula; "Music Choice Jams with Digital Radio"; Telephony; May 2, 1994 Boehlert, Eric; "EMI Follows Sony, Warner into Digital Cable Radio Deal"; Billboard; April 30, 1994 Holland, Bill; "Performance Right Bill on Way to White House"; Billboard; October 28, 1995 Hunter, Nigel; "Riding a Superhighway Across All Borders, International Publishers Must Think Globally"; Billboard; May 7, 1994 Jeffrey, Don; "Keynoter Howard Stringer Eases Into Brave New Digital World"; Billboard; March 30, 1996 Jones International Ltd. ; "Jones Intercable sells Jones Galactic Radio"; Jones Intercable Homepage (web); August 13, 1996 Kane, Cheryl; "Area Cable Operators Pushing DMX Commercial Music Venues"; South Florida Business Journal; October 15, 1993 Newcomb, Peter; "The HBO of Radio"; Forbes; March 30, 1992 Sullivan, R. Lee; "Radio Free Internet"; Forbes; April 22, 1996.