RBR-TVBR reader Bruce N. Goren used to wonder why there wasn’t a telephone built into MP3 players, and he is also mystified about the lack of terrestrial radio availability on cell phones – well, not mystified, exactly. He thinks the collection of streaming fees by mobile providers just might have something to do with it.
With the cost of including radio on cellular devices reportedly becoming all but negligible, he is stunned that it isn’t available in every smart phone.
In his case, his love of portable and personal radio goes back to the transistor days, when radios could be smuggled into school to keep up with favorite programs and baseball play-by-play.
Goren was responding to an article RBR-TVBR published recently entitled “Citizens want radio-receiving cell phones.”
Here are Goren’s comments in full:
“As someone who grew up with shirt pocket sized cheap Japanese transistor radios, the bad boy geek toy of the times, smuggled into school to hear Cousin Brucie and NY Mets games; I am amazed that this is even an issue.
“Back in the early days of the iPod when I was working for consumer electronics retailer Good Guys!, I used to joke around the store holding the iPod up to my ear saying ‘Hello, Hello? — Steve Jobs? Why isn’t there a telephone in my MP3 player? It’s the perfect form factor!’
“Likewise you have to wonder why for a few pennies each there can’t be an AM/FM radio in every smart phone, could it be someone wants you to stream more media and pay through the nose for exceeding your monthly data plan?”
RBR-TVBR observation: Well said, Mr. Goren – thanks for sharing your thoughts with the rest of us.
