broadcasting

Longer song samples are finally on their way to iTunes.

An Apple spokesman confirmed for CNET this evening a report by Symphonic Distribution, a digital music distributor, that iTunes would soon be extending the length of song samples from 30 seconds to 90 seconds for songs that are at least two-and-a-half minutes in length. Shorter songs would continue to offer the 30-second sample.

Apple notified the top music labels and other business partners in the music industry about the change today.

The samples are, of course, the snippets of music that Apple offers to iTunes users so they can determine … Read more

Competitor Qik is making a name for itself by getting preloaded onto various smartphones (like the HTC Evo), but Justin.tv, originally a Web service, is following suit with its own Android and iPhone apps.

Justin.tv makes it easy to register for an account from the phone and easy to get started recording your video over Wi-Fi and data. Chatting with live viewers and sharing video to Facebook and Twitter are also intuitive features to use. In addition to letting others watch your video from those two social networks, your fans can catch you from your personal video channel … Read more

Newspaper publishers didn't ask the U.S. Congress to put news-reading apps on mobile phones. Walkie-talkie and CB radio makers haven't pushed Apple or Nokia for radio frequency compatibility.

But radio broadcasters are a bit more politically ambitious. Claiming public safety benefits, the National Association of Broadcasters is proposing a new federal law that would force manufacturers to implant FM tuners in all mobile phones.

In an interview with CNET on Thursday, NAB executive vice president Dennis Wharton said that because nonbroadcast wireless networks tend to become clogged during emergencies, "there would be a public benefit to … Read more

Not long after Google acquired YouTube, the search engine offered nearly $600 million in guaranteed revenue if Viacom--the parent company of MTV Networks, Comedy Central, and Paramount Pictures--licensed its TV shows and films to YouTube, records show.

News of Google's offer was revealed in documents released on Friday by a Manhattan federal court and reviewed by CNET. In March 2007, Viacom filed a copyright lawsuit against Google and YouTube and it has become one of the most watched legal disputes in the tech sector.

In a deposition given by Google co-founder Larry Page on October 1, 2009, a Viacom … Read more

A dozen broadcasters have joined forces to create a new service for delivering mobile TV.

With more and more people watching video on smartphones and other portable gadgets, the newly created venture will let member companies cook up digital TV content including live and on-demand video, news from both print and electronic outlets, and an array of sports and entertainment shows. Potentially, it could also provide U.S. mobile users with information on emergencies and natural disasters.

Content will be sent over existing broadcast airwaves instead of over the Internet. The partnership is made up of three national networks--Fox, NBC/… Read more

In my never-ending search for frivolous Firefox add-ons, I've discovered Broadcasts Monitor, a unique twist on the idea of watching live video streams. Hang on to your hat here, because this add-on lets you slap up to 25 live video streams onto a single browser tab.

Why you'd ever want to go all the way to 25 is beyond me, but sticking with the default of four proved to be quite useful in my go with it. It supports a handful of services like Justin.tv, Ustream, Livestream, and BlogTV. Advanced users can also plug in motion JPEG … Read more

Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachowski tried to convince broadcasters to support his plans to reauction TV wireless spectrum during a speech he gave Tuesday at the industry's annual trade show sponsored by the National Association of Broadcasters in Las Vegas.

Genachowski said the additional spectrum is needed to ensure that U.S. wireless operators can meet the growing demand for wireless broadband services. He said new smartphone devices, such as the Apple iPhone and the Motorola Droid, are causing a 40-fold increase in demand compared to a three-fold increase in spectrum for mobile broadband coming online. He said the … Read more

For years, Pandora and other Web radio stations fought to reduce the royalty rates they were required to pay artists and record labels.

Last July, the music industry and Webcasters reached an agreement and it now appears both sides are reaping the benefits. On Friday, SoundExchange, the group appointed by Congress to collect royalties on behalf of artists and copyright owners, said it has begun distributing $51.7 million, the largest quarter the nonprofit group has ever recorded.

The amount represents a 135 percent increase over the same period last year and is nearly $10 million larger than the previous … Read more

A fight is brewing in Washington, D.C., and this one's not the much-publicized battle over health care reform.

No, the brawl that is just getting started is much quieter and could drag on for years. In one corner of the ring is the Federal Communications Commission, which wants to reclaim wireless spectrum for new broadband services. In the other corner are TV broadcasters, which sit on the spectrum the FCC wants to take back.

The FCC's new National Broadband Plan, officially introduced this week, proposes that government shrink the overall spectrum that is allocated to TV broadcasters … Read more