More than 60 years ago, radio was invented in this world. However it still has the same feature. Audience just can listen FM or AM frequency. By the way, nowadays it is not like that any more. Who can believe that finally the radio reinvents itself for the digital era.Thanks to a digital convergent device, which was named as the most successful new media today, mobile phones. Cell phones shift the radio to a new world. Audiences can see the graphic while listening to the FM radio via the mobile phone screen. This innovative application is called “Visual Radio.”
Visual Radio redefines FM radio not only for listeners but also for other business industries. For example, music companies, radio stations, advertisers and mobile operators. With Visual Radio, images and texts are synchronized with the radio broadcast to bring the information and the interactivities directly to mobile phone like an interactive digital television only smaller enough to play it on hand.
The joint venture established by Nokia and Hewlett-Packard had created this miracle application in 2003. Catching up the trend, Kiss FM, in
Finland is the first radio station that provides Visual Radio program. In addition, Nokia designed the model 7710—the first mobile phone that allows gadget maniacs take pleasure in with Visual Radio. More importantly, A Visual Radio broadcasting procedures are the same as an original FM radio broadcast except that procedures should be added to Visual Radio server run by Hewlett-Packard for interaction with mobile phones and servers.
As mentioned above, the Visual Radio application provides many benefits to individuals (listeners) and industries such as; radio stations, music industries, advertisers and mobile operators. As detailed below:
Listeners: Switch to the new world of Visual Radio. Listener can know who's playing through seeing the information on a mobile phone screen. Furthermore, they can read some hot gossips about artists. Besides, they can get much latest information for instance, news, sports and weather forecasts. Additionally, all information was enriched by graphics and interesting background information. Another great benefit of this application is that audience participates in polls, votes and competitions. More amazingly, listeners can purchase the virtually unlimited range of products and services such as concert tickets, games, video clips and ring tones immediately via mobile phone screen, just one click!
Radio stations: New listening, new profits. Disc Jockeys can enhance interactivity with audiences by the power of Visual Radio. Listeners no longer receive information passively; instead, they all become proactive community members. Moreover, DJs can draw their fans’ attentions by new interactive advertisings which were supported by sponsors.
Music industries: Music for your eyes. There are massive profits that music industries around the world can get from Visual Radio, Artists can create closer ties with new fans than ever before through this more interactive way. Visual Radio helps increase sales volume via a new channel, M-Commerce. Listener can download artist wallpapers, ring tones, java games and so forth via a mobile screen by one click. Whenever a song is played, listeners know and see what they are hearing. Finally, Visual Radio gives a greatly enhanced measurement of listenership. It can show statistics on listener and viewer numbers and the CEOs of the music company know in real time.
Advertiser: A powerful new medium for your message. Visual Radio is an absolute new medium that shows the great potential of two-way communication. Essentially one-to-one advertising can succeed by this enriched interactive tool. It is never too exaggerated to say that the Visual Radio application is a powerful direct response medium. It offers consumers easy involvement, quick interaction and effortless purchasing.
Mobile operator: Making radio means revenue. Mobile Operators can gain more and more from new data revenues (GPRS), digital contents and mobile services. Visual Radio can boost ARPU (Airtime Revenue Per Unit). There are many advantages that mobile operators can expect from this application such as a maintaining a stronger customer loyalty and enhancing brand value. Mobile phone users always preferred innovative mobile services from their operators.
From 2003 to the present, there are six countries that broadcast Visual Radio through FM radio station such as; Finland, German, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, and
USA. Moreover, It has ten mobile phone models that support this application respectively Nokia Nseries (N70,N90,N91), Nokia 3230, 6111, 6230i, 6270, 6280, and 7710.
Likewise, the cost of using this new technology is one of the most important factors to indicate the success of this newest medium. In fact, cost of Visual Radio data is divided from other data tariffs. Some operators will offer special monthly flat-fee billing models for the data traffic.Visual Radio experience can be created by transmitting ~200 kilobytes of data per hour.
In conclusion, I think Visual Radio is an application that has a great potential for changing our consuming media habits in this digital age. Moreover, it can create new opportunities for business sectors. I truly agree with Reidar Wasenius, Marketing Manager Nokia Multimedia Business Group (
Finland), who said that Visual Radio is not really revolutionary, but rather an evolution. Who can deny the effectiveness of Mobile phones? They are the real media center.
References;www.visualradio.com
http://nokiaasia.com/nokia/0,,78415,00.html
http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/visualradio.html
http://news.com.com/Visual+radio+headed+for+U.S.+cell+phones/2100-1027_3-5673078.htmlhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4192351.stm
