Blogging in France

In France, 27% of the online users read Internet blogs.

Blogs are exploding in France.

The top three topics:

News: 54%
Music: 46%
Leisure: 43%

Hmm… that is a nice list of things that RADIO STATIONS should have something to blog about.

I don’t think France is alone. This is a worldwide trend. People want to communicate. You may not be able to give huge amounts of air time over to news, in-depth music and artist information, and information about the things your listeners do (in addition to radio listening) for fun. But you, and your on-air talent, can certainly write about it and expand the number of connections between you and your listeners.

Do you agree?

Creative LAB (Listener Advisory Board) solicitation

Nicely done!
This is an email I got from a San Francisco station I listen to. (I listen to many stations).  I think MAX FM has shown real creativity with this email. They also had some cute graphics, which I didn’t include here.
A lot of stations have set up advisory boards of one type or another. I think this communication strikes just the right balance of seriousness and fun.
If you’re not talking on a regular basis to some of your outspoken listeners, my advice is to begin.
What do you think?

95.7 MAX-FM
Steve.
I like it. Strong, bold, decisive. Sure would look great on a name tag.
But do you have what else it takes to join The Max Board of Directors? Like strong opinions, and gas money?
I'm looking for listeners who have big, fun ideas for 95.7 MAX FM and are willing to share them in person, in between bites of free pizza. (Actually, this was Mother's idea... she says I lack "big picture thinking," that I'm "outside the matrix" and "padding my expense account." Blah, blah, blah — all that MBA talk drives me batty!)
Still, a little help couldn't hurt. The MAX FM Board of Directors. Apply now!
J.J. MaxwellC.E.O., C.F.O., Heir

US Internet Statistics

Some interesting Internet statistics for the United States:

69% of US households now have Internet service. 60% of those are high speed.

This is for at home.

80% of household have a computer.

But there are some financial factors at work.

First, broadband (high speed) households have an income 35% more than dial-up households.

Second, only 58% of homes with an annual income of under $30,000 have a computer.

So we’re not quite ready to get a balanced look at our listeners using the Internet. For some formats, that may not be a problem. But for most, listeners with income under $30,000 can be a substantial and important of the audience.

Your office computer is like airport security!

As you know if you’ve been reading this blog, I’ve created a new leading-edge music research analysis tool. We call this package MusicVISTA. For each music research project, the client station installs this on their computer(s).

Since MusicVISTA is written using the latest development tools, it is subject to the new paranoia about security that Microsoft has adopted. Okay, it is probably not paranoia. Odds are, people really are trying to trash your computer or steal your bank account password.

Under Microsoft’s new rules, you can’t install software unless you have administrator privileges. An administrator is a user that is allowed to do anything and everything to the computer. Under Windows XP, that is the default for how setting up an account. And this works great for your personal computer.

But computers at work (like at a radio station) are usually on a network, and more importantly, there is usually one or more “IT” guys who are in charge of the network and all things having to do with computers at the business. Those IT guys will usually make sure that your account is NOT an administrator account. You can run programs, but you can’t install them (and you can’t do a lot of other “dangerous” things).

The effect on new software like MusicVISTA is that you will need to find an administrator (one of those computer guys mentioned above). He can log on to your computer and install new software. Good luck finding him.

Windows VISTA is the new operating system now in beta. It should be out by early 2007. In Windows VISTA, things get even more controlled.

First, in VISTA, the default is not for you to have administrator privileges, even on your personal computer at home. You will either be in the “administrators group” or be a “standard user”. If you get an “administrators group” account, then all the IT guy needs to do is give you a password and you can go ahead and get the program installed. But let’s be real. He doesn’t trust you. Once he gives you a password, you’ll abuse it, crash the system, and make many hours of work for him. It will happen – not. So you’ll be the other default, a “standard user”. And just like with Windows XP, you’ll be begging the IT guy to come and install your new AMT software.

Sigh.

I’m investigating a couple of things. It looks like Microsoft is contradicting themselves in this sense: On the one hand, they want programs installed into the Program Files folder (technically Program Files\[Company name]\[Product name]\[Version]\. But on the other hand, they consider the Program Files folder to be critical, and access to be dangerous. So they won’t let standard users anywhere near it. It may be that I can break their first rule and put everybody’s AMTs in a separate area, and get around this. That will let us operate without bothering the IT guys unless there is another reason for Microsoft to get upset. I’m looking into it.