The Chaser

Imagine this:

You use a simple web app to manage your own personal radio station. You've got programming feeds from NPR, PRI, CBS, BBC, and whatever else you like -- even your cousin Joe broadcasting from his basement in Cairo, Ill. These feeds tell your radio app what's available for you to mix and match. And by tapping into the pool of other people using similar apps, you can see what's popular and get recommendations for further listening.

But then -- this is the important part -- you don't just listen on your computer. Instead, your cell phone becomes your radio. (Headphones are a must, clearly.)

Doc Searls lays it out. Here's how it begins:

First, somebody here in the computer industry needs to tell folks in the radio industry (starting with NPR and PRI — 'cuz they might listen and they've already gone pretty far downstream with making their programs ready for this, and they have a business model that makes money from listeners rather than advertisers) to send out RSS notifications with every single program they put on. Hell, every advertisement too. Might even create some demand for appropriate messages. RSS can be really, really huge for the industry.

We think this is a really, really interesting idea. It's certainly one we haven't heard before. Check out the full post. Nokia apparently already has a radio scheme in the works, but honestly, Searls' is a lot cooler.

Here's a precedent: Major League Baseball game broadcasts -- all of 'em -- over Sprint PCS phones. The Wall Street Journal's Jason Fry explains:

The service offers 30 audio channels -- one for each team -- featuring home broadcasts. It'll cost you -- it's $9.99 per month and only available to subscribers to Sprint's PCS Vision service, which costs $15 per month. (Because it's a data service, Mobi doesn't count against your minutes, and there are ways to mix and match your Sprint offerings to cut the price.) If you think $25 a month is steep, ask a marooned fan if he or she would pay less than a buck a game to be put back in touch.