Members of Congress have been very receptive to a push by radio b...
Members of Congress have been very receptive to a push by radio broadcasters to put FM receivers in mobile phones, said Emmis Chairman Jeff Smulyan. “People have been incredibly supportive,” he said after touring congressional offices Thursday. Putting FM…
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chips into phones would help carriers fulfill emergency alert goals and help stations regain some cache with young listeners, he told the BIA Advisory Services conference. Congress can help by facilitating discussion between broadcasters and carriers, who have traditionally resisted the idea of putting the chips in phones, Smulyan said. “I don’t think a bill has to be passed.” Smulyan is pushing analog FM chips rather than HD Radio receivers for mobile phones because they are far cheaper. While an HD Radio receiver could cost as much as $10-$12 per phone, an analog chip is less than 50 cents, he said. “We want to make the simplest, easiest case,” Smulyan said. “HD is coming but we don’t want to complicate the issue.”