The Infinite Dial

With all the press that Slacker has gotten recently for its inclusion on RCA's just-unveiled-at-CRS "Infinite Radio," I decided to take another listen. As with many other Internet-only channels/music services, I'd given it an early listen, but it didn't ultimately draw my attention away from all the terrestrial radio that was becoming available again at the time -- something that will also be an option on RCA's device. But with the new radio giving Slacker its own place of prominence -- displayed above Internet, AM, and FM radio on your list of options -- it potentially becomes a much easier choice for consumers, and one worth re-examining.

I started with the Mainstream CHR format, Today's Hit Radio. Here's an hour's worth of music without any of the available customization.

Lifehouse, "First Time"
Justin TImberlake, "Lovestoned - I Think She Knows"
Ciara, "Get Up"
Maroon 5, "Won't Go Home Without You"
Timbaland f/Onerepublic, "Apologize"
Usher, "Caught Up"
Taylor Swift, "Teardrops On My Guitar"
Nelly Furtado, "Say It Right"
Buckcherry, "Sorry"
Gwen Stefani, "Four In The Morning"
Elliot Yamin, "Wait For You"
Daughtry, "Home"
J.Holiday, "Bed"
Paramore, "Misery Business"
Mariah Carey, "It's Like That"

That sounded like a lot of Internet-only CHR stations that I've listened to over the years, it's actually a few ticks more conservative than the average major-market Top 40. If you're looking for a truly different take on Top 40, Sirius Hits 1 and XM's 20 On 20 are more distinct. On the other hand, if you're not a radio/music junkie and want a comfortable, commercial-free Top 40 for the office, it's very palatable. Of the handful of extreme records that still get airplay at Top 40, the closest to anything noisy was Paramore, and I could have made it one of my six skipped songs.

And, to be fair, as with a recent examination of the hit-to-oh wow ratio on XM and Sirius Satellite Radio, there are plenty of other channels here if you don't want to hear the hits, from "Dysfunctional Holiday" to "U.K. Indie." So I decided to try the "U.K. Hits" channel. (In actuality, more focused on Alternative music that happens to be from the U.K.)

Snow Patrol, "Open Your Eyes"
Mark Ronson, "Valerie"
Fatboy Slim, "That Old Pair Of Jeans"
Dido, "Sand In My Shoes"
Libertines, "Can't Stand Me Now"
Kooks, "She Moves In Her Own Way"
Nine Black Alps, "Shot Down"
Coldplay, "Fix You"
Travis, "Closer"
Bloc Party, "Like Eating Glass"
Mika, "Relax (Take It Easy)"
Lily Allen, "Smile"
Dirty Pretty Things, "Deadwood"

Finally, I tried '70s Hits:

Chuck Berry, "My Ding-A-Ling" (all 10-plus minutes of the album version)
Seals & Crofts, "Summer Breeze"
Chairmen Of the Board, "Give Me Just A Little More Time"
Todd Rundgren, "Hello It's Me"
Foreigner, Hot Blooded"
George Harrison, "Dark Horse"
Shirley Brown, "Woman To Woman"
Brian Hyland, "Gypsy Woman"
Carole King, "It's Too Late"
Stevie Wonder, "I Wish"
Keith Carradine, "I'm Easy"
Jackson 5, "Mama's Pearl"
Van Morrison, "Domino"
John Travolta, "Let Her In"

It was about the time of George Harrison -- the first true "oh wow" for me -- that I finally started to enjoy myself. As regular readers may have figured out, if you can put enough of those songs back to back, you will probably get me to overcome my usual preference for full-service radio over jockless music. But I make no claims to speak for the rest of America here. And Slacker's emphasis on portability and customization -- long hailed as one of Internet radio's calling cards -- will certainly resonate with somebody. (I've already heard from one very enthusiastic radio person about this announcement.)

I usually come away from my forays into much of Internet-only radio with a new appreciation for the total package (and sometimes even the depth and variety) offered by mainstream terrestrial radio -- or at least the mainstream terrestrial radio that I can stream. But that's not a story being shared from many quarters these days. Those streams (including HD-2 multicast channels that stream) will also be available on RCA's device, but not with the same prominence as Slacker.

Which again raises a question: With all the effort that is going into HDRadio, shouldn't somebody be pushing for a portable device that gives the same sort of prominence that Slacker is getting here to HD-2 multicast channels -- offering all the available HD stations, not just those that can be heard in any given market?