The beauty of radio aggregation apps like TuneIn is the ability to listen to stations from around the world, rather than just your home country. Now it appears more US radio stations will be geo-blocking their online streams to ensure only Americans can listen (or, at least, that Brits can’t). A strange kind of patriotism? Not quite: Inside Radio claims the changes may be due to British society PPL contacting US radio stations whose streams are accessible in the UK, reminding them that they need to pay licensing fees. “We would be happy to discuss with you the licensing requirements necessary for your organisation to operate its internet simulcast services in the UK, so let me know if you are interested in pursuing this,” explains the polite email being sent to stations. The email also points out that Clear Channel already geo-blocks its US streams. Stations quizzed by Inside Radio seem resigned to geo-blocking, but as we mentioned, if PPL’s licensing drive moves beyond the US, it’ll be watched with interest (and concern) by the likes of TuneIn.
Tools: platforms to help you reach new audiences
Tools: Kaiber
In the year or so since its launch, AI startup Kaiber has been making waves,…