We’re pleased to announce that RadioDNS will be at the 2010 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The 2010 NAB Show is the place to discover new opportunities for all of us in the broadcaster world.

You’ll be able to find us at stand C1329 in the LVCC Hall C1.

We’ll be on hand throughout the show, to explain and demonstrate the technology and experience that RadioDNS enables. We’ll also have coffee and British chocolate, so we expect our stand to be busy. To ensure you have the time to meet with us, please email feedback@radiodns.org if you’d like to discuss RadioDNS further.

Please add us to your conference itinerary: and we look forward to meeting you and talking about changing the (radio) world together.

To gain free entry to the NAB Exhibits, register using this link.

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Press Release: RadioDNS converges broadcast radio and IP

The open project that links broadcast radio and IP is to attend its first US show, in response to overwhelming interest from US broadcasters.

RadioDNS allows radio broadcasters to seamlessly enhance their existing analogue or digital broadcasts with IP delivered services. The project uses a simple technology based upon the existing DNS (Domain Name System) to allow IP-connected radios to automatically locate the servers of the station the radio is tuned into. It’s an open project, with members and supporters from all over the world, including Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The PURE Sensia radio, which was unveiled at this January’s CES show, is the first connected radio device to use the technology, enhancing radio broadcasts with rich visual information acquired over IP. The radio performs a simple lookup in DNS to translate a domain-name based on the radio station’s RDS or HD radio information, into the broadcaster’s own domain name. From then on, the radio can find out what IP services the broadcaster supports, and provide them to the listener. The same approach can be used by cellphones with built-in FM or HD Radio functionality.

The technology, which is non-proprietary, can be used to support any combination of broadcast radio and IP-delivered application. Other applications being actively developed by members include a technology to allow radios to switch automatically between audio streaming and broadcast radio, and an application to allow tagging of any on-air event such as songs and commercials.

Nick Piggott, a Project Co-ordinator at RadioDNS said: “We’re very pleased with the amount of interest from US broadcasters in the project, and it’s gratifying to have support from ClearChannel, the NAB and others in the US radio industry. Our belief is that RadioDNS’s openness makes it attractive to broadcasters and device manufacturers, and its simplicity means that it’s easy and cost-effective to implement. Providing a connection between broadcast radio and the Internet could unlock significant new value for radio, and re-invigorate the perceptions of radio’s digital options.”

RadioDNS currently has over 40 supporters, and around 1,500 entries for radio stations. Project members will be on hand at stand C1329 to discuss what RadioDNS can do, the various way broadcasters can get involved, and demonstrating RadioDNS technology uses.

At our Second General Assembly, we set the wheels in motion for our first election.

Today, we publish the candidates for the roles of Chairperson, Secretary and Steering Board Members, and it’s a great lineup from across all sectors of the industry and across the world.

We’re also very pleased to publish our first list of members. Our members are the people who guide and shape RadioDNS, and we’re very pleased and fortunate to have them make this commitment to the project.

If you’d like to be a member, it’s not too late to join using the simplified procedure. The details are on our membership page. Being a member will allow you to vote in the elections.

Between now and 31st March, you can review the list of nominees and we’ll announce how you can cast proxy votes. Alternatively, you can attend (virtually) our Third General Meeting on the 1st April, at which the election will be held.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about RadioDNS, you can always contact us directly.

The news about RadioDNS’s official birth has been well received by the radio press, which we’re very grateful for. Among other stories, we’ve noticed…

UK radio station Absolute Radio announce their intention to be a full Member of the organisation

The excellent Radio and Internet Newsletter (RAIN) has covered the news by highlighting the US Supporters of the project

The UK-based Radio Today covered some of the new functionality that the RadioDNS framework can achieve.

Radio World International covered the founding of the organisation

Broadcast covered the story with commentary about potential boosts to online advertising

The RadioDNS Project welcomes this coverage, as we currently look for Members of the organisation to help shape the next chapter of the project.

Yesterday was a landmark for the RadioDNS Project.

At our Second General Assembly, the attendees voted unanimously to adopt the Statutes, Membership Process, Trust Model, IPR Policy, and other recommendations proposed by the Statutes Drafting Team. You can read all these in our documentation section.

Which means that RadioDNS is now able to legally form itself as a not-for-profit organisation, and start providing the RadioDNS basis on a full operational basis – as well as promote the technology to device manufacturers and broadcasters.

It’s an exhilarating moment, and I’d like to extend the thanks of the members to the Statutes Drafting Team for their extensive work in getting all the necessary documentation together, and making sure a comprehensive set of proposal.

So what happens next?

Until now, we’ve all been Supporters of RadioDNS.

From now on, you can choose to be a Member of RadioDNS, which allows you to influence the direction of RadioDNS, vote at meetings, and nominate candidates for the roles of Chairperson, Secretary and Steering Board Member.

You can also be a User which means that you have your station details in RadioDNS, but no more than that.

Becoming A Member

The General Assembly recommended that we have a period during which people can become members in order to nominate candidates for the roles of Chairperson, Secretary and Steering Board Member (9 positions). That period starts now and ends on the 17th March 2010. They have recommended that the maximum membership fee will be CHF2.000,- (which approximates to USD1,800, GBP1,200, AUD2,000). The actual fee will likely be lower, once the costs are clearer.

You can continue to join as a member, and get a vote, until 31st March. From 1st April, the normal RadioDNS Membership Process will apply.

If you want to join, fill in the membership application form and we will be in contact.

Nominating Candidates

If you commit to becoming a member, you can nominate individuals for the roles of Chairperson, Secretary and Steering Board member. Nominations close at 17:00 GMT on 16th March 2010, and we will be circulate the candidates on the 17th March. You will be sent the electronic nomination form when you have confirmed your membership.

Elections

The election will happen on the 1st April, and we  will circulate an electronic ballot paper to all members prior to then.

We hope to see many of you move from being supporters to members (as it makes membership cheaper for everyone), but we’ll like you just the same as supporters too.

We will keep you updated on this blog and on the mailing lists.

At our first General Assembly,we started the process of turning RadioDNS from an adhoc grouping of supporters into a formally established body – the first steps of turning RadioDNS into permanent service, accountable to and run by its members.

The Second General Assembly is approaching (16th February 2010 in Geneva), and the primary agenda items for that meeting will be the discussion of the proposed Statutes and Trust Model for RadioDNS, followed by a vote from the meeting on whether to adopt those and officially form RadioDNS.

We had hoped to publish the draft Statutes and Trust Model this week for you to review ahead of the meeting. Some areas have generated a lot of discussion within the Statutes Drafting Team, and the deadline slipped.

I expect to publish the draft Statutes and Trust Model on Monday 8th February, giving you a week to go through them.

These documents are absolutely core to the way RadioDNS will be run, and please find an hour or so during next week to read them, even if it’s so you understand what is being proposed.

Registration is now open for the RadioDNS Second General Assembly, on the 16th February at the EBU in Geneva.

You can get more details, register, and find accommodation information on the Second General Assembly page.

Please register as soon as you can, as it makes it easier to plan the arrangements.

RadioDNS, alongside WorldDMB, DRM and the IMDA (Internet Media Device Alliance), will be participating in the EBU’s Digital Radio Summit on 17th February 2010 in Geneva.

Supporters of RadioDNS are invited to join this day long event, which will look at how the adoption of Digital Radio, in all its forms, can be accelerated across Europe. It looks like an interesting day of presentations and discussions on what could and should be happening with the digitalisation and convergence of radio in Europe.

If you’d like to know more, or to register for this free event, please see the Digital Radio Summit website.

As participant numbers are limited, we will be giving priority to RadioDNS Supporters who subscribed to our Announcement or Developers’ lists prior to 1st January 2010.

The Digital Radio Summit follows our Second General Assembly on the 16th February, so you can combine both events. We will probably be organising some informal evening event on the 16th.

We originally scheduled our Second General Meeting for the 9th February 2010, at a venue to be confirmed. This is the meeting at which our statutes will be ratified.

There is an opportunity to coincide our meeting with meetings from WorldDMB and IMDA, being held at the EBU in Geneva on the 16th-18th February 2010.

As many of the RadioDNS supporters are also involved in WorldDMB and IMDA, it seems to make sense to move the Second General Meeting into this week. That would reduce some peoples’ travel costs, and also allow for some informal networking and information sharing across the days.

So the RadioDNS Second General Meeting is now scheduled for Tuesday 16th February 2010 at the European Broadcasting Union in Geneva.

Apologies to anyone who has already made travel plans for the 9th February.

We are pleased to announce the release of v1.0.0 of the technical specification for the RadioVIS application built upon the RadioDNS methodology.

Eagle-eyed readers will spot this document is dated September 2009 as we had hoped to tie this release together with v1.0.0 of the RadioDNS specification. Unfortunately the RadioDNS specification got caught up in the formalisation process and, as a result, so too did RadioVIS.

With a device already on the market utilising RadioDNS and the RadioVIS application, we are looking forward to many more exciting implementations in 2010.

Radio professionals in the United States, Canada or Europe are welcome to a free ‘webinar’ on what to watch for in the radio industry in 2010. RadioDNS will be one of the topics covered; speaking will be James Cridland, a member of the RadioDNS statutes drafting team.

You can register at this website.