Music Industry Wants To Require Mobile Phones To Have FM Radio

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For those of you who don’t have your pulse on the beat of the music industry – the radio broadcasters and music labels have been having a disagreement over the music royalties. The music labels insist that radio is getting a ‘free ride’ by broadcasting music without paying a per-play royalty. Now, cell phones are being drug into the fight.

Currently, only songwriters are paid every time a radio station plays a song. The music labels and RIAA want radio to pay up to the labels and artists, as well. Radio is fighting back, saying that playing music on the radio promotes album and concert ticket sales.

What does this have to do with mobile phones? A new agreement between the three parties would include a new US federal law that would require all US based manufacturers (Apple, Motorola, Palm, etc.) to include FM radio receivers in their phones. That would include all phones – from the $20 featurephone to the $600 smartphone.

Understandably, some in the electronics industry are upset that they’re being involved in this mud fight. Gary Shapiro of the Consumer Electronics Association said: “This is a battle that doesn’t involve us.”

For years, FM radio has been fending off attacks from internet radio, podcasting, satellite radio and even the good old MP3 player. Pundit John C. Dvorak said on the ‘This Week in Tech’ podcast: (paraphrased) “This is like requiring Ford to include a buggy whip in each new car”.

While some new phone do include FM radios (the Droid X being a notable and recent example), not all do. We like phones for their slim and sleek profiles – and if they were required by law to include FM radio equipment, it could hurt those curves.

Sound off in our comments: Do you think cell phones should be required by law to include FM radios?