Today RTÉ announced that a further function has been added to its FM broadcasts with the addition of artist and song title played out via the FM RDS Radio Text system. This means that FM listeners will be able to see the information about a song on their radio screen as it is played*. This service was enabled as part of the redevelopment of RTÉ 2fm’s digital and online presence and is designed to improve the listener’s music discovery experience.
An additional benefit is that listeners will be able to use this information on mobile devices that are connected to music sites to tag, share and download music that is played on RTÉ 2fm.
An immediate example is the recently launched iPod® nano. Users of this popular device, which carries FM radio as standard, can “tag” tracks they like or wish to remember as they are played on RTÉ 2fm. All tagged songs then appear on the user’s computer when the iPod is next docked to it. The full function of the iTunes store is available for these tracks, e.g. listen to excerpt, purchase etc.
RTÉ is the first European public service broadcaster and the largest FM network in Europe to launch iTunes® FM tagging, in a step that offers RTÉ 2fm listeners, throughout Ireland, more interaction between themselves and their favourite radio station.
David Timpson of RTÉ Radio’s Technical and New Media Department comments:
In launching this new service RTÉ is further enhancing it’s offering on FM. This is a big step forward for Irish radio and we’re delighted to be the first broadcasters in Europe to be making it.
The project was developed by RTÉ Radio’s Technical and New Media departments in association with the international technology company, All-In-Media. The service is hosted on RTÉ 2fm’s national FM network by RTÉ Networks Limited.
RTÉ Radio is available to listen to on FM, on digital radio, online, via digital television (Chorus NTL and Sky) and via satellite
* FM RDS Radio Text is available on the vast majority of FM radios with a digital display. For reasons of safety this function is disabled in most car radios.
An advanced version of Radio Text is currently available on digital radios.
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