NPR announced Monday that it has landed the first news-provider slot on Apple’s iTunes Radio.
iTunes Radio, which is integrated into Apple’s iTunes software, now features a 24-hour stream of NPR content including national newscasts and stories from Morning Edition and All Things Considered. The stream will also carry other NPR news and cultural programming.
NPR said that in the future, digital streams from NPR member stations will also appear on iTunes Radio.
Update: Acting NPR CEO Paul Haaga said in a memo to station executives Monday that digital streams from NPR member stations can be added to iTunes Radio if stations switch stream formats to meet Apple’s requirements. He added that NPR Digital Services will help stations with the switch.
The goal will be for listeners to select an NPR tile in iTunes Radio that would “link to localized, station-branded streams, similar or identical to those featured in the app that will become the next generation of the Infinite Player (MPX), which is being developed with Member Stations and is slated to launch later this year.”
Haaga also said that though NPR could start to sell underwriting on its iTunes Radio station, it will wait until member stations join.
“digital streams from NPR member stations can be added to iTunes Radio if stations switch stream formats to meet Apple’s requirements.” Does this mean that those of us who listen on other devices (like via Internet radio as I do) will lose our streams on those devices?
Hi Mike — we at Current haven’t looked into that specific question. But my guess is that stations would not want to take any steps to jeopardize audience on any existing platforms while they also try to adapt to this new one.
And what could be a short term move for NPR as I’ve read that this partnership could last only until the end of this year depending on how much NPR news programming is listened too by iTunes music users.