Sprint to Make FM Available on Smartphones

Sprint Tuesday (Jan. 8) announced it will become the first U.S. wireless carrier to make FM radio available on a broad range of devices via an FM chip, under what the company called a "preliminary arrangement with representatives of the American radio industry." Sprint says the preliminary deal with the U.S. radio industry will enable Sprint customers to listen to local FM radio stations from a "broad spectrum of radio companies" on select Android and Windows smartphones during the next three years. FM radio will be delivered through the NextRadio tuner app, which will be available later this year, or other radio apps or services. This marks the first time a U.S. wireless carrier would offer the ability to access local FM radio on a broad array of its devices. Currently consumers can only listen to radio on smartphones by streaming over the Internet. As part of this plan, Sprint customers could use their smartphones and the NextRadio tuner to listen to local FM radio stations. Demonstrations of NextRadio will be offered at booth 9033 during CES. Sprint SVP of Product Development and Operations Fared Adib says, "We look forward to bringing Sprint customers another entertainment choice through NextRadio. This new, easy-to-use service adds another dimension to the versatility of our wide array of smartphones and will deliver a new avenue for thousands of local radio stations across the country to reach our customers." A leader of radio's campaign to get enabled FM reception on smartphones, Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan, who acted as principal negotiator for the radio industry, tells us, "Today is a remarkable day for our industry. I am gratified by the unity I have seen in our industry. It seems every broadcaster I know has supported this effort, and I am grateful to the tireless efforts of industry leaders, from the largest companies to the owners of the smallest stations – all of whom have helped us reach this agreement. While there is much work to be done, today is a critical first step." And says NAB President Gordon Smith, "This opportunity combines the strengths of the Sprint network with the impact of America's radio stations. It is the type of business-to-business partnership that recognizes the unique strengths of the wireless networks and the radio industry and provides services that are so important to the American people." Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman also has a reaction. "This is a great development for the radio industry, one which will help us bring the content and services that only radio can provide to the wireless system," says Pittman. "It's an important benefit for consumers across America, and we are pleased to participate in this effort."