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itunes_radio_npr.jpg
Apple's iTunes Radio streaming music service is expanding today with the addition of a new National Public Radio (NPR) channel, reports Re/code.
NPR's channel, which should be live today, will offer a free stream, 24 hours a day, which mixes live news with segments from pre-recorded shows like "All Things Considered" and "The Diane Rehm Show." NPR officials say that within weeks, some of the broadcaster's local stations should begin offering their own channels, with a similar mix of live and taped news.
NPR has also been working on bringing on-demand programming based on users' tastes to its mobile apps, and it is possible that functionality could come to the station's iTunes Radio service as well.

The report notes that it is currently unclear what the business relationship between Apple and NPR is in terms of generating revenue for NPR, but NPR vice president of digital media Zach Brand says that Apple has been "very understanding of the business model" used by the nonprofit.

iTunes Radio launched in the United States last September alongside iOS 7, and expanded to Australia last month. Apple is reportedly looking to also expand iTunes Radio to the UK, Canada, and New Zealand early this year, with an eventual goal of bringing the service to at least 100 countries.

Update: Direct link to NPR channel

Article Link: iTunes Radio Adds NPR, with More News Channels on the Way
 
Us Canadians would like some iTunes Radio… especially with no alternatives such as Pandora and Spotify.

Is licensing impossible in Canada or what?
 
Hopefully they'll add the BBC, too. I know I can get it from the old radio format but it'd be nice to be folded right into the iTunes Radio branding.

Honestly, if they keep it up and add more live music, etc. it could be a nice XM/Sirius competitor.
 
At first I thought this was an addition to the Apple TV.... This is a nice addition to iTunes Radio, though having a truly live stream would be even better.
 
I'm assuming this will show up under the featured stations list. I'm not seeing anything yet.
 
Long time Pandora and Spotify user here. Listened to iTunes radio for about an hour this weekend. Heard 4 commercials. They were the same commercial. Back to Spotify, then.

Long time iTunes Radio user here. Haven't heard a single commercial yet... iTunes Match FTW. ;)
 
Hey, I like this. Took a minute to find the link to add it but I like that I don't have to go in and out of the Music app to get it. Maybe others will start doing the same.
 
NPR huh... I might have to let my SO know about this one.

I might even give iTunes Radio another try (before it just froze a lot and didn't give much variety regardless of what I did).
 
Hey, I like this. Took a minute to find the link to add it but I like that I don't have to go in and out of the Music app to get it. Maybe others will start doing the same.

Can you point to where it is? I can't find it in iTunes... ?
 
The wife already absolutely LOVES iTunes radio. The addition of NPR to this is only going to make her love it so much more.
 
Us Canadians would like some iTunes Radio… especially with no alternatives such as Pandora and Spotify.

Is licensing impossible in Canada or what?

I believe we got restrictions in that a certain amount of the content (forgot how much) has to be Canadian content. That and probably some label licensing issues are holding it back.
 
Long time Pandora and Spotify user here. Listened to iTunes radio for about an hour this weekend. Heard 4 commercials. They were the same commercial. Back to Spotify, then.

You realise that for $25/year you could have no commercials, right?
 
NPR is good stuff. I'm happy to see it. The only way I could get it at work was through a radio tuner.
 
Hopefully they'll add the BBC, too. I know I can get it from the old radio format but it'd be nice to be folded right into the iTunes Radio branding.

Honestly, if they keep it up and add more live music, etc. it could be a nice XM/Sirius competitor.

I agree, with US carriers rolling out LTE in more places, iTunes Radio and other services have the potential to really hurt business for them. Especially with CarPlay rolling out to new vehicles. The only major issue I see is data usage.
 
Long time iTunes Radio user here. Haven't heard a single commercial yet... iTunes Match FTW. ;)

You realise that for $25/year you could have no commercials, right?

Ah, okay then. I did not realize that the fee for Match and premium Radio were one and the same. I'll look into this, could be better to have my music in the cloud and the radio for pittance a year.

Thanks for the info! :)
 
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