Silicon Valley, yet again, fails to be less weird than reality. Actual quote from the show:
“So then it hits me – we could take this thing called The Radio and put it on this new thing called The Internet. And no one was doing it – no one.”
In the show, to give this context, though, the character is talking about 20 years ago. Apple has actually claimed that running a radio station on the Internet “24/7” – that’s one radio station, broadcasting from the US and UK – is something groundbreaking.
To compare: BBC Radio 1, broadcasting from London. In English. 24/7. To anywhere on the Internet. Apps, computers, Web. DJs include Zane Lowe.
“Beats 1” radio, broadcasting from London… and New York, and LA. In English. 24/7. To 100 countries. To specific Apple software. DJs include …Zane Lowe.
Heck, even the name is barely different. It seems Apple will have just one channel. BBC has of course multiple stations; even BBC 1 has an extra station.
Oh, well, Apple gave us another chance to chuckle at Silicon Valley, so advantage: Apple. Also, right now, as I write this, Radio 1 is actually playing a great song. (I just fired it up to double-check the stream was still there on the Internet; I usually choose from one of the thousands upon thousands of other stations available online.)
Thank you, Nenad Popov.