APPLE’S new iPod Nano, which boasts a pause-and-rewind feature on the FM tuner, could spur a new interest in radio, according to a survey conducted by Vision Critical Communications.
The interactive features show the potential to energize interest in radio among younger demographics who are the heaviest users of MP3 players, the study found.
In an on-line survey of 1,185 American adults, 47% of those aged 18 and older said they are "very interested" in the ability to pause and rewind songs they hear on the radio, and this rose to 66% among 18 to 34-year-olds.
The opportunity to see the name of the song using the Nano’s RDS display also held strong appeal, with 41% of respondents, and 55% percent of 18-34-year-olds, expressing an active interest in this feature.
There was somewhat less interest in the ability to ‘tag’ songs for future purchase, with only 28% of those aged 18 and older "very interested" in this feature, though this increased to 45% amongst 18-34-year-olds.
Of the five features from the new iPod Nano that were presented in the survey, American adults ranked an FM tuner at #3 in terms of overall interest, behind the larger display screen and the new video camera.
