Here's some bit and pieces of goodness that I don't want slipping through the cracks...

• Live Earth Internet streaming sets record, generates more than 9 million Internet streams (remember, streams != individuals... but still impressive) [Reuters]
• WCBS-FM, Cousin Brucie's old home, flips back to oldies format (...and you know you're getting old when '80s music is considered "oldies") [New York Business]
  
• Music licensing companies are calling for royalties from... a coffee shop?! (this is a disgusting article... say bye-bye to live music) [Florida Today]
• Sansa e200 coming pre-loaded with Real's 'Rhapsody DNA' (soon with social tagging - effectively creating a perfect-reception version of a music channel - watch this space) [Wired Blogs]
• Sony BMG signs with Last.fm (joining EMI Music Group and Warner Music Group) [Hollywood Reporter]
• Clear Channel's HD Radio powered Total Traffic Network now available in 48 of the top U.S. markets (look ma! no competition!) [FMQB]

Here's a few bits and pieces of news to check out, while I get ready some more articles to write...

• New Verizon LG Chocolate hitting the streets (when will the mobile industry learn that a 3.5mm jack is absolutely a necessity?) [Engadget]
• Album sales are down 15% already this year, while digital music sales are up 49% (gee, who saw that coming?) [New York Times]
• The music industry wants terrestrial to pay for play (wanna know why? see above) [BusinessWeek]
  
• Will Sirius miss its subscriber target? Janco seems to think so. [24/7 Wall St]
• XM's John Zellner is the cover story for FMQB's eQB (and he really needs to update his headshot) [FMQB]
• Sirius/XM Merger to provide substantial upside potential (one of the most detailed pro-merger articles I've seen in a long time) [Seeking Alpha]
  

Here's a little extra link-love to read for those stuck in the office while everyone else is on vacation this week.

• Cadillac CTS Infotainment System, a hands-on review [Crunchgear]
• Slacker's deal with music labels a form of "Dark Payola"? [Idolator]
  
• The return of Imus? [New York Post]
• UMG, the world’s biggest music corp, reportedly will not renew with Apple iTunes [New York Times]
• Chrysler/Nickelodeon ramping up a multi-media marketing blitz for Sirius Backseat TV [ClickZ]
  

Few more bits of news for the weekend that might be of interest...

• In-depth interview with Debbie Wolf, founder of PAC. Best quote: "There’s nothing wrong with [XM] saying, 'We are listening; we hear you and we now see that this isn’t what you wanted and we’re responding.'" [FMQB e-QB]
• AMA exec to become new CEO of satellite radio's ReachMD [Chicago Tribune]
• Lawmakers Air Concerns About XM-Sirius Merger [Center for Public Integrity]
• Amp'd Mobile files for bankruptcy.  [mocoNews]
  

Here's some quick news bits for your pre-weekend reading:

• FCC Finalizes IBOC Rules [Radio World]
  
• Learning to Love Radio Again (hidden message: Sirius/XM need to get more interactive) [TIME]
  
• Apple embeds your account info in DRM-free music (so don't share that song) [TUAW]
  
• Sirius is sucking a lot less [Forbes]
  
• Webcasters ask appeals court to delay 'Net radio royalty increase [Ars Technica]
  

• A very in-depth look at the NAB's latest hired guns: Bluewater Strategies [Technology Liberation Front]
• Senator Kohl's mistaken view on the audio entertainment market [Digital Media Wire]
• It's been a rough May for XM [Washington Post]
• What's up with Radio? [Zatz Not Funny]

Just some quick news bits for today...

• FCC approves the Apple iPhone... she's coming folks, is the industry ready? [AppleInsider]
• FCC Chief backs a la carte at cable industry - "Fundamentally, I support consumers’ ability to pick and choose the products they want," said FCC chairman Kevin Martin [Reclaim the Media]
  
• Opie taking suspension hard? Nah. Taking nap [New York Daily News]
  
• Retirement Living program knocked from Sirius Satellite Radio [Baltimore Business Journal]
  
• Gibson forced to apologize for airing joke about "ejaculating in a woman's eye" [Think Progress]
  

• "Why Satellite Radio Will Fail" - The Fool lives up to its name. (warning: highly opinionated, and lame, article ahead) [Motley Fool]
• Survey: iPhone awareness is huge, but desire to buy is little (yes, price matters) [MobileMag]
• DirecTV ships their portable receiver: DirecTV Sat-Go (pretty cool, though highly niche) [TWICE]
• DIYMedia rants about XM's repeaters (paints an uber-bleak picture) [DIYMedia.net]
• Westwood One soon to be on the auction block (food for thought: what's the difference between national syndication and national broadcasting?) [NY Post]

Here's a few items of note that I missed yesterday:

• Apple sells 100 millionth iPod (ahh yes, quite the burgeoning technology) [Engadget]
  
• Silicon Valley VCs eyeing the upcoming 700Mhz spectrum (one possible use? "software-defined radio") [New York Times]
• WiMAX is coming, and music labels want in [Gizmodo]
• The Sansa Connect MP3/Internet radio player is now shipping, is it a new face for radio? (you betcha) [Hear 2.0]
• FCC Chief avoids mistakes of his predecessor... he's transparent. [LA Times]
• Microsoft says they too will offer DRM-free music [FMQB]
  

It's Friday! Friday! Frrrrrrriday! Crack a beer and read some news bits... 

• XM channels changes are a-comin' - including some new sports channels and some rearranging [XM Channel Guide (PDF)]
• Radio World op-ed piece criticizes the merger. Favorite quote: "If satellite radio can’t exist in even a minimally competitive environment, perhaps it shouldn’t exist at all." (you'd like that wouldn't you?) [RW Online]
• Confirmed? Apple iPhone release date is supposedly June 11th - just in time for WWDC 2007 (though the source is a bit suspect) [Gizmodo]
  
• AutoNet - which turns your car into a WiFi hotspot using both 3G and 2.5G cellular networks - is launching with Avis on April 16th (newsflash for skeptics: in-car Internet radio is right around the corner) [AutoNet]
  
• Current crop of HD radios worse than analog models? (tee hee) [Engadget]

Thanks to everyone who sent in these news bits!