Apple topped 50 billion downloads in its App Store earlier today reports USA Today. Brandon Ashmore from Mentor, Ohio, downloaded the 50 billionth app, Say the Same Thing by Space Inch LLC. Apple awarded him a $10,000 App Store Gift Card.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, said in a press release that the company is “absolutely floored” to pass this milestone.

“The App Store completely transformed how people use their mobile devices and created a thriving app ecosystem that has paid out over nine billion dollars to developers,” Cue said.

Customers download over 800 apps per second from the App Store at a rate of two billion apps per month.

The App Store opened in July 2008 with 500 apps, and now offers over 850,000 apps for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

A new study says, having email means you’re always at work. The finding say two thirds of us check our work email outside of work hours at least once a day and one in eight people stay logged in to email all day so they can reply in real time, regardless of where they are.

It goes on and says four out of five check their work email over the weekend, three in five check it while they’re on vacation and more than half check it from home after 11:00 P.M. One in ten people have checked their email while at their kid’s school event, one in 11 have checked it at a wedding, one in 16 have checked at a funeral and one in 16 have checked email while either they or their spouse was in labor.

The survey also found that 30% of workers use their work email to send and receive personal email. And the oldest work email that any of the survey participants still had saved was from 1994 so it was 19 years old.

Scottish singer Emeli Sande has smashed The Beatles record of 62 consecutive weeks in the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart top 10.

Sande’s album Our Version of Events is holding steady on the charts for the 63rd week straight.

“It feels quite surreal to even have your name mentioned in the same sentence as The Beatles,” Sande said according to The Independent. “For a record to stay there for so long it means that people have connected with it so that’s how I’m enjoying celebrating this record.”

Over the past two decades, the internet has grown to become a video-fast medium we can access almost everywhere, anytime and do almost anything with. It’s been a seismic force impacting the entire media landscape…y’know, the one that we’re still part of.

It’s affected radio, for sure. Time spent online means time away from broadcast FM and AM. Yet the vitality of our medium has been confirmed by how well it has held up in the face of the ‘net monster. Radio continues to reach around 90% of Americans.

Still, at this point, I wondered: Just how important is radio in people’s lives? Where does it stand compared to the internet and other media?

So, in early April, we asked 18-64′s in the U.S. how important the internet and radio are to them, plus TV and newspapers for comparison. Based on 502 telephone interviews, here’s what we learned…

The internet rules over all. Three-fourths rate it a 4 or 5 on our 5-point scale, where 5 means “very important.” After that, radio and TV score essentially the same, with half rating them 4 or 5. (TV does have a small edge in the percentage rating it very important.)

Meanwhile, little more than one-fourth rate newpapers 4 or 5, while nearly a third rate them 1 — that is, “not at all important.”  (Take that to your market’s local advertisers!)

From the perspective of age demos, the ‘net has its biggest edge over broadcast media at the young end, as we’d expect. But there is no significant difference between the importance of radio and TV until we get up to 55-64, where TV has the edge. Even among 55-64′s though, radio is significantly more important than newspapers. Here are the average scores:

It’s no shock that the internet has become the most important medium. After all, the ‘net encompasses all — delivering radio, TV, newspaper content and much much more.

But radio remains a big deal…as important as TV, and much more important than newspapers. By virtue of that alone, radio deserves a bigger share of advertiser dollars than it’s been getting for years.

Even so, if your station isn’t aggressively working on extending its brand to the internet (and mobile devices) it’s time — no,  past time — to get busy!

OK, so the reports of radio’s  demise in cars was greatly exaggerated.  Eric Rhoads of Radio Ink has corrected the initial report that automakers plan to drop AM/FM radios from vehicles in the near future.  But something else in his report caught my eye…

Apparently, panelists at the Radio Ink Convergence Conference made comments to the effect of: Young people don’t use radio anymore, and there was extensive research to support lack of interest in radio among youth.

We can all cite data to refute these glaring misconceptions.   But I thought I’d take a fresh look at the situation. So we interviewed 490 18-54 year olds in the U.S. The surveys were conducted from Wednesday through Sunday of last week.

We asked if they were a driver or passenger in a car, truck or SUV in the past week…88% had.  And then we asked them whether they had listened to FM or AM radio while in the vehicle… 86% of them (drivers or passengers) responded “yes.”

And guess what? There are no significant differences by age group. Among 18-24′s, the number is 82%;  among 25-34′s, 89%;  among 35-44′s, 86%;  among 45-54′s, 85%. So, yes, young people do listen to traditional radio in vehicles.

But, we knew that!

Pew Research says faced with shrinking revenue and dwindling audiences, news organizations in recent years have slashed staffs and reduced coverage. Most news consumers are little aware of the financial struggles that led to these cuts. Nevertheless, a significant percentage of them not only have noticed a difference in the quantity or quality of news, but have stopped reading, watching or listening to a news source because of it.

Kelly Music Research surveyed the country and found that FM is still the most important audio feature in the dashboard. According to VP/General Manager Paul Kelly, “A radio that plays FM radio stations is still clearly the most important audio offering a dashboard can provide. An overwhelming 99% of respondents say that if they were buying a car next week, FM in the dashboard is Important. 89% say FM Radio is “Very Important.”"

Other findings in the nationwide survey show that AM Radio does not fare nearly as well. In fact, of the audio features tested, AM is least important with 54% of respondents saying AM is “Not Important At All.”

Satellite Radio comes in a distant second to FM with 46% saying “Somewhat Important” and 19% saying “Very Important.”

Internet Radio in the dashboard is not far behind Satellite with 44% “Somewhat Important” and 13% “Very Important” responses.

HD Radio did not do much better than AM. 51% say HD Radio is “Not Important at All” and only 9% saying HD is “Very Important”

The nationwide study took place this week and included 509 male and female respondents aged 18 to 54.

Detailed responses

If you were planning on buying a car in the next week, how important would the following dashboard components be to you?  (n=509)

1. Long Island Iced Tea

Serving Size: ~ 7 oz..
Calories: up to 780
Ingredients: 1 part rum, 1 part gin, 1 part triple sec, 1.5 parts sweet and sour mix, splash of coke

If you’ve never tried a Long Island Iced Tea before, let’s get one thing straight: there is no actual tea in this. Absolutely none. Long Islands seem like a good idea for anyone who wants one drink to last them for a long while. What’s more, with up to 780 calories per glass, it’s kind of like you’re ordering a meal, too! But by no means should you skip dinner if you’re enticed by this cocktail. Long Island Iced Teas typically contain about three shots of alcohol, so make sure to have a nice dinner with your friends before going out.

2. Margarita

Serving Size: ~ 8.5 oz..
Calories: up to 740
Ingredients: 4 oz.. limeade (usually premixed), 4 oz.. tequila, .5 oz.. triple sec

If you’ve ever been to a Dallas BBQ or Blockheads, you already know that Margaritas and their cousin, the Daiquiri, pack a punch (Texas style, anyone?). Like the other high-calorie drinks on our list, Margaritas vary greatly by size and content.

3. Piña Colada

Serving size: 6 oz..
Calories: up to 644
Ingredients: 3 oz.. light rum, 3 tbsp. coconut milk, 3 tbsp. crushed pineapples

“I can’t wait to order a delicious Piña Colada,” says HC contributing writer and Syracuse student, Heather Rinder—and we totally understand why. This fruity, frothy drink is perfect for poolside chilling. While some serving sizes include as many as 644 calories in just one colada, it’s well worth the splurge when you’re on break. “I definitely enjoy my Piña Coladas,” says HC campus correspondent, Omairys Rodriguez. “They just aren’t the same in the winter!”

4. Mai Tai

Serving size: 9 oz..
Calories: up to 620
Ingredients: 3 oz.. light rum, 2 oz.. dark rum, 1 oz.. crème de almond, 1 oz.. triple sec, 1 oz.. sweet & sour mix, 1 oz.. pineapple juice

The Mai Tai packs loads of different flavors into one glass, but it also packs on the calories. This is definitely one drink that’s meant to be savored and enjoyed, rather than power-houred. Even so, HC correspondent, Nicole Del Negro, considers Mai Tais to be her favorite vacation cocktail. “They’re fun and super sugary,” says Nicole. “Mai Tais are very ‘island’ so I like ordering them when I am on Spring Break!”

5. Mudslide

Serving size: 12.5 oz..
Calories: up to 594
Ingredients: ¼ cup Irish cream, ¼ cup coffee liqueur, 1 cup vanilla ice cream, 1 tbsp chocolate syrup

This is a 21+ ice cream sundae. That is all.

6. Grasshopper Martini

Serving size: 7 oz..
Calories: up to 525
Ingredients: 6 oz.. vanilla vodka, ½ oz.. Godiva white chocolate liqueur, ½ oz.. green crème de menthe

If you ever thought you overdid it with Girl Scout Thin Mints, you’ve probably never met this drink. The Grasshopper Martini is a white-chocolate flavored Thin Mint blended with vodka. If that sounds good to you (and you don’t mind the rather hefty calorie count), then proceed by all means!

7. Chocotini

Serving size: 6 oz..
Calories: up to 438
Ingredients: 2 oz.. vodka, 2 oz.. chocolate liqueur, 2 oz.. cream, ½ oz.. dark crème de cacao, melted chocolate confectionary coating

The Chocolate martini, or the “Chocotini,” is the king of martini spin-offs after the Key Lime Pie Martini. With almost half the calorie content of the first drink on our list (but the same amount of deliciousness), this cocktail might be a nice compromise—even though it’s still pretty extravagant.

8. White Russian

Serving size: 5 oz..
Calories: up to 425
Ingredients: 2 oz.. vodka, 1.5 oz.. coffee liqueur, 1.5 heavy cream

The main character in the Coen brothers’ movie, The Big Lebowski, is a huge slacker—probably because he can’t tear himself away from this cocktail. Drinking a White Russian is like drinking an ice cold glass of very, very whole milk. Which is just like Mom used to make it, right?

9. Brandy eggnog on the rocks

Serving size: 7 oz..
Calories: up to 422
Ingredients: 1.5 oz.. brandy, ¼ oz.. sugar syrup, ¼ oz.. tawny port, 3.5 oz.. milk, ¾ oz. cream, 1 egg yolk, ice cubes, nutmeg

To the uninitiated, eggnog is strictly a seasonal drink that’s only good as long as the holiday cups at Starbucks last. But actually, eggnog is also served when the temperature rises—think of it as a boozy milkshake that contains just as much dairy and more cream.

10. Key Lime Pie Martini

Serving size: ~5 oz..
Calories: 323
Ingredients: 1.5 oz.. key lime liqueur, 1.5 oz.. Absolut vanilla vodka, .3 oz.. lime juice, .3 oz.. freshly squeezed lime juice, 1½ oz. half-and-half

This drink presents the perfect opportunity to eat your dessert and have your cocktail too. Line the rim of your glass with graham cracker crumbs, and you’ll find yourself in key lime pie heaven. Just don’t try to count it as a serving of fruit.

This is great radio content to share with your listener’s. After you review this video, you will want to share it with most everybody you know.

Few listeners actually participate in radio contests on a regular basis. That’s OK…We’re in the LISTENER business, not the “player” business! And, fortunately, many enjoy listening to contests…

From our recent online survey on contests, we see that that the majority enjoy listening even if they don’t play:

What makes contests enjoyable to listeners???  For three-fourths of them, it’s the ability to play along…

The option to participate vicariously in mentally-challenging contests is one big reason why shows like Jeopardy or Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? have enjoyed huge success. Viewers can watch, challenge themselves and feel smarter than the contestants onscreen.  Given the right contests, the same principle can apply to radio!

But not all engagement has to be cerebral.  Listeners can also vicariously (or actually) compete for prizes that are outside the ordinary:

Contests like these tap the imagination, engaging the mind in an entirely different way.  Listeners can visualize escaping to a secluded tropical island, or hanging out with The Stones backstage, or having $20,000 to spend any way they want at Neiman Marcus, etc. etc. etc.

That’s the point: Just as successful talk show hosts focus on what will inform, entertain and engage listeners, rather than the collars, radio programmers need to take the very same tack with contests.  Make contests special…not perfunctory, routine or trite.  And when you do, think about how they’re going to engage the listeners, even those who never try to win!

Call In To Win. Or…

One surprising finding of our recent online research on contests is that a majority (65%) of 18-64 radio listeners have tried to win one…at least once. But only 2% actually tried on the day they took our survey. Fortunately, our research uncovered a powerful way to boost participation…

We asked listeners how likely they would be to participate given various means of entry — from “not at all likely” to “very.” And website and email entry top the list:

Now, let’s put these numbers in perspective. Do I think 59% really are very likely to enter using email??? No! Respondents usually over-emphasize what they might do in a hypothetical situation. It’s easier to click off on “very likely” to email than it is to actually send the email. (And these are internet respondents, so it makes sense they’d be more web-oriented than average.)

But even given these caveats, what counts here is the big numbers for web and email entry and their big margin over  other means. It makes sense.  After all, it’s almost as easy to enter a station site or send email as click on “very likely.” (And it’s a whole lot easier and less time-consuming than trying to be the 100th caller)!

What’s especially impressive is the impact of online entry among those who have never tried to win a contest. These listeners put even more distance between website and email and other modes of entry:

So, the bottom line is that broadening contest entry methods to include the internet has significant potential for expanding the pool of potential participants, even reaching listeners who have never entered a contest before.  It’s all good!

The only “bad” is that way to many stations are overlooking the upside of online contest entry as another way to interact with listeners.

Ben Burnside’s Insite Production Tip of the Week!

When it comes to EQ, it’s easy to slap some everywhere and just blow it out.  However, EQ should be used more judiciously at all times.  Instead of wide swipes and broad “Q” levels (notice I didn’t say “EQ levels”), we should focus on more notches than anything.  It’s a habit to just grab the slider and go until it sounds good, and there’s nothing wrong with sounding good.  The problem with that is production is one of the few things that actually compete with the music on a station.  Tuning in to the right frequencies is key.  Music mixing engineers have used this approach for decades.  Understanding that 2-3K in an EQ is where the voice is generally going to lie.

Most engineers call this area the energy.  What they generally do is increase the energy of a song so by the time you get to the end of it, and the song builds up to a climax.  Radio producers very rarely understand this premise.   To gradually increase this frequency from section to section of a promo makes your promo more “exciting”.  More times than none, we feel that the more things from the kitchen sink we can throw in the promo by the time we hit the end the better.  This lends itself to creativity, and that’s fine.  But being a “Pro” duction director is key.  Use things aurally to excite your listener than just shoving more s(*^ up the bull’s a@#!  Understanding your frequencies and notching different elements in your production will make your production glow.  Your music for example could be a huge distraction for producer and listener alike.  However, this doesn’t have to be that difficult.  Sure you can reduce the level of the offensive track, but that’s not going to make things better per se.  If you still want that energy of the bed, but the levels won’t permit;  pull out your graphic EQ and go to work.  It only takes about 30 seconds to make the adjustment.  All you have to do is notch “down” the EQ in the 2.5K range.  Now your “Q” notch may not be extremely sharp but that is where I would start and enlarge it to taste.  Nonetheless, you will find that you can keep your music levels up but the “space” for the vocal has opened up.  Now if you want the music to pump and it has a lot of low frequencies like basses, 808’s and such, 80Hz is going to be what you use.  A small dose of EQ here can make it boom!  One to two db in the 80Hz range can significantly make your production bump.  But don’t get carried away.  You really want to keep your Q notch really tight.  From there you may want to run an hi pass filter to knock off anything below 50Hz so it doesn’t get too boomy.  Now I’m going swing over to the other side of the table, which is the “sweet” area of the EQ.  This is where things get “pretty” so to speak.  We instantly gravitate to the upper end of the EQ because it sounds “cleaner’ or more, let’s say “HI Def.”  But that can be kind of dangerous.  Used correctly with other portions of your EQ used properly, You really don’t have to sweep the Hi’s as much as previously.  The 10-16k range is where the “air” opens up.  The stereo field begins to take shape and the sound becomes pretty.  It’s like sugar in your coffee.  Just enough makes it delicious.  If you add too much, it becomes nasty and you pour it out and start over.  Now keep in mind the processing that’s on your station.   This will have plenty effect of your mixing.  What I would do is to process my master bus to the station.  This would essentially ensure that what I hear is what It will sound like on air.  Alright… Just a tip.  Have fun and happy producing!!!