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WAEA 24th Annual Conference & Exhibition
9-12 September 2003
Washington State Convention & Trade Center

Session Articles

The Future of Audio Programming
Roger Grange (Inflight Productions Ltd.), Stephen Lama (DMX Inflight), Roderick MacKenzie (XM Satellite Radio), and Michael Manstein (Lufthansa German Airlines), and moderated by Peter Barsby (SPC Skyline Ltd.).

Looking 10 years into the future, the panel found that even with the proliferation of AOD, programmed audio channels will remain an important element of IFE.

"Interest sparked by radio programs does have an emotional component that helps strengthen the airline's brand and customer loyalty," Manstein said.

Barsby noted that even if an airline offers 100 CDs onboard, someone with knowledge of the airline passenger's tastes and preferences must select those CDs and remain current with new and soon-to-be-released music. The content also must be re-digitized and formatted for the IFE system, and usage rights must be handled-all functions Barsby believes are best handled by a specialist content service provider.