No, we’re not talking about programming content, or how talk radio saved AM, or how satellite radio has finally becoming a force to be reckoned with. Nor are we referring to how federal deregulation made it possible for corporations to swallow up more stations than Homer Simpson has gobbled donuts.

We’re talking about the last time radio itself has changed, when something big came down the broadcast pipeline. Such as when Edwin Armstrong developed FM radio back in the 1930s, or when the FCC cleared the way for FM stereo broadcasts in the early 1960s.

Fact is, radio has pretty much been the same old audio companion that your parents listened to. Sure, the content is different, but the delivery is pretty much the same – the signal originates from a local broadcaster and arrives via your wireless receiver. DJs might play digital audio files rather than spin platters. That is, if they haven’t been replaced by machines. But all in all, radio is pretty much, well, radio.

However, one of the largest radio conglomerates, Infinity Broadcasting, is hoping to change all that. The broadcast giant has hooked up with HP to utilize technology developed by Nokia to create an entirely new radio listening experience – an experience that could make traditional radio seem as dated as black & white TV.

It’s Visual Radio, and while it doesn’t actually change the way you receive radio, it does change the way you listen to it. With Visual Radio you can set an FM tuner integrated into your cell phone to your favorite radio station and then receive accompanying information via your cell phone provider. What kind of information? Everything from artist name and song title to tour dates, trivia – even contests. Other features include the ability to purchase ring tones. It’s almost like having the station’s Web site on your cell phone.

Of course, all of this isn’t new, and the technology to create Visual Radio has been around for a while. However, it took an outfit the size of Infinity to make it happen. By getting behind Visual Radio, Infinity has ensured that the concept will get off to a flying start.

As to the advantages of Visual Radio, the obvious would be a station’s opportunity to increase its presence as well as build upon a loyal listener base. However, for cell phone carriers, Visual Radio could be a big money maker, if only because carriers will be able to charge their customers for the time spent on the cell phone receiving all that data.

While a new concept in the States, Visual Radio has already captured listeners (viewers?) in the United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden and Germany, probably because those countries have a limited number of radio stations, as well as cell phone carriers, thus making it easier to establish technical standards.

Here in America, HP is providing the technical know-how by installing the necessary equipment that radio stations will need to sync the data transmission to their on-air signals. HP is also doing the marketing legwork by selling the service to both radio stations and mobile phone providers.

“Nokia is delighted to welcome Infinity Broadcasting into the family of Visual Radio broadcasters,” said Anssi Vanjoki, executive VP and general manager of multimedia for Nokia. “People are increasingly listening to radio on their mobile devices, and the Visual Radio service lets them participate more easily than ever in radio programs on Infinity stations.”