It never ceases to amaze me that some public radio stations continue to run afoul of the Federal Communications Commission’s sieve-like rules against running advertisements, but they do. The latest station to wrangle with the Commission on this matter is religious non-profit WKSG-FM in Cedar Creek, Florida, run by Daystar Public Radio. WKSG seems like […]
Author Archive | Matthew Lasar
Could 92.7 FM’s new owner have kept Fernando and Greg?
A footnote to the controversy over the loss of KNGY-FM, “Energy 92.7,” San Francisco’s Gay oriented dance music station. It appears that had the frequency’s new management wanted to, it could have retained the old format’s staff, or at least retained the services of Energy’s popular morning show duo: Fernando and Greg. Radio Survivor has […]
SF Supes pass resolution urging return of Energy 92.7
The SF Board of Supervisors passed a resolution asking Ed Stolz to bring Energy 92.7, which critics see as part of a “pressure campaign” that includes, well, me.
Classical music fans nervous about WGBH snarfdown of WCRB
It’s official—public radio station WGBH in Boston is buying up Waltham classical signal WCRB 99.5 FM and will turn it into a non-commercial outlet. You know the GBH announcement is serious because it comes with a pitch for money. Plus cellist Yo-Yo Ma has endorsed the move, so it’s got to be good. “This is […]
My five minutes with KREV’s Ed Stolz
As Jennifer Waits has reported, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is poised to pass a resolution calling on KREV station owner Ed Stolz to “reconsider his choice to abandon the successful format of Energy 92.7 and rehire the talented staff that provided a radio format that was adored and appreciated by so many fans […]
The great Pacifica radio election is on!
While we’re on the subject of public radio station fundraiser marathons, there’s a related event in progress: board elections at the Pacifica radio network. Subscribers and staff at all five Pacifica stations in New York City, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Houston are voting for members of their respective local station boards. There are […]
Low Power FM gets backing of new FCC Commissioners
Congressmember Mike Doyle (D-PA) came to today’s House Commerce subcommittee hearing on the Federal Communications Commission with a question posed to all the new Commissioners. “Do you recommend that Congress lift the restrictions on LPFM stations—the so-called ‘third adjacent protections’?” “Based on what I know, yes,” new Chair Julius Genachowski quickly replied. “Yes,” responded new […]
Goodbye Fernando and Greg; Hello Edward R. Stolz
What will it take to make sure popular radio stations like Energy 92.7 in San Francisco aren’t bought and sold as if the audiences for them don’t matter? Maybe it would help if the station’s owners were required to tell the public about their plans.
Want to shake up your radio audience? Try animal rights PSAs
When I think of Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin, he’s the ruthless real estate office manager in Glengarry Glen Ross or “Cucumber” Frank de Marco in Married to the Mob. He’s definitely not the guy talking in this radio public service announcement: “I grew up loving the circuses and other traveling animal shows,” Baldwin explains. “But […]
FCC asks BusRadio to be clearer for parents
BusRadio should make it easier for parents to monitor what the company is piping into school buses, the Federal Communications Commission recommends. Beyond that, the question of whether the service is in the public interest should be left up to local school districts. “We are mindful of concerns expressed by some parties that the harms […]