In advance of its upcoming biannual review of media ownership rules, the Federal Communications Commission is holding a series of workshops on the issue. These workshops are less formal and expansive than hearings, and tend to be focused on a smaller array of topics. On April 20 the Commission’s Media Bureau will host a panel […]
The recent earthquakes in Chile and Haiti are a strong reminder about the importance of radio as a communications tool, especially in times of disaster. Haitian radio stations have served to help with rescue efforts and shortwave radio operators in Chile were also instrumental in transmitting tsunami updates and emergency communications. Along these lines, the […]
I’ve now had my eyes glued to the Federal Communications Commission’s 370+ page National Broadband Plan for 24 hours, and the message is clear: video rules; audio drools. The document goes so far as to propose the creation of video.gov: “a federated national archive for digital content. Creating such an archive will require tackling digital […]
Last week I told you how former-Clear Channel Charm School president and current Tribune CEO Radio Randy Michaels identified 119 words and phrases that are no good for his company’s flagship station WGN-AM. Well, this week Radio Randy’s follow-up was to double-down and confront the station’s staff about how the list got leaked outside the […]
Federal Communications Commission Chair Julius Genachowski did his best to sell the agency’s upcoming National Broadband Plan to country music and country radio fans this week. “You thought I was going to say something about my wife leaving me, my dog and my truck, didn’t you?” the FCC’s boss asked the Country Music Association on […]
George Carlin only ever identified seven words you couldn’t say on the radio. Tribune CEO Randy Michaels–formerly of Clear Channel–has identified a full 119 of ’em that he recently banned from being used on the company’s flagship news/talk station in Chicago WGN-AM. None of these words or phrases would get a station in trouble with […]
At the end of last month the FCC released its tallies for the total number of broadcast stations in the US as of Sept. 31, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2009. When you see the big number of 14,420 full-service radio stations it’s a big reminder that radio is still an enormous media presence in this […]
Next Tuesday the Federal Communications Commission will reveal the entirety of its National Broadband Plan, over a year in the making. Required by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which authorized $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus spending, The Plan will weigh in on about a thousand broadband related subjects—how to help more people get it, […]
Sirius XM satellite radio CEO Mel Karmazin warned the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday that the FCC’s proposed non-interference rules with a nearby wireless band won’t do. “We are extremely disturbed by the proposal,” Karmazin confided in a letter sent to the agency’s Chair, Julius Genachowski. “The proposed rules seem to bear little resemblance to […]
A study released this week from the Pew Internet and American Life Project reveals some interesting tidbits about how people in the United States are increasingly turning to the Internet as a major source for news. However, the report, “Understanding the Participatory News Consumer” (PDF) also highlights the fact that people continue to seek information […]
