iHeartRadio plus Thumbplay equals . . . ?
The news that Clear Channel has bought the Thumbplay online music service (except for ringtones) is all over the blogosphere by now. The question, of course, is what does it mean? “Joining Thumbplay’s custom radio and subscription services with Clear Channel’s streaming expertise, HeartRadio’s Internet and mobile audio and music services, including 750 online radio […]
Wireless broadband coalition: lift satellite radio price caps if Sirius gets off our back
The great war between Sirius satellite radio (SIRI) and the Wireless Communications System Coalition has taken another interesting turn as the Federal Communications Commission ponders whether to lift the price caps the FCC imposed on Sirius as a condition for its merger with XM in 2008. The WCS Coalition—backed by Comcast (CMCSA), Nextwave (WAVE), and […]
Vancouver Island community radio station banned from college campus
Canadian newspapers and TV stations say that community station Radio Malaspina CHLY 107.7 has been told to stop hosting events at Vancouver Island University‘s Nanaimo campus. VIU’s administration is restricting CHLY’s access to the school due to the “drugs, drunkeness, and general debauchery” that allegedly took place the last time the signal held an event […]
WFMU-FM show will issue its own currency for next station marathon
Hey community radio stations, here’s a great idea for your next fundraiser. Issue your own currency and offer to exchange it to listeners for United States Federal Reserve notes (aka: dollars). That’s what Jersey City, New Jersey free form community station WFMU-FM’s popular Thunk Tank show plans to do. “In our quest to boldly violate […]
Reports and tweets say Libyan protestors are taking over radio stations
Right now it is very difficult to get confirmed news out of Libya due to the internet and phones being restricted and foreign journalists being kept out. Twitter is alive with reports from Libya, but with all the re-tweeting it’s difficult to following things back to a source and then determine if it’s credible. Earlier […]
Public radio and TV supporters worry about ‘save public media’ fatigue
As everyone concerned about this issue knows, last week the Republican controlled House of Representatives voted to eliminate federal funding for public broadcasting. The move was approved in the context of the massive spending bill HR1, “Making appropriations for the Department of Defense and the other departments and agencies of the Government for the fiscal […]
BBC’s Five Live radio airing wall-to-wall Libya coverage
Right now there are strong indications that the Libyan government of Muammar Qaddafi may be pulling back. There are reports from Benghazi that government forces have withdrawn and Libyan ambassadors to countries like China and India resigning. The BBC’s Five Live radio service seems to be providing some of the best up-to-the-minute English-language coverage of […]
Radio Netherlands Worldwide to expand Arabic broadcasts
Radio Netherlands Worldwide today announced that it will be expanding its Arabic broadcasts to cover the protests across the Arab world, including Libya. The broadcasts will primarily be on satellite in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq where receiving TV and radio broadcasts by satellite is very common. The broadcasts will […]
Free Radio Benghazi broadcasts Libyan protesters to the world
Much of the news today from Libya is sad, with reports that as many as 200 protesters have been killed by government forces who are using live ammunition–some large caliber–on civilians trying to exercise their human rights to free speech and peaceful protest. However there are also signs that protestors are finding ways to break […]
Pandora’s nervousness about ‘do-not-track’ rules
Over the last week I’ve written several articles about Pandora’s plan to go public and its detailed assessment of the risks in its Security and Exchange Commission S-1 form. A brief summary is posted here. A longer version is posted at Ars Technica. In the latter article, I reviewed Pandora’s concerns about copyright royalties, the […]