The Parents Television Council has a message for Sirius radio shock jock Howard Stern’s reported plans to join American Idol: No pasará—he shall not pass. “WHEREAS Howard Stern is one of the most profane, sexually-explicit and anti-family performers in the history of the broadcast medium;” declares the PTC’s latest resolution and petition (which the group […]
Author Archive | Matthew Lasar
National Public Radio: Just call us 'NPR'
My friend and award winning documentary film maker Alan Snitow wrote to me a couple of weeks ago with a good question. How come you rarely hear anyone at National Public Radio call it “National Public Radio” anymore, just “NPR”? I went over to NPR’s web site to refresh my memory on this. By golly, […]
Radio Survivor launches Classified Ads and Events feature
When Voice Over pro Ron Reid of Lubbock, Texas contacted us about his services this week, we sadly informed him that we’re not a radio show (we just like radio shows and write about them). But it also became clear that Radio Survivor needed to add a new feature to its arsenal of widgets and […]
FCC proposes fine for New York FM station after bogus death notice
A radio station that staged a prank call to a New York woman claiming that her husband had been badly hurt in a motorcycle accident, then died in a hospital, has received a proposed fine of $16,000 from the Federal Communications Commission. Here’s an excerpt from the August 2007 exchange: “Mr. Ithier: Juliana, oh, oh […]
FCC moves to fast track Native American radio
Federally recognized Native American Tribes and Alaska Native Villages who apply for AM or FM radio stations will get “Tribal Priority” status, thanks to an FCC decision released today. Tribal Priority will give precedence to their applications or to companies controlled by tribes that want to set up stations intended to serve tribal land areas. […]
Ford, Volvo, Chrysler back Sirius XM on wireless interference fight
Looks like the Sirius XM satellite radio service has brought out some big automotive guns in its feud with the WCS Coalition over tower interference concerns between wireless and satellite services. Ford, Volvo, and Chrysler have written to the Federal Communications Commission to back Sirius on the question. “We urge the FCC to be cautious […]
Radio Survivor's top radio shows – Matthew's #1: Bonnie Simmons and Derk Richardson on KPFA
Every Thursday night I drive home from Santa Cruz, where I teach at the University of California campus situated in that fair city. Soon as 8 pm comes around, I tune into KPFA to listen to the Bonnie Simmons / Derk Richardson music show, which I absolutely love. To be accurate, they’re actually two separate […]
Radio Survivor's Top Radio Shows – Matthew's #2: BBC World Have Your Say
I am totally addicted to listening to BBC World Have Your Say. To a degree this is a guilty pleasure, since some of the episodes definitely ask reality show questions. Right now I’m auditing a discussion titled “Should Fat People Pay More?” when they buy airline tickets and other items—with a weight sensitivity activist saying […]
Radio Survivor's Top Radio Shows – Matthew's #3: Democracy Now!
Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez’s radio/TV program Democracy Now! is, without question, the most successful media vehicle in the history of the United States Left. Launched at Pacifica station WBAI-FM in New York City in the mid-1990s, it is now an independent venture, subscribed to by over 800 radio, TV, and Internet stations around the […]
Radio Survivor's Top Radio Shows – Matthew's #4: Onion Radio News
Amazon.com Widgets I need a good laugh about once every twenty minutes, especially these days. So I listen to Onion Radio News. “A giant 6-year old devastates a local ant community!” announces ORN’s hard nosed reporter, Doyle Redland. “Ant-hill scouts reported today that a mammalian destructo-beast some ten thousand ant-links in height smashed a nearby […]