Democracy Now ran a focus show this morning on the Federal Communications Commission’s release of new procedures and application forms for the upcoming Low Power FM window, scheduled to open on October 15. The show includes Jeff Rousset of the Prometheus Radio Project and Ramon Ramirez, President of PCUN (Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste), […]
Author Archive | Matthew Lasar
NPR pushes FCC for “egregious cases” indecency standard
Broadcasters are filing comments on the Federal Communications Commission’s request for feedback on the agency’s indecency rules, key portions of which were struck down by the Supreme Court last year. NPR’s comments support replacing the FCC’s now defunct “fleeting expletive” policies (basically sanctions against even a few dirty words said on the fly) with an […]
Memo to WBAI: call the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (if you haven’t yet)
Last week Joel Kaplan, Ombudsman for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, posted a commentary on Pacifica radio station WBAI in New York City. “So far during my tenure as ombudsman there have not been a significant number of complaints about any of the Pacifica stations—until now,” Kaplan noted. He then cited one from one Mr. […]
FCC announces updated procedures for Low Power FM window
The Federal Communications Commission has released the updated online application and procedures for the impending Low Power FM application window. The filing opportunity will open on October 15 and close at 6:00 pm EDT on October 29. “Applicants are encouraged to access the system and prepare their applications and amendments at their earliest convenience. Applicants […]
Hey Pandora: good luck with Rapid City “Hits 102.7” FM
Why, you may be wondering, did Pandora buy “Hits 102.7 FM” in Rapid City, South Dakota? Just out of curiosity, I checked the station’s website. Here’s the bio for Hits 102.7 deejay Christy Russell: “Hey it’s Mike talking about Christy Afternoons on HITS 102.7! I have waited for about a year for Christy to put in […]
iTunes “iRadio” will come out in the iFall (but do iCare?)
Apple has confirmed the long awaited expectations: some kind of iTunes based “iRadio” application should be available by the fall. The Washington Post article summarizes the subscription free service: “Using the firm’s Music app, users will be able to create digital radio stations based on their favorite artists or songs. Listeners can then tweak the […]
Belfast gets community FM radio service for “over 55s”
Northern Irelanders in the second half of their fifty-something years will soon have their own FM community radio station. The United Kingdom’s Ofcom agency says that “Belfast FM” will provide community radio “for people aged 55 and over in the City of Belfast.” The station is one of five applications that just got a green […]
NFCB’s Ginny Berson: I “failed miserably” at not caring
One of my favorite people in community radio announced her retirement from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters at last week’s NFCB conference. Ginny Z. Berson is, until her departure, Vice President of the organization. “I started working at NFCB after sixteen years at Pacifica [radio],” Berson explained to the stunned audience. “Most of them […]
Andrew Phillips: the education of a KPFA general manager
I attended the National Federation of Community Broadcasters conference on Friday. No sooner did I wander into the main drag of the San Francisco event than I spotted KPFA’s beleaguered General Manager, Andrew Leslie Phillips, staffing a table. “Matthew!” Phillips cheerfully exclaimed after I introduced myself. “Got a lot of respect for what you do. […]
The hazards of slogans and logos in public radio donor announcements
I spent the morning at the National Federation of Community Broadcasters conference here in San Francisco. First stop: a panel on the dos-and-don’ts of underwriting acknowledgements. Expert attorney Michael Berg spoke on the subject, and offered a very nice advisory handout on slogans and logos, from which I draw the following wisdom. Bottom line: the […]