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 […]
Author Archive | Matthew Lasar
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
NPR and public TV create new advocacy group
It will be “a joint initiative to respond to the current federal funding crisis on behalf of public broadcasting,” explains the press release, announcing the creation of a new organization: the Public Media Association. PMA will be run by National Public Radio and the Association of Public Television Stations. “NPR is proud to join forces […]
FCC will expand efforts to boost Native American radio
Should be an interesting Federal Communications Commission Open Meeting on March 3, especially if you are a Native American broadcaster. The FCC plans to announce rules that “will make it easier for Native Nations to provide radio service to areas that are the functional equivalent of Tribal Lands and to Tribal Lands that are small […]
Pandora goes public – what are the risks?
Every radio blogger from here to Mars knows by now that Pandora online radio announced today that it is going public. The Form S-1 has been filed with the Security and Exchange Commission outlining the $100 million Initial Public Offering. Obviously Pandora has a lot to offer investors. It had 80 million registered users as […]
Three things I wish college/community radio music deejays wouldn’t do
I love college/community radio music shows. My favorites include Bonnie Simmons and Derk Richardson at KPFA-FM in Berkeley, CA and The Fly at KKUP-FM in Cupertino in the South Bay. Other faves include the crew at WFMU-FM in Jersey City, New Jersey, and KFJC-FM of Foothills Junior College (home of RS’s Jennifer Waits). But there […]