Amazon.com Widgets The sad news that seminal musician and producer Alex Chilton died started spilling out over the Internet on St. Patrick’s Day evening, just as SXSW was getting started in Austin. Chilton’s band Big Star was scheduled to play at the festival on Saturday, at a much-anticipated show (which will now be a tribute/memorial […]
Archive | Noncommercial Radio
Indie Radio Guide to SXSW 2010
Well, the geeks are getting ready to flee Austin to make way for all of the radio folks streaming in for the music portion of this massive festival of technology, music and film that is South by Southwest (SXSW). As in years past, radio stations have both a visible and audible presence; hosting shows, doing […]
NPR makes big promises for the iPad
“If you’re among the estimated 120,000 Apple enthusiasts who signed up to get an iPad on April 3, rest assured that you’ll be able to experience the NPR Web site in all its glory.” So promises Kinsey Wilson, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NPR Digital Media, in his latest blog post. NPR’s designers and […]
Let the Music and Radio Conference Frenzy Begin: First Up- SXSW
Last week’s Intercollegiate Broadcasting System conference (IBS for short) kicked off the music and radio convention season and there appears to be no end in sight for broadcasters and music lovers over the course of the next few weeks. If you’re hoping to immerse yourself in music, bond with broadcasters, or geek out about the […]
14,420 Radio Stations in the US
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 […]
College Radio's Hidden History
Amazon.com Widgets In light of the 70th anniversary of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System’s (IBS) annual conference last weekend, it’s a good time to reflect on the college radio pioneers who rarely get mentioned in radio history discussions. My fascination with the early days of college radio began when I started diving into the history of […]
70th Annual IBS College Radio Conference Hits NYC
It seems that most folks have short-term memory when it comes to college radio, as there’s much nostalgia for the supposed college radio “heyday” in the 1980s. Many would be surprised (and even shocked) to know that student radio has a tradition going back for more than 70 years. In fact, some of the earliest […]
NPR listeners: Apology for Howard Zinn obit not accepted
It has been two weeks since National Public Radio more or less apologized for its controversial All Things Considered obituary of the historian Howard Zinn, and the bitter listener comments are still coming in. “I have read your post on the Zinn Obit and find it to be wordy gobbledeegook,” a listener responded several days […]
College Radio Barely Present Amid New "Educational Radio" Licenses
It was some pretty exciting news from the FCC on Tuesday, when they announced the list of 59 organizations who won the non-commercial educational radio license lottery. Although I was thrilled for some of the winners, as a college radio observer, I was saddened and surprised to see that very few colleges or educational institutions […]
FCC Awards Full-Power Licenses to 5 LPFMs, Plus 52 More Orgs
The FCC opened up an important licensing window for new noncommercial FM stations in 2007, announcing the first round of license winners in 2008. However another 59 licenses remained up in the air due to the Commission needing to pick a winner amongst competing applications. The FCC announced those winners on Tuesday [PDF]. The Commission […]