Swedish podcast network picks up $5 million for expansion to US
Bonnier Growth Media has plunked down $5m to help the Swedish podcasting platform Acast expand its net across Europe and the United States. Acast has digs in London and Stockholm. Now the organzation talking to people in the USA, “where recruitments for a coming launch are already in progress,” according to a Reuters update. You […]
Honoring Michele Hilmes’ Contribution to Radio Studies
Back in February, our Academic Series featured an interview with distinguished radio scholar Michele Hilmes. The interview touched on a variety of issues in Radio Studies, including the lost critical history of radio and the transnational production on sound media. What I find to be so great about this interview is the way that Michele […]
FCC Fines iHeart $1 Million for Airing Fake Emergency Alert Tone during Bobby Bones Show
It’s hard to believe that some radio stations still haven’t gotten the message that the Emergency Alert System (EAS) is no joking matter. Today the FCC announced that it has fined iHeartCommunications $1,000,000 (see the order and consent decree here) after an investigation into an October, 2014 broadcast of the syndicated “The Bobby Bones Show.” […]
Deezer rolls out podcasts, 20k shows on demand
The proverbial second shoe is dropping from Deezer’s acquisition of Stitcher. The #2 global streaming service bought the podcast rich audio platform last October. Now it has announced the release of 20,000 entertainment, news, sports, and comedy shows on demand. This will include lots of content from NPR, the Financial Times, WNYC, plus Monocle 24, […]
College and community radio to FCC: no more payola!
Just one more noteworthy filing to mention in the Federal Communications Commission’s proceeding on whether to loosen up the agency’s “payola” rules. It comes from a group of college and community radio advocates, responding to a broadcaster petition asking to be relieved of the requirement that they immediately tell listeners when someone has paid a radio station […]
Top San Diego jazz deejays fight “temp” status
KSDS-FM deejay Ron Dhanifu has been working at San Diego City College’s jazz radio station since 1977 and served as its operations manager from that year through 1985. Dhanifu hosts music 25 hours a week. His co-worker Gary Beck has been involved with “Jazz 88” since 1974 and presents on weekday mornings from 9 AM until […]
College Radio Watch: College Radio Covers Protests, Seeking College Radio History, and More News
Last week I wrote about the fun collection of vintage college radio playlists that I came across from the 1970s and 1980s. That post prompted some interesting responses from former college radio DJs and current college radio programmers, sharing some of their tales and also word that other playlist collections are out there. This week […]
LPFM News: FL Church Beats Pirate Radio Accusation to Win LPFM
The FCC’s Media Bureau continues to work on the remaining MX groups of applicants competing for a single frequency. Most of the nine construction permits for new low-power FM stations issued in the last week were from such groups. The total number of LPFM construction permits issued from the 2013 application window now stands at […]
Art Bell Returns (Again)
I have a soft spot in my heart for Art Bell. As a former overnight DJ and grad student who kept relatively nocturnal hours for a good portion of the 90s, I admired Bell’s unique ability to engage guests and callers in topics that ranged from scientifically plausible (the theory that there have been multiple […]
Digital Watch: ISPs & Telcos Ask Court to Block FCC’s Open Internet Order Immediately
There is already a pile of lawsuits challenging the FCC’s Open Internet Order waiting for attention from appeals courts. On Wednesday all of the major telecom and cable industry groups made a volley to jumpstart this process. The U.S. Telecom Association, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the CTIA, AT&T, the American Cable Association, CenturyLink […]