Weaken the FCC’s payola rules? Future of Music Coalition says no
The Federal Communications Commission is wrapping is up its proceeding on whether to weaken its payola rules, and the Future of Music Coalition has several fine responses to the proposal. Before we get to them, you may be asking who came up with this grand idea, which boils down to eliminating the requirement that “pay for play” […]
College Radio Flashback: Covering Campus Disturbances in the 1960s and 70s
I’ve been thumbing through a couple of bound editions of IBS’ The Journal of College Radio from 1970 to 1972 and it’s an incredible look at college radio in that era. Concerns of the day included potential policy changes for carrier-current broadcasters, questions about the FCC’s rules on obscenity (not much has changed!), and excitement […]
Retiring MP3 Streaming – A Follow-Up
I received some constructive feedback on my post arguing that internet radio should retire MP3 streaming. Twitter user Mark Mollineaux pointed out that browser-compatibility is a consideration: @RadioSurvivor MP3 has by far the best cross-browser compatibility. I'd prefer an open standard like ogg, but many browser's won't play it– — Mark Mollineaux (@bufordsharkley) May 11, […]
It’s Time for Internet Radio to Retire MP3 Streaming
I have been listening to computer-based digital music for nearly two decades now. This includes streaming internet radio as well as music files like MP3s. It’s amazing to recall my first efforts to play then-new MP2 and MP3 format files I downloaded, very slowly, over my 56kbps dial-up connection, around 1996 or ’97. In fact, […]
How the FBI worked with radio to investigate the song “Louie Louie”
Our regular Welcome to Night Vale correspondent Aidan Herrick has written an excellent research paper (pdf) on the 1960s era Federal Bureau of Investigation’s investigation of the song “Louie Louie.” Why the probe? Because parents across the United States were complaining to the government that The Kingsmen’s 1963 remake of the Richard Berry song contained […]
Can we do better than sell KUSP to the Classical Public Radio Network?
Editor’s note: Shortly after I posted my first story about the proposed sale of KUSP in Santa Cruz to the Classical Public Radio Network, Rachel Anne Goodman and I began corresponding about the prospect. Goodman teaches journalism at Cabrillo College in Aptos. By her own description she has “been a radio host on one station or another since […]
A Glimpse of College Radio’s Past in Playlists from the 1970s and 1980s
An exciting envelope recently arrived in the mail, containing a stack of vintage college radio station playlists from the 1970s and 1980s. Mostly handwritten or typed on typewriters, the “music surveys” capture lists of the most recently added music to these station’s libraries. Sometimes broken down by genre or divided by different types of rotation […]
College Radio Watch: College Radio’s Influence on Music Biz, WLUW Axes Some Community Shows, and More News
As I wrote in LPFM Watch yesterday, it’s thrilling to see the increasing number of college radio stations with new low power FM (LPFM) construction permits. With the addition of Reed College and Drury University this week, that brings the total number of granted LPFM construction permits for colleges and universities (from the 2013 application […]
NFCB Holding Regional Summits for Community Radio Stations
This year the National Federation for Community Broadcasters is holding regional summits instead of one big national conference. The registration price is lower, and travel should be easier and less expensive for most people. Therefore they’re great opportunities for community broadcasters, especially new LPFM stations, to meet likeminded radio-makers and take advantage of what the […]
LPFM Watch: Reed College and Drury University to go LPFM and More LPFM News
This week ten more groups were granted construction permits for new low power FM (LPFM) radio stations. I’m thrilled to see two colleges and one school district in the mix, as not many schools have received grants in the past few months. By my count, 76 colleges/universities have now received new LPFM construction permits (out […]