UK radio fans vote Lark Ascending #1 classical tune; Guardian dissents
United Kingdom classical radio station Classic FM has released its latest composer popularity poll, and British composer Ralph Vaughn Williams’ violin meditation The Lark Ascending is the top listener choice. It bumped Rachamaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto down to second place. Kerry Andrew of the UK Guardian dissents: “So what does it say about us as […]
FCC Chair Says Reports of Net Neutrality Turnaround Are “Flat Out Wrong”
Wednesday afternoon reports surfaced saying that new proposed open internet rules from the FCC will permit companies to pay internet service providers, like Comcast or AT&T, to deliver their content faster. The source of the report has only been credited to an unnamed “FCC official.” The reaction to this news was swift, with many consumer […]
Community Service Wins Portland Radio Project Murrow Awards
A focus on community service is already paying off for a six-month-old online station in Portland, Oregon. The Portland Radio Project, which I profiled back in October, just won two Regional Edward R. Murrow awards presented by The Radio Television Digital News Association. Regional award winners then have a shot at a national award, which […]
Podcasting News: EFF Challenge to Patent Troll Moves Forward
While patent reform is still delayed in the Senate, there was some good news for podcasters fighting a patent troll’s claim. Last October the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a challenge to Personal Audio’s patent, issued in the mid 90s, that it says covers podcasting. The US Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board […]
Happy High School Radio Day
Today is the 3rd annual High School Radio Day and at least 63 student radio stations from all over the United States (representing at least 28 states) are celebrating this unique and rare form of broadcasting. As I mentioned last week, I recently toured WHHS at Haverford High School in Havertown, Pennsylvania and was amazed […]
Swag day coming for XRAY-FM Kickstarter backers
XRAY FM, Portland, Oregon’s new very low power FM radio station, is thanking all the folks who gave to the project’s Kickstarter campaign via a cascade of tote bags, t-shirts, coffee mugs and similar goodies. The station has even scheduled a “pick up day” for the prizes: Sunday April 27 at the Bunk Bar. But: “If […]
How to find J.S. Bach on Bandcamp
I’m rummaging around the indie artist site Bandcamp to see if there are any good classical tracks, and there most certainly are: You have absolutely got to listen to Sly 5th Avenue do a saxophone/violin meditation on a Bach theme. It’s gorgeous. And while we are on that composer, Pianobeat has a really nice album […]
FCC & US Marshals Raid Another Pirate, Looks Like a Coordinated Campaign
On the heels of the FCC and US Attorney shutting down unlicensed Rika FM in New York City, on Thursday three stations in the Boston area were taken off the air, as well. The most prominent of these stations is Touch 106.1 FM, which was a fixture in Dorchester’s African-American community. Like the Rika FM […]
Classical broadcasts as bug spray for teenagers
Community Digital News has discovered that a McDonald’s in Australia is streaming classical music and opera outside its digs to discourage youngsters from loitering around the premises. Apparently the fast food store manager tried Barry Manilow, but Beethoven and Puccini really keeps the juvies out. “We play a range of classical and opera music and […]
College Radio Survivor: Faculty Ask to Halt WDBK Sale, KRFH Launches LPFM, KDMC-LP Leaves Air, and More News
I spent last week traveling and happily immersed in the world of college radio and so this week’s College Radio Survivor will be a super-sized edition (apologies for the lack of a column last week). I presented at the Saving College Radio Symposium last Friday in College Park, Maryland and this Monday I gave a […]