LPFM Watch: Low-Power Radio Workshop at NFCB & More LPFM News
The assignment of LPFM construction permits creeps forward, with the total now at 1137 new stations approved. It still seems like the FCC is not yet dealing with frequencies where there are multiple applicants, known as MX groups (for mutually exclusive). However, applicants that filed amendments in order to no longer compete with others are […]
Amazon’s New Fire TV Looks Like a Nice Internet Radio
Today Amazon announced its own set-top streaming box, the Fire TV, to compete with the likes of Roku, Apple TV and Chromecast. It’s more like the two former devices and less like Chromecast because it’s not completely device-dependent and can be operated with its own remote using an on-screen menu. However, it does offer mirroring […]
Podcast Survivor: Podcasting’s 10th Birthday & More News
Happy belated birthday to podcasting! According to a recent Guardian article written by the creators of UK podcast Answer Me This! the very term “podcast” was born on February 11, 2004, in a piece by journalist Ben Hammersley. That makes podcasting, as a thing, a little more than 10 years and 1 month old. In […]
Format Swap, One Direction Hoax & More April Fool’s on the Radio
April 1st is a day when you must not turn off your critical faculties if you’re planning on turning on the radio or TV, surfing the internet, or even leaving the house. Luckily, most pranks are fun and harmless. Also, the FCC is watching broadcasters, who won’t be off the hook if a hoax results […]
Rdio Adds On-Demand Music to Chromecast’s Internet Radio Line-up
I’ve already told you about how my Chromecast is an internet radio. Now there is one more listening option with Rdio, which just added Chromecast playback this week. Rdio, founded by Skype co-creator Janus Friis, offers on-demand music listening a la Spotify, along with artist stations and playlists. The service was subscription-only until striking a […]
East and West Midlands, UK: community radio signals available
The United Kingdom’s broadcast regulator, Ofcom, just put out an invitation to apply for community radio licenses in West and East Midlands. These are official regions situated (as you might guess) right in the middle of England. What caught my eye, however, is this codicil in the announcement; “Applicants should note that there are currently […]
With Last.fm radio gone, it’s back to Pandora/Spotify VPN tricks for Canada
On April 28, Last.fm will shut down its subscription radio stream. That means the company won’t be streaming content through its own servers, just third party stuff, mostly from YouTube and Spotify. “We understand that many of you will not like this decision,” a Last.fm forum post announced on Wednesday. A flood of Last.fm users agreed. […]
Congressman (and future talk radio host) Mike Rogers: the FCC files
House Intelligence Chair Mike Rogers (R-MI) is leaving Congress and taking a job as a national radio host with Cumulus media. Rogers has established himself as late as a defender of the National Security Agency’s surveillance program. Just for kicks I rummaged around the Federal Communications Commission’s databases to see what he’d sent them of […]
College Radio Survivor: Archiving College Radio History, Upcoming Events, and LPFM Update
Right now I’m dwelling on college radio’s past, as I prepare my presentation for University of Maryland’s “Saving College Radio” Symposium in two weeks. In connection with an exhibit about the history of student radio station WMUC, this symposium will focus on the importance of (and challenges inherent in) archiving college radio’s history. I’ve become […]
LPFM Watch: Over 1100 Applications Granted so Far, including More than 40 for College Radio Stations
This week the total number of granted LPFM applications crossed 1100. LPFMs-to-be are already fundraising and making plans for their new stations. For example, in Portland, Oregon, Q Center’s station Wild Planet Radio, purportedly the “the world’s first nonprofit LGBTQ radio station,” is gearing up to get on the air, sharing a frequency with The […]