Podcasting News: Podcast Awards finalists announced, WSWI wins best college podcast from CBI
Finalists for the 9th annual Podcast Awards are out. Like previous years, the slate of nominees covers a wide variety of programs across 22 categories, mostly dominated by pure-play podcasts that are not also broadcast radio shows. Anyone can vote for the winners, and voting is open until November 15. The awards are given out […]
Counterpoint: all-digital HD Radio on AM still on the table at FCC
My friend John Anderson wrote his dissertation on the complex policy machinations behind HD Radio becoming the digital radio standard, and now he has a book coming out telling the story. He knows more about the topic than just about anyone else. So when he says that the all-digital option for AM revitalization is very […]
5 persistent challenges for internet radio stations
This is an update of a piece that originally appeared in the October 7 edition of our free weekly email newsletter, the Radio Survivor Bulletin. Sign up now to get this digest of important and insightful links and commentary about the future of radio. I’ve talked with a number of people, companies and groups making many different kinds […]
Radio conflict and cooperation in Africa: an interactive map
For years, Jennifer Waits, Paul Riismandel, and I have been blogging about radio in Africa. Millions of people there depend on radio for crucial news and information. When conflict comes to one of Africa’s nations, radio becomes a resource, and then it becomes an issue. So in Libya rebels rush to control radio in Benghazi. […]
RadioSearchEngine delivers instant gratification, but not yet the Google of radio
Online radio entrepreneur Michael Robertson has unveiled yet another station portal, this one called, simply enough, RadioSearchEngine.com (RSE). Is this a possible contender to become the “Google of radio”? I spent several fun hours testing RSE and surfing radio from around the world with ease. The site delivers on music search results for songs, artists […]
NPR to FCC: TV spectrum auctions affect radio too
An interesting filing from NPR to the Federal Communications Commission concerning the impending wave of incentive auctions planned to “reassign” television broadcaster spectrum, ultimately for wireless broadband use. NPR reminds the Commission that a lot of the television towers that broadcast video signals stream radio as well, and public broadcasters could be affected by this […]
Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame Luncheon Honors 2013 Inductees
On Saturday, November 2, I attended the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame’s 2013 Induction Luncheon. Although the latest inductees were announced several months ago at Radio Day by the Bay, Saturday’s event was a chance to celebrate the 10 individuals and the one station (KSFO as “legendary station”) joining the Hall of Fame. Held […]
Public interest advocate Gigi Sohn named to FCC Chairman Wheeler’s staff
New FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced his staff appointments today, and there is potentially good news for public interest advocates and supporters of innovative radio in his appointment of Public Knowledge president Gigi Sohn as Special Counsel for External Affairs. Sohn co-founded Public Knowledge in 2001, and under her leadership the group has been a […]
Syrian free radio station raided & shut down by al Qaeda group
Unfortunately, the risk associated with unlicensed, independent and clandestine broadcasting in Syria is very present and real. Furthermore, the repressive Assad government is not the only threat. According to David Kenner at Foreign Policy a reporter working for the citizen journalism organization ANA New Media Association, Rami al Razzouk, was kidnapped by members of the […]
Plug.dj: from rooms to “communities”
Plug.dj is rolling out a new design this Saturday. What interests me most about the remake is that the online deejay service is dubbing its rooms “communities”: “The first thing you’ll notice is the lobby has been redesigned and is now called ‘Communities’. We decided to change the name to reflect how much we value […]