Is this guilt trip necessary? Music file sharing and the war on college students
“I am an avid music listener, concertgoer, and college radio DJ. My world is music-centric. I’ve only bought 15 CDs in my lifetime. Yet, my entire iTunes library exceeds 11,000 songs.” These words, written by college radio general manager and NPR intern Emily White, will probably go down in history as the most remembered in […]
Supreme Court blocks FCC “fleeting expletive” sanctions, but ducks First Amendment issue
In a case with huge implications for broadcast radio, the Supreme Court has overturned the Federal Communications Commission’s sanctions against Fox Television News for broadcasting so called “fleeting expletives”—essentially potty talk spoken on the fly. The same relief was extended to ABC for broadcasting a brief nudity scene on NYPD Blue. “Because the Commission failed […]
Is Ripping CDs from Your College Radio Station Ethical?
Social media outlets were abuzz yesterday with discussion about the ethics of stealing music after 20-year-old Emily White’s post, “I Never Owned Any Music Anyway” appeared on NPR’s All Songs Considered blog. In the piece, White, talks about how she has more than 11,000 songs in her iTunes library, but has only bought 15 CDs. […]
Ralph Barbieri still laughing despite being dumped by KNBR
Bay Area sportscaster Ralph Barbieri appeared on KGMZ on Monday. The 66 year old radio legend is suing Cumulus radio after being dumped by Cumulus owned KNBR 680, where Barbieri worked for 28 years. “The litmus test of when something’s gone awry is when somebody treats you totally differently than they ever did before. And […]
Bob Fass: the documentary
This is turning into a significant year for documentaries about free form radio. We’ve already mentioned Freeform or Death, a film about WFMU-FM in New Jersey. Now comes Radio Unnameable, a doc about free form radio legend Bob Fass at Pacifica station WBAI in New York City. Fass began his remarkable career there in 1963. […]
Rocker David Lowery chides NPR music intern who didn’t pay for her 11,000 song collection
David Lowery is a veteran rock musician known for his work with the bands Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker. Over the last quarter decade he’s had plenty of experience with the music industry, both independent and major labels, and has recently expressed strong criticism for the way services like Spotify compensate artists. On Monday he […]
My favorite Radio Valencia blogs
I’ve been listening to Radio Valencia of late. It operates out of the Mission District in San Francisco, broadcasts on an unlicensed basis at 87.9FM, and streams off the web or via your mobile device of choice. “We’re open to all kinds of experimentation and community building, and our doors are open to anyone who […]
Freeform or Death – A WFMU documentary
Radio Survivor readers should already be aware of the love we express for New Jersey’s non-commercial freeform radio powerhouse WFMU. Although the station may not be as popular or highly rated as a top commercial station, it has many admiring listeners, who themselves are productive and creative. Filmmaker Tim Smith is one such fan, who […]
KFOG fans thank station for giving Morning Show a second makeover
“It quickly became obvious that the show we created wasn’t a good fit for KFOG,” declared KFOG Program Director Dennis Constantine on Wednesday. “So I am here to tell you that we made a mistake. KFOG is about taking risks, and on the downside, sometimes it doesn’t work out.” As we reported, late last month […]
Chicago’s Museum of Broadcast Communications Opens its Doors
Today the Museum of Broadcast Communications hosted its grand opening at its Chicago headquarters at 360 North State Street. This is the third location for the museum, which has faced a number of challenges in its 25-year history. Now open to the public, the museum features exhibits related to radio and television history. It also […]