Advocates to FCC: study the state of black radio
New York City area radio listeners are still in shock over the demise of WRKS (98.7 KISS-FM) as an urban oriented radio station. The operation has merged with its R&B rival WBLS-FM. On April 30, KISS-FM was no more; its signal now streams ESPN sports talk. “Let’s linger a moment on the loss of a […]
Ohio Wesleyan Turns Back License for College Radio Station WSLN
On May 31, 2012, the license for Ohio Wesleyan’s student radio station WSLN was cancelled after the Delaware, Ohio university turned the 98.7 FM license back to the FCC. Trace Regan, WSLN adviser and Chair of the Ohio Wesleyan Journalism Department told me via email that, “WSLN will continue as ‘OWU Radio’ online. The webcast […]
Bethany College Station Fined for Late Renewal and for Being off the Air without Permission
In a Forfeiture Order released on Friday, Bethany College’s student radio station WVBC 88.1 FM has been fined $6500 for “remaining off the air without Commission authorization for a period of more than 30 days and failing to timely file a license renewal application for the Station.” According to the FCC’s Forfeiture Order, WVBC’s license […]
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 […]