Classical radio’s allergy to the human voice: the case of KDFC
Controversy continues to swirl around San Francisco Bay Area classical radio station KDFC, reinvented as a listener supported outlet. The Federal Communications Commission still hasn’t ruled on its parent organization’s acquisition of an FM frequency from the University of San Francisco. No need to remind Radio Survivor readers about the crude way in which KUSF […]
Donna Summer (1948-2012): On the Radio
Disco singer extraordinaire Donna Summer has died after a long struggle with cancer. There will be many reminiscences of Summer and her work. I remember her best for her wonderful 1979 song, On The Radio, written with Georgio Moroder. Someone found a letter you wrote me, on the radio And they told the world just […]
Boston Alternative Music Radio Station WFNX to be Sold to Clear Channel
Yesterday it was announced that long-time alternative rock station WFNX is selling its Boston-area 101.7 FM frequency to Clear Channel. One of the few independently-owned commercial radio stations, WFNX is currently owned by MCC Broadcasting Company (which is affiliated with the Boston Phoenix aka Phoenix Media/Communications Group). Stephen Mindich, President of MCC announced in a […]
KPFA morning schedule gets new makeover
It has been about eighteen months since Pacifica listener supported station KPFA (Berkeley, CA) dumped its Morning Show for a volunteer lineup called the “Morning Mix.” The move was very controversial and personally disappointing. Thus I was happy to see this press release (below) announcing a new show for the station’s seven AM slot, “Up […]
Happy High School Radio Day
Today is the first annual High School Radio Day and at least 30 high school radio stations are participating in this event designed to raise the profile of high school radio. I plan to tune in to some of my nearby stations in order to see if they have anything planned. Unfortunately, according to the […]
There’s still jazz on Chicago radio, despite the death of Smooth 87.7
Editors’ note: Since the publication of this article the smooth jazz format has returned to the Chicago airwaves. Read this December 31, 2014 update for more details. My post about the demise of Chicago smooth jazz station Smooth 87.7 two weeks ago continues to gather comments lamenting the station’s passing. Many of the commenters express […]
America’s Got Schmaltz – Howard Stern’s disappointing America’s Got Talent debut
Lured in by the debut appearance of Howard Stern as a judge, I watched both hours of tonight’s season premiere of America’s Got Talent. I’ve never watched the show before, nor any of its stablemates, like American Idol. So let’s not bury the lede: I will not be watching again. You see, I’m a lapsed […]
Turntable.fm for Android is out, but is tt.fm really a desktop app?
The Turntable.fm Android application is finally available (oddly unannounced this weekend on tt.fm’s official blog). I tried it on Saturday, and it works very well on my Droid X. Nice, economical interface. The chat feature is very clear and easy to use. My DJ Queue menu works fine. And, most important, the music sounds great. […]
Zimbabwe exile shortwave station wants more information about license denial
The owner of a shortwave radio station that broadcasts to Zimbabwe via the Netherlands is pressing for more information about that country’s denial of its license application. Vox Media wants a record of the proceedings leading to the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe’s decision to authorize other stations, but not Vox’s Radio Voice of the People […]
FCC will hold live forum on Low Power FM/translator applications
This Wednesday the Federal Communications Commission will hold a live, streaming forum on how the agency plans to handle Low Power FM and translator applications. “The focus of the forum will be how pending FM translator applicants from the 2003 Auction 83 window and pending and prospective FM translator modification applicants will be processed,” the […]