Saving College Radio Panel at CMJ offers Tips for Stations in Peril
In the past year, a number of high profile college radio stations have been moved off FM. Many claim that we are in the midst of a crisis, in which university officials are contemplating selling or leasing their valuable FM airwaves in exchange for monetary compensation. In order to address this trend, CMJ assembled a […]
Snapshot of College Broadcasters Inc. Conference
I’ve already shared a little bit about the College Broadcasters, Inc. conference that I attended in Orlando at the end of October. The event was full of practical sessions about college radio (and TV) and I was inspired by all of the students who expressed their enthusiasm for student media. Some folks from the radio […]
President Obama nominates 2 new candidates for FCC, potential impact on radio and internet policy is unclear
The FCC is currently down one commissioner due to Republican Meredith Atwell Baker stepping aside last spring. Democrat Michael Copps is on an “extended term” that is set to end at the end of this Congressional term. So the FCC is due to be getting by on just three commissioners by the time the new […]
Big market radio stations “unwilling and unable” to handle disasters?
Here’s some interesting fare for discussion as the Federal Communications Commission prepares to test its Emergency Alert System on Wednesday. Radio stations in big markets know that they’re responsible for disaster assistance, a new study observes, but are sometimes reluctant to coordinate with public officials. They may also assume that neighboring stations serving smaller areas […]
KPFA: scenes from Occupy Oakland
In its normative helter skelter way, Pacifica radio is providing ongoing coverage of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Several weeks ago I posted a piece critical of New York station WBAI’s lack of live coverage of the activities in Zuccoti Park and elsewhere around the area. Since then ‘BAI has launched Occupy Wall Street Radio […]
College Radio in the Spotlight
I’m always immersed in the world of college radio, but the past few weeks have taken my college radio immersion to another level, with back-to-back college radio conferences consuming my schedule. First up was the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, followed by the College Broadcasters, Inc. (CBI) conference in Orlando, Florida. Although both […]
FCC Prepares Stations for National EAS Test on November 9th
The first national test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) will take place next Wednesday, November 9th at 11am Pacific time. According to a letter issued by the FCC today: “The test will occur simultaneously across the United States and the U.S. territories and will last approximately 30 seconds, after which regular programming will resume. […]
Guess How Many Licensed Radio Stations there are in the U.S.?
Today the FCC released two lists containing the total number of licensed broadcast stations in the United States. Despite the crowded radio dial, the number of licensed radio stations increased between June and September, 2011. According to the FCC, as of September 30, 2011 (PDF), there were 14,865 radio stations in the U.S. That represents […]
Harold Camping Issues Vague Apology, Says World will End without Warning
October 21, 2011 came and went and Family Radio founder Harold Camping’s dire predictions about the end of the world occurring on that date never came to be. Although he’s been recuperating from a stroke and is rumored to be retiring from Family Radio, the 90-year-old Christian radio host was noticeably silent on his latest […]
Podcasting, satellite, internet and broadcast: it’s all RADIO to us
We, your humble Radio Survivors, are unabashed fans of broadcast radio. That much should be clear to anyone who peruses our site. But we hope that readers also see that we don’t limit ourselves to the AM, FM and shortwave dials. It’s vitally important to recognize that every time a new audio distribution technology comes […]