What the Comcast – Level 3 conflict means for radio
In a textbook example of the abusive power of a near-monopoly, the ‘net was set ablaze yesterday upon the news that major internet backbone provider and content distribution network (CDN) company Level 3 called out cable-modem internet service provide Comcast for demanding additional fees for delivering video and other content to Comcast customers. Comcast’s demands […]
2010 Holiday Gift Guide for Radio Fans
Happy Cyber Monday! If you’re starting your holiday shopping, don’t forget radio-related gifts. Last year I wrote a handy guide outlining the most perfect radio-themed gifts for the different types of people on your list. That list is still a great starting point, so this time around I’m just going to add a few new […]
Last Chance to Send Comments to FCC Regarding KTRU Sale
Supporters of Rice University’s student-run radio station KTRU are rallying fans of independent, local college radio as they continue to fight the sale of their station to University of Houston. The next few days are critical, as they make their last appeal for folks to write letters to the FCC and sign their petition. As […]
Sirius XM gives Dr. Laura her “First Amendment” rights back
Good news for unmarried women who like being called “whores” because they live with their boyfriends. Dr. Laura Schlessinger has signed a contract to appear exclusively on Sirius XM satellite radio. Her now defunct over-the-air radio show had been syndicated on the service since 2005. “Coming to SIRIUS XM is an amazingly freeing transition from […]
Tootin’ with The Putin—making sense of WFMU’s Vladimir Putin fan fiction project
In real life, Vladimir Putin is the poker faced Prime Minster of Russia—liked in his own country despite a pretty creepy human rights record and his past with the Soviet Union’s KGB. But on free form WFMU-FM he is the semi-regular subject of Thunk Tank’s Salutin’ Putin fan fiction feature, hosted by Bronwyn and Jay. […]
Thanksgiving Radio: Alice’s Restaurant, the Beatles, and Radio Drama
Catch Alice’s Restaurant on the 2023 radio dial. See our latest listening guide. Every year on Thanksgiving a number of stations all over the United States air the 18 minute plus song “Alice’s Restaurant” by Arlo Guthrie. Here in San Francisco, KFOG (104.5FM San Francisco/97.7FM San Jose) has been honoring that tradition for many years […]
Three strategies for getting your book on National Public Radio
National Public Radio published an interesting blog post this week on how it handles books. This is a subject of interest to many people. NPR receives over 100 books a day for consideration. So how can you get your magnum opus on All Things Considered? As you might guess, NPR’s Lori Grisham insists that there […]
2010 John Drury High School Radio Awards Recognize Stellar Stations
Just about a year ago I visited a high school radio station for the first time and was impressed and excited by the prospect of teens running their own station at Glenbrook South High School near Chicago. As I mentioned at the time, their station, WGBK, is one of many high school radio stations that […]
LPFM still on double-secret probation in the Senate
On Friday word came down that Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso removed his hold on the Local Community Radio Act. If passed, this bill would restore low-power FM standards to FCC’s original specification, thereby allowing hundreds more stations to take to the air. And yet, still no action? That’s because there are still other holds on […]
Soon you’ll be able to tell NPR staff that they’re Nazis by e-mail
Blessed be National Public Radio’s Ombudsman Alicia C. Shepard. The Republicans in the House made their first attempt at defunding NPR on Thursday. They lost the vote, but surely it’s not the last time they’ll try—capitalizing on outrage over NPR’s firing of Juan Williams. Meanwhile Fox News chief Roger Ailes has apologized to the Anti-Defamation […]