Big radio vows no Performance Rights Act in lame duck Congress
Last month’s attempted rapprochement with the music labels and performers seems to be behind the National Association of Broadcasters. The trade association warns that any attempt to revive the Performance Rights Act in the impending lame duck Congressional session (Nov. 15 through mid-December) will not be tolerated. “NAB is unalterably opposed to this legislation, and […]
Tuning in great interesting radio in LA
I made my first ever trip to the home of the nation’s entertainment industry, Los Angeles, last week. It’s fair to say my expectations were muted given stories I’d heard of LA’s endless sprawl, over-emphasis on surface and glitter, and general vapidity. However, I was pleasantly surprised with my experience, from the great food, truly […]
World Series Highlighted Challenges of Listening to Radio While Watching TV
I can’t overstate the excitement in San Francisco this week as the Giants wrapped up their season by winning the World Series. As they headed into the playoffs, I started hearing more and more discussion about the relative merits of local commentators vs. national commentators. Many people told me that they preferred listening to baseball […]
KPFA staffers protest proposed layoffs at station
Bay Area Radio Hall of Famer Bonnie Simmons and other KPFA staff took some time on Thursday to protest the big layoffs KPFA’s owner, the Pacifica Foundation, has planned for the station. The Berkleyside news service has a summary of the event and the issues, but basically Pacifica’s plan appears to be to pretty much […]
Pandora starts to sound like a radio station (everywhere but on the radio)
The celebrated Austin City Limits music festival has come and gone, and Pandora streaming radio was there “soaking in the sounds and talking with the artists,” as Pandora blogger Kevin Seal put it. The online service did a lot of interesting, chatty interviews with various ACL artists. They’re fun conversations, conducted by Pandora staffer Ryan […]
Paperwork for KTRU Sale Submitted to FCC
Despite ongoing protests from KTRU fans, Rice University students and alumni, Rice University has gone through with their plan to submit an application to the FCC in order to transfer ownership of KTRU’s FM frequency and license to University of Houston. With this purchase, University of Houston plans to expand its public radio offerings by […]
How the KPFA Morning Show almost killed me (and why I want it to live)
About a year ago I was driving to work along the 17 freeway, which winds through the mountains of Santa Cruz, California, and listening to Brian Edwards-Tiekert on listener supported KPFA-FM in Berkeley’s Morning Show. He was interviewing someone about the political situation in Turkey, and how politics in that country affects women. It was […]
KMUZ’s Community Radio Dream in Salem, Oregon: Will Reggae Save the Day?
In Salem, Oregon there’s a new community radio station in the works with an anticipated launch date of early next year. KMUZ, aka “People Powered Community Radio,” is currently licensed to the Salem Folklore Community and will be located at 88.5 FM. Before the station is able to launch, they need to raise tens of […]
Behind the Scenes at Radio Valencia
I’ve been sharing the progress of San Francisco’s newest community radio station, Radio Valencia, from inception to its launch in August; so was happy to see DJ Tony DuShane’s first-person account of what it was like for him to be at the station from the beginning. Currently an Internet-only station, there are rumors that Radio […]
![By Universal Studios (Frankenstein promotional photo) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Frankenstein%27s_monster_%28Boris_Karloff%29.jpg "Fear the mobile device mandate monster, now with HD Radio too!")
Fear the mobile device mandate monster, now with HD Radio too!
I stand in awe at the sheer number of features the National Association of Broadcasters and its members want mandated on cell phones. First they’re proposing that Congress pass a law hotwiring an FM radio chip into every mobile. Broadcasters are also talking about a TV tuner requirement. And now they also want HD! Here’s […]