College Radio Watch: College Radio is Not in Decline, KUSF ‘Zine, and More News
Typically when I’m interviewed by the media about the state of college radio, there’s an underlying assumption by the writer or publication that college radio is in a state of decline. Frequently, I feel like I’m taking a defensive stance, pointing out that radio listenership is still high, that hundreds of college radio stations still […]
Radio Station Visit #140 – Community Radio Station KLLG-LP in Willits, California
Mendocino County has a bounty of new community radio stations thanks to the recent low power FM (LPFM) application window and I was excited to get to visit one of those stations: KLLG-LP in Willits, California earlier this year. After spending the night near the coast, I headed inland, driving on a windy country road […]
Meta-Radio: Radio Shows About the Medium
Radio shows about the medium itself have a long and storied history, from the early days of radio when the ability to receive distant audio signals over the air was a wonder in itself, to the contemporary shortwave scene, wherein atmospheric conditions and technical tips are subjects of interest. Of course, this year our own […]
The FCC’s Legacy of Failure: Failure Then Gives Us More Failure Now
This Thursday, November 16, the Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to vote on an order on reconsideration that will radically alter the media ownership regulations that are enforced by the agency. The changes are substantial and include: The elimination of the Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rule The elimination of the Radio/Television Cross-Ownership Rule A revision to the […]
Podcast #116 – Community Podcasting in Community Radio
We’ve talked about community podcasting on the show, now we want to connect the dots to community radio. The apparent ubiquity of public radio podcasts makes it seem like a podcast of a radio show is just automatic. But, in fact, turning terrestrial shows into consistent podcasts requires work and thoughtful planning behind the scenes. […]
College Radio Watch: College Radio on TV, Radio Theater, and a Parade
After an enjoyable trip to Washington, D.C. for the Radio Preservation Task Force Conference, I’m back with my college radio news round-up. In addition to station profiles, college radio awards, and news of expansions (in studios and radio programs); it’s also radio drama season, with several schools doing new radio theater productions. Read on for […]
Glimpse Behind the Scenes at Shortwave Pirate Radio in 1990
As I continue to mine the deeply embedded treasures of YouTube, I’ve dug up another diamond in the rough, a 27 year-old documentary on unlicensed shortwave broadcasting radio. Titled “Inside Pirate Radio,” this hour-long video visits the studio of Radio Wolf International during one broadcast, interspersed with an interview with Andrew Yoder, one of the […]
Podcast #115 – The Federal Consolidation Commission
The Federal Communications Commission just proposed new ownership rules that would drastically loosen restrictions on broadcast station ownership limits. Prof. Christopher Terry from the University of Minnesota joins us again to help understand this proposal, and the threat to local journalism and broadcasting. He argues that it has be viewed in an historical context, with […]
Tackling Creative Inertia with Broadcasting: Radio Cinéola
I just listened to the latest episode of The Quietus Hour featuring an interview with Matt Johnson, the principal behind the English post-punk band The The. Although Johnson largely put the band on hiatus—save some film soundtrack work—since its last formal release in 2000, I learned from the interview that on UK election day in […]
The Spirit of Cassette Culture Lives on ‘No Pigeonholes Radio’
Decades before the invention of the MP3, the audiocassette, along with the home dubbing deck and four-track tape recorders, put the power to create and distribute recordings into the hands of anyone with the will to record. No longer reliant on record labels or the capital investment needed to rent studio time and press records, […]