Radio Station Visit #106 – Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Met Radio
When we started thinking about a family vacation to Colorado, I knew that I’d want to make room in the schedule for some radio station tours. So, on Thursday, July 7, my first full day in Denver, I walked in 90+ degree heat to Metropolitan State University of Denver in order to see college radio […]
World Listening Day Asks Us to Tune in to Our Environment
Happy World Listening Day! It’s a day set aside to do some deep listening wherever you are. Pull out your earbuds, stash your phone away, and take a walk through your neighborhood and listen to the world around you. (more…)
Platform B! UK licenses “pirate” community radio station for Brighton youth
The United Kingdom’s broadcast regulator (Ofcom) has authorized six more community radio licenses, all in southeast England. The radio project that will serve the Brighton area seems especially interesting. It calls itself Platform B. I quote from the group’s Facebook page: “Working like a pirate station, Platform B will challenge the formal infrastructure of traditional radio – […]
College Radio Watch: KXLU Love, UW-Eau Claire’s New Station and More News
I’ve been out and about, visiting radio stations this week while on my summer vacation. Unfortunately, summer is not the best time to try to connect with college radio stations, as quite a few of them are empty over the seasonal break. I try my best to reach people at college radio stations, sometimes exhibiting […]
Podcast #54 – Dusting Up: From Carrier Current to NPR One
Eric and Paul do some “dusting up,” by reviewing some reader emails about carrier current radio. Paul brings the good news about KPLU in Tacoma, WA, which was purchased from its university owner by a community group in order to preserve its local ownership. Then Eric wants to share his experience with the NPR One […]
As the weather gets more worrisome, the FCC adds new emergency alert codes
As scientists anticipate more hurricanes in a warming world, the Federal Communications Commission has authorized three new Emergency Alert System event codes. They are: “Extreme Wind Warning” (EWW), “Storm Surge Watch” (SWW), and “Storm Surge Warning” (SSW). The EAS allows state and local emergency networks to issue warnings about tornados and hurricanes directly over the radio airwaves. […]
College Radio Watch: Prince Tribute, Papua New Guinea Student Protest Coverage and More News
Some good news this week, with a new college radio station, a new radio degree program; as well as some interesting programming ranging from a Prince tribute to coverage of student protests in Papua New Guinea. Here’s a quick recap of the week in college radio: WKCR Resumes Online Streaming (WKCR) After several months without […]
Classic FM radio and the truncating of classical music
Composer Kevin Volans gave a talk at Ireland’s Contemporary Music Center the other month. During the speech Volans ID’d the United Kingdom’s Classic FM radio service as a key moment in Good Culture’s never ending declension narrative. First came The Three Tenors (gah), and if that wasn’t enough: “Then came Classic FM in 1992, set up by […]
A Brief History of Backdoor ‘FrankenFM’ Radio Stations
Long-time Radio Survivor readers know that I’ve been tracking one of the stranger vestiges of analog television in the US: channel 6 low-power TV stations that can be heard at the far left end of the FM dial. I’ve called them “back door” stations, while others in the radio industry call them “FrankenFMs.” Since low-power […]
Podcast #53 – There’s More Radio Than Ever
Even when a station goes off the air — like Hastings College’s KFKX — more go on the air every day. Jennifer Waits joins to share the sad news about KFKX, but also has positive news to report about a new LPFM community station in the heart of San Francisco. That station promises to continue […]