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 […]
Radio Station Field Trip #105 – CHIRP Radio in Chicago
On a trip to Chicago this spring, I was excited to finally visit CHIRP Radio. The online community radio station was established by the Chicago Independent Radio Project (thus, the moniker CHIRP) and is now the holder of a construction permit for new low power FM (LPFM) radio station WCXP-LP at 107.1 FM in Chicago. […]
King-FM fantasy classical concerts: worth a download
A first rate classical smartphone application program: King-FM’s fantasy concert series.
College Radio Watch: KFKX Leaves the Air, Former KUSFers may Return to FM, WGTB Tour & CITR Docs
Is it really summer? Feels like a busy week for radio news. Hastings College radio station KFKX in Hastings, Nebraska left the air this week. When I tuned in to check it out yesterday, I saw the message, “off the air.” We also got word that some former KUSF-FM programmers may soon be back on […]
LPFM Watch: One Step Closer for San Francisco LPFMs, D.C. Area Station Tours, and More News
A flurry of low power FM (LPFM) updates means that it’s time for another edition of LPFM Watch, two months after we put a pause on our weekly updates. This week we learned that the FCC is closer to resolving the contentious battle for the new LPFM channel in San Francisco, with the application by […]