Author: diymedia_tu6dox

Sacramento Microbroadcaster Sues FCC

KNOZ-LP has no license from the FCC. It’s an 84-watt hip-hop outlet run by a local publisher/promoter in Sacramento, California, squatting 96.5 Mhz. It’s pretty open about why it exists: to offer airtime to local artists who can’t crack the door at the three licensed “urban-format” stations in town. You even can grab aircheck-style mixtape samples of its programming online.
KNOZ went on the air in May of 2004 after the station’s founder, Will Major, consulted informally with the FCC. He was told he’d have to file a license application for an LPFM, and that he couldn’t do that until a new LPFM filing window opened (possibly in 2006). More informally, claims Major, he was told that so long as he stuck to the operational guidelines of the LPFM rules, kept a filled-out license application handy, caused no interference, and generated no complaints, he shouldn’t have a problem. Continue reading “Sacramento Microbroadcaster Sues FCC”

Iron Action Radio Does Street Theatre?

Nyack’s full-on microbroadcast maven, DJ Johnny Silver, has announced “My so called Life on the Radio” – “i walk around Nyack in total disquise, and visit the diffrent establishments, and do ‘real radio’ getting myself in diffrent situations that are stimulating and fun for listeners….Each disquise will be a totally different radio character, and have a totally different personality.” Radio doesn’t get much more local than that.
There’s already been discussion about whether Silver is crazy; I believe this pretty much confirms it, in a most excellent way. Did I mention this “My so called Life on the Radio” will be done live? Apparently Thursdays are Iron Action’s “Remote Broadcast Night,” and this will be one of the rotating summer programs.

D.C. Circuit Stymies Broadcast Flag

Looks like the hearing in February pretty well telegraphed the sentiments of the three-judge panel, as they unanimously told the FCC Friday to stop trying to play copyright police:
In the seven decades of its existence, the FCC has never before asserted such sweeping authority. Indeed, in the past, the FCC has informed Congress that it lacked any such authority. In our view, nothing has changed to give the FCC the authority that it now claims. Continue reading “D.C. Circuit Stymies Broadcast Flag”

Press Corrections: Pod/Godcasting

A couple of noteworthy but skewed articles published this week. USA Today picked up on the FM translator spectrum trafficking scandal and, like the caricature of journalism that it is, talked with “both sides” for “equal time.” This allowed Radio Assist Ministry/Edgewater Broadcasting president Clark Parrish the chance to tell some tall tales unchallenged.
Parrish claims the call for an investigation into his trafficking operation is “sour grapes.” He says he plans to start a new nationwide religious broadcast network via FM translator, which may rebroadcast American Family Radio (another translator-monger). And, most importantly, the small number of construction permits he’s sold to others (for $800,000+) were just chaff – leftover permits he’s since decided not to build as part of his network. Continue reading “Press Corrections: Pod/Godcasting”

Skidmark Bob Remixes Outfoxed; Making Waves Premieres in NY

Skidmark Bob’s Mega Media Illusion Mix (6:56, 6.4 MB) takes the doc’s theme song, blends it with Beale, Byrne, Chomsky, and McChesney, and sprinkles that mix with infotainment detritus. Takes the critiques leveled by KGB-TV and Scott Walmsley to the next level.
For those in New York on Wednesday, you’d be crazy to miss the premiere of Michael Lahey’s excellent microradio documentary Making Waves. It happens at 8pm at the Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue (at Second Street). free103point9 will be on hand to conduct a Radio 4×4 performance, which should most definitely set the mood.

Audio Content-Sharing as Business Model

There’s a couple of interesting non-profit ventures trying to master the business of connecting audio content providers with broadcasters and/or the listening masses. Using the internet as distribution platform to circumvent traditional radio network models is not new, but making a marketplace out of it is fairly so.
Public Radio Exchange has been working at it the longest. The service came of age in 2004; users of the system pay a yearly fee to upload and market their work. Broadcasters purchase rights to air pieces via a system of points, which are redeemed for cash, paid out by PRX on a quarterly basis. The system’s gotten some limited but favorable press and seems to be enjoying fairly wide adoption among those who work in or on contract to public radio. Continue reading “Audio Content-Sharing as Business Model”

Dutch Ex-Radio/TV Fort Heading for Deconstruction?

The home of Radio and TV Noordzee, built for more than $5 million in 1964, 10km off the Netherlands coast, is slated for demolition. The stations operated for just four months before changes in the territorial waters limit expanded Dutch jurisdiction to the offshore platform and led to its forced closure.
All was not lost, however: Radio-TV Noordzee helped spawn what has become one of the Netherlands’ largest public broadcast foundations. According to Radio Netherlands, there is a small chance “REM Island” could be saved: Continue reading “Dutch Ex-Radio/TV Fort Heading for Deconstruction?”

More Audio Online

As the Truthful Translations counter up top shows, there’s now one cut online for every day of the year. Central to this particular update is the prolific Scott Walmsley, who’s also done up a Celebrity Speech collage on everybody’s favorite TV blowhard, Bill O’Reilly (described by Walmsley as “a major f*ck head”).
There’s also new free media-themed music online: Brooklyn-based Gun Street Radio pays homage to Radio Caroline while SD punks Cheap Sex screams foul about the FCC’s ongoing anti-indecency crusade.

Be the Media! Blog Resurrected

In preparation for the second National Conference for Media Reform, the Be the Media! blog is back online. The blog served as a venue which provided attendees of the first NCMR a chance to report critically on the proceedings. The 2003 Be the Media! blog archives have been re-established (though all the comments were lost, sorry).
Although I may be biased, I think the blog did a better job of covering the ’03 proceedings than any of the mainstream media reportage that surfaced, although it was kind of a last-minute project and admittedly catch-as-catch-can. This time around it would be great to have more attendees participating: if you’re going to NCMR ’05 and would like to help create an independent archive of coverage about it, contact Paul@Mediageek for details.