Archive for the ‘Radio’ Category

A Critical Ear

Thursday, January 24th, 2008

I'm in the process of building out resources for the radio show I do on WRFU with Robert Naiman, and have registered a domain - which is currently pointing at this site (funferal.org). So, for those of you arriving here to learn about the show - we're still working on the ...

RTÉ to abandon Medium-wave

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008

Reports over the past few days that RTÉ is to drop its medium-wave broadcasts from March. In many senses it's not surprising, given that FM has been the dominant band in Ireland, particularly since the decision to license local stations (almost) exclusively on FM (and one can look previously to ...

New ‘youth’ radio service for west of Ireland

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

i102-104, the group that won the tender for a youth service for the North-West, recently signed their contract with the BCI. The related press release promises us 'contemporary hits' and that the schedule "will also give prominence to new music and more specialist genres such as alternative rock and RnB/urban ...

Community radio show goes online-only, avoids indecency restrictions

Saturday, December 22nd, 2007

DIY, Portland is normally broadcast monthly on KBOO. This month, however, the content would risk falling foul of FCC regulation if broadcast over the airwaves - they're focusing on masturbation - so they've turned to the web (for this particular episode). An interesting contrast to other community radio programmers I've ...

Life lessons in community radio

Monday, December 10th, 2007

Bill Weye of WXOJ (Valley Free Radio) learnt an important lesson about community radio recently:Chris reassured us that putting out fires and keeping the latest crisis in check is what running a community radio station is all about, that what many of the people at VFR feel is normal. That was ...

FCC adopt new LPFM rules

Wednesday, November 28th, 2007

It was late - after 9pm EST - last night before the FCC meeting finally began, but it looks like they've adopted some useful changes to the rules governing LPFM: Allows the transfer of LFPM licenses subject to significant limitations. Reinstates the Commission’s rule that all LPFM authorization holders be local to ...

Interesting times for LPFM

Saturday, November 24th, 2007

These are interesting times for LPFM. First, a bill to allow LPFM on '3rd adjacent channels' has just passed a US senate committee. Those familiar with the service will probably know that the original FCC proposal for an LPFM service, back in the 1990s, was subsequently amended by Congress after ...

DRM+ to be tested in Germany

Saturday, November 24th, 2007

Enda O'Kane pointed me towards an announcement of the first field trials of DRM+ on the FM band. DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) is being touted in Europe as a digital radio system that would replace current FM broadcasting, being preferred to DAB by many observers. It's described as "the universal, ...

A Critical Ear – latest edition

Thursday, November 15th, 2007

This week's show is now online. It lasts just around an hour, and features Bob Naiman and myself discussing Pakistan, Iran, and the success of Brazil's AIDS drugs policy. Locally we discuss SEIU's possible strike and the growing support from the campus community, and the CCHCC protest about the exclusion ...

Podcasting a temporary choice for prospective community radio stations

Wednesday, November 14th, 2007

An article about an Arizona group who filed in the recent community radio licensing window in the United States discusses their hopes and plans. The Phoenix area, where they are based, is, it seems, the largest metropolitan area in the United States (3 million people) without a community station. Of ...