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Fellow Radio Survivor,
It's interesting times for radio, with new low power FM (LPFM) stations cropping up all over the United States, long-time college radio stations celebrating decades on the air, online-only stations creating niche audiences for music and podcasts, and large technology corporations working out their strategies for music, podcasts, and radio.
Following Spotify's recent announcement that it will begin carrying podcasts, Matthew asks, "Will anyone want to listen to podcasts on Spotify?" Similarly, rumor has it that Apple will be revealing details of its new streaming service/Internet radio revamp next week. The Wall Street Journal reports that the new features from Apple will include not only streaming music, but also curated radio stations, similar to satellite or broadcast radio. It's not surprising, considering Apple's purchase of Beats Music, which was focused not only on high-end headphones, but also on human-crafted music playlists.
As all of these services appear to morph into themselves, we will still be left with the questions, "what is radio?" and "how do we prefer to listen to it?"
I'm all for human curation and applaud any effort to instill that into technology-heavy offerings. It takes me back to the early days of digital music, when I was a Music Editor at Uplister (back in 2000-2001, before iTunes became a household name). I wrote about music, even within the playlists themselves (well, because, we didn't really have the music yet). In the absence of music (although we did have short clips), Uplister was all about the community and the conversations surrounding music. We wrote top 10 lists, interviewed celebrities to get stories about their road-trip playlists, and more. It was a glorious time in the days before digital music rights were figured out. We didn't know back then if people would want to stream or download their music and companies came and went that tried both strategies. In 2015, we are still trying to figure that out and the wide range of music listening choices is staggering.
Yours in radio,
Jennifer
jennifer@radiosurvivor.com
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The Week in
Radio Survivor
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FCC Extra:
Comments overwhelmingly support LPFM-250 proposal
by Matthew Lasar
Comments are piling up in the Federal Communications Commission's proceeding considering whether to let Low Power FM radio stations apply for upgrades to 250 watts. Here's a particularly unequivocal one: "I rarely listened to radio until LPFM was born. In my opinion, LPFM is the way radio was meant to be. I support the proposal to increase power and other benefits for low power radio stations."
The proceeding comes in response to a petition from Rec Networks, which we covered in another Radio Survivor Bulletin exclusive a few weeks ago. The REC proposed changes include allowing qualified LP-100 stations to upgrade to LP-250; giving LPFMs more leeway when they have to do "minor moves" of their location (up to 11.1 km for LP-100s and up to 14.1 km for LP-250s); reconsideration of the FCC rule that requires LPFM service contours to overlap with their "commonly-owned translator service contours"; and a break from the eight hour a day local programming pledge requirement for signals allocated on time sharing agreements.
Not all LPFMs would be able to transition to LP-250. Among the disqualified via this proposal: stations too close for comfort to other LPFMs or FM translators and LPFM operations too near international borders. REC estimates that between 50 to 75 percent of LPFMs would qualify to upgrade under its reforms.
Meanwhile it's worth reading this excerpt of REC's critique of the eight hour provision:
"This means for a station that is in a three-way involuntary time share or any other station that operates 8 hours in a single day, they can't carry any network or other imported programming. Involuntary three-way time share groups are mandated to have an overall 24 hour local origination service. Under this type of arrangement, an LPFM station subject to the pledge can't carry a national news program, foreign language stations can't carry any programming (including news broadcasts) that originate in the listener's home country and offers the station any flexibility to present a diverse mix of local and non-local programming."
REC counter-proposes requiring time sharers to locally promise to originate one third of their daily programming instead. This would mean that:
"for an LPFM station that is scheduled to operate 8 hours per day, they must provide a minimum of 2 hours and 40 minutes of local programming per day. LPFM stations operating 12 hours per day would be required to provide a minimum of 4 hours of local programming per day. This way, time share groups that does not have any vacant time slots will still broadcast a minimum of 8 hours of local origination programming each day collectively among the time share group member stations."
As mentioned earlier, so far the proposals have been a hit with proceeding participants. Here's a comment from a current LPFM construction permit holder:
"I support the REC Networks' Petition for Rulemaking because I have seen how difficult it is for these stations to survive with the current LPFM regulations and technical rules. I believe LPFM stations should have the same power output as FM translators, and consequently the same technical rules. With their current very limited coverage of up to only 100 watts of power (and most with only a 3 or 4 mile coverage area), it almost is not even worth it to be on the air after paying for equipment, programming, electricity, phone lines, Internet service (for the operators who stream their stations), and music licensing fees for the very few potential listeners they may reach with this inadequate ERP." [editor note: ERP = "effective radiated power"]
Not everybody supports the time sharing local programming reforms. Ohio Public Radio's comments mostly agree with the REC proposal, save the localism changes: "Too many LPFM stations have been put on the air as nothing more than outlets for satellite network programming, religious or otherwise," Ohio writes. "In our opinion, this runs contrary to how the LPFM service was envisioned as a means of bringing community voices and locally focused programming to the airwaves. If a station has pledged to provide local programming, they should be held to that promise regardless of the total amount of broadcasting time they receive as part of any time-share arrangement."
But most LPFM comments primarily focus on the greater coverage prospects that LP-250 will offer. From WZPI in New Orleans:
"Our LPFM in metro New Orleans is in favor of allowing LP100 stations to upgrade to LP250 stations in densely populated communities. There are several tall buildings nearby creating propagation issues for our LP100. Also, an increase to 250 watts will allow our station's programming to reach the edge of central city New Orleans, a community in need of a positive, life-changing and hopeful messaging. We are grateful the FCC is considering LP250."
And from rural Louisiana signal WZLW:
"WZLW supports upgrade from LP100 to LP250 with a mission to reach under served small communities that are near our current service area while improving in-home radio reception within our current service area. We realize that there may be channel movements required to make this change work in our part of rural Louisiana. However, we are on cooperative terms with an affected nearby LPFM. Technical solutions are available. And, we believe that both stations' service areas will benefit from LP250, so it is worth the investment and effort. Thank you for considering LP250."
The FCC announced this proceeding on May 15 and the notice stipulates a 30 day discussion window, so you've still got some weeks to submit a comment if you are so inclined.
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Art Bell Returns (Again)
by Paul Riismandel
Originally published May 14, 2015
I have a soft spot in my heart for Art Bell. As a former overnight DJ and grad student who kept relatively nocturnal hours for a good portion of the 90s, I admired Bell’s unique ability to engage guests and callers in topics that ranged from scientifically plausible (the theory that there have been multiple Big Bangs) to hilariously absurd (blood-sucking Chupacabra) with equanimity.
While some critics pilloried him for uncritically harboring all manner of superstition and pseudoscience, I enjoyed his Coast to Coast AM as a sort of straight-faced performance art that provided an entertaining alternative to most late night commercial radio, offering stimulating company to night shift workers across North America. Heck, I remember tuning in for a show tackling pirate radio, in which he discussing the topic straightforwardly, neither treating it as enticingly taboo nor recklessly dangerous. (In fact, Bell was himself a radio pirate in the 1960s while serving in the Air Force at the Amarillo air base.)
Bell held court over nationwide nocturnal amplitude modulation for some fifteen years before going into semi-retirement in 2003, handing over the weeknight reins to current Coast to Coast host George Noory. Bell then took the mic for weekends until 2007, then doing occasional fill-in slots until 2010 when he retired. That first retirement only lasted until 2013, when he had a brief foray into satellite radio with Art Bell’s Dark Matter on SiriusXM for six weeks.
July 20 is when Bell will return to broadcasting once again, according to a FAQ posted to his own website. This time he’ll be on the internet station Dark Matter Radio with a live weeknight program called Midnight in the Desert, airing midnight to 3 AM Eastern Time. The show won’t be on terrestrial broadcast, with one exception. Apparently Tennessee-based Christian shortwave station WTWW will broadcast Bell live to the world.
As much as I like and use internet radio, I have to admit it’s a little disappointing that Bell won’t be back on AM. I have fond memories of road trips over the Midwest interstates where I listened to Coast to Coast, hitting the seek button when one station faded, knowing I’d soon encounter another transmitting the show. It’s unlikely I’ll go through the trouble of tuning my shortwave receiver just to recreate the experience.
Nevertheless, I will probably check out Midnight in the Desert, although at 9 PM Pacific Time it’s on a few hours too early here in Oregon. I’d go for the podcast to timeshift it after midnight, but on-demand episodes will be reserved for paid subscribers, and I’m not that much of a fan (though DAR.fm might do the trick). Anyway, on-demand isn’t really the proper Art Bell experience–he’s really meant to be stumbled upon, in the middle of a nearly inscrutable interview that you’re surprised comes slowly into focus.
I’m sure there are Radio Survivor readers who will scrunch their noses at my praise for Art Bell. I get it–his nutty melange of guests and strange blend of libertarian, conservative and occasionally progressive political stances (pro-gun and anti-abortion, but pro same-sex marriage) is admittedly out of step with much of the radio we normally highlight. But, again, it’s a mistake to take him a face value. He may never actually wink at us, but neither did Andy Kaufman.
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ICYMI
- LeRoy Elementary gets $2K Grant for Student-Run Radio Broadcasting Program
Source: Leroy Farmer City Press
The Takeaway: A motivated elementary school music teacher is infusing the love of radio in his students. How many kids do you know who are doing radio?
- The Informal Economy of the Amateur Archive: Collectors as Cultural Intermediaries
Source: Flow
The Takeaway: As part of the Radio Preservation Task Force series, this piece examines the role of bootleggers, home tapers, and other amateur archivists.
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