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krj
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A Radio Item
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Feb 26 03:31 UTC 1997 |
Two events spark this item. The first is the arrival of John Tisinger
(jradio) who is looking to make a career in the radio field.
The second was a comment from kewy in party today; she was listening
to a London pop radio station via the Internet.
So: do you prefer noncommercial NPR or student radio stations,
or do you believe the free market provides for all our radio needs?
What are our radio needs, anyway? Should we have socialist radio,
as they do in Canada and much of Europe?
And, how will Internet radio change everything?
And feel free to tell us about your favorite radio programs.
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| 145 responses total. |
otaking
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response 1 of 145:
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Feb 26 13:21 UTC 1997 |
I prefer NPR over anything else. Only noncommercial stations play a wide
variety of music anymore. If it wasn't for WDET Liz Copeland's Show, I
never would have started listening to jazz, techno, ambient, bluegrass, and
other kinds of music.
I also like WCBN's (U of M Ann Arbor) radio shows, but I can only receive them
in the car.
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raven
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response 2 of 145:
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Feb 26 16:00 UTC 1997 |
I tend to think college radio does the best job of serving my needs. In this
area that would WCBN (electic from world music to punk) and WEUM (jazz &
NPR news). I don't think socialist is the right call here but maybe publicaly
supported non-profit (ala the Grex model), that way neither the goverment nor
the corperation control the agenda. Having said that I have to admit I'm
a pretty big fan of NPR though IMO they are getting somewhat conservative
for my taste, still I like their in depth news coverage better than any other
electronic media source I can think of.
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kewy
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response 3 of 145:
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Feb 26 20:27 UTC 1997 |
i'm facinated by radio. somehow it's just exciting to me.. if someone,
somewhere plays the song that *i* want to hear. simple pleasures, ya know?
i haven't listened to much college radio in ann arbor, was never really able
to find anything that excited me.. right now, ann arbor and detroit don't have
a very diverse set of radio stations... you have your modern rock, classic
rock, r&b/rap, and some classical. and everything pretty much has it's own
station. when i'm in a new place, i like sifting thru the radio stations,
i tend to like stations that have a variety of music, much of which is not
even mentioned in the above station types.
and about internet radio.. it's greg:) i downloaded it 2 days ago... been
addicted ever since.. i was just very excited that i could get the radio
station that i listened to while in england, thru my computer (btw, above,
where it says greg, it's meant to say great)
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krj
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response 4 of 145:
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Feb 28 18:31 UTC 1997 |
Kewy, please tell us some more about the Internet Radio stuff.
Where did you get the software; how do you operate it; where do you
find the programming sources?
I'd also like to encourage jradio to discuss his academic program.
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jradio
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response 5 of 145:
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Feb 28 19:49 UTC 1997 |
Ken, I hope you want to hear the truth, because that's what you're about to
get!
It's like this. College radio started out as a medium for students who wanted
to become disc jockeys. About the time that I declared my major, our radio
station decided they wanted to cut down on the number of student disc jockeys,
because most of them were playing rap and alternative "music."
They figured the best way to do this was to change to a public radio format.
As a result, it is very difficult to get a shift, because the station is
required to run a certain number of hours of NPR programming.
If I had gone to a broadcasting school, I would have been on the air
doingsomething instead of sitting on my butt while someone in New York or
Washington is doing what I could have been doing.
Well, you asked, and I answered. The fact is that this program has gotten more
and more conservative in the running of this radio station. They need to be
more hands-on so that they can get more people interested in the program.
Thanks for asking. Happy to assist.
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kewy
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response 6 of 145:
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Mar 1 04:25 UTC 1997 |
let's see... first off, i use real audio, which you can download from
http://www.realaudio.com, but what really got me into internet radio is a
program... or something called webstereo... i actually stumbled upon it
somewhere, the site that you can download it from should be
http://www.igsnet.com. (sorry i'm not too technical about this, i'm not
the world's most knowledged person when it comes to computer programs and such)
it's easy to use, webstereo comes with a set of stations already in memory, so
you don't have to search for them, and it automatically opens up real audio..
like i said, it's simple, straight forward.. check it out:)
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mziemba
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response 7 of 145:
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Mar 1 09:15 UTC 1997 |
Katy, I've heard about net radio, and it sounds pretty interesting. Is
net radio supposed to be actual radio station programming transferred to
the net or more of a unique entity? I'm somewhat interested in shortwave
radio, for instance, as I'd enjoy hearing programming in foreign
countries. Would what you're discussing be merely shortwave radio,
accessible via the net, or would it be entirely new stations?
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mziemba
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response 8 of 145:
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Mar 1 09:54 UTC 1997 |
John-
In answer to your question posted earlier in another area of the music
conference: I've only done college radio, myself. I did my own show a
number of years ago, and occasionally I co-host with some friends on their
college radio shows. I'm thinking about doing my own show again at the
local college radio station, sometime in the near future.
I've noticed a trend in larger public universities around here to offer
two public radio stations. One is typically devoted to classical music,
graduate school programming, news/sports, and national public radio. The
other is the "college radio" you described as missing out on: freeform
and specialty shows that introduce students to radio station operations.
An example of this is the University of Michigan's set-up: WCBN (college)
and WUOM (classical, etc.).
I feel the trend is probably being echoed in other places. Perhaps your
university will offer this, in time. You might consider trying to
petition your school to move in that direction. Since such a set-up
involves two physical stations, it will undoubtedly be a budgetary issue.
Perhaps a possible avenues of establishment might be as an
extra-curricular school organization? I would consider examining another
school that already has two stations for ideas.
Of course, there's always the possibility of going to another school,
perhaps even a vocationally focused one.
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jiffer
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response 9 of 145:
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Mar 2 05:23 UTC 1997 |
hmmmm... i am a moody person,m so it depends. NPR is a definate for Car
Talk, and GArrison Keillor. Tre Kewl! But i also listen to other radios.
I don't like near a twon or a institute with a college radio stationt aht is
free form!
My advise from my frineds that do radio, get used to late nights, starting
out you are usually stuck on third shift music making. Get used to the lack
of pay! unless your BIG, its not much money, eps. since (at least down here
in GA) they would like to see that all their DJ's have at least a BA. go
figure!
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kewy
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response 10 of 145:
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Mar 3 03:21 UTC 1997 |
mark, it really depends, there are a lot of stations out there that are
specifically for net radio, but then there are some (like the one in the
uk, virgin radio, that are the actual radio broadcast.
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orinoco
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response 11 of 145:
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Mar 3 23:37 UTC 1997 |
In general, I am losing my patience with radio. Music radio (with the
exception of stations like WCBN) is, I find, either overly repetetive or
tasteless. Some things, like Car Talk, Prarie Home Companion, and the Bone
Conduction Music Show, I listen to semi-religiously, but I have given up on
being able to do what I used to be able to--turn on the radio, 'channel surf',
and find something good within a few minutes.
Incidentally, does anyone know of any recent radio dramas of any sort? All
I've been able to find are the occasional repeats of things like the Shadow...
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jradio
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response 12 of 145:
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Mar 4 18:09 UTC 1997 |
Have you noticed that people no longer seem to listen to disc jockeys anymore,
except that guy that gets you going in the morning. I have a tape of some DJ'S
from the mid 50's up to the early 60's, and people listened to the "rock
jocks" not just to that 99 in a row.
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krj
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response 13 of 145:
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Mar 4 19:11 UTC 1997 |
Ack, I have a pile of things to say and little time to say them;
Let me start digging myself out.
John, you have my sympathies on the situation with your college
station. Maybe you should transfer up here to Michigan?
Michigan State in East Lansing, where I work, also has two FM stations,
and an AM station. The older FM station and the AM station, both with
call letters WKAR, are pretty venerable. The AM operation is now all
NPR and local talk, and the FM operation is NPR and classical music.
The vast majority of the staff are full-time MSU employees; there may
be students doing off-air internships.
The student FM station, WDBM-FM, went on the air six (?) years ago,
and as far as I can tell all of the on-air staff are students.
WDBM isn't as freeform as the Ann Arbor station WCBN; it gets some
criticism for being a by-the-playlist CMJ/Gavin station, at least
somewhat. But it also does some MSU sports coverage, and it has a
weekly schedule of specialty shows. Tuesday nights is "Progressive
Torch and Twang," the alt-country and folk show which is my fave.
There's also a jazz show, a blues show, and an 80's-oldies show;
the fifth weeknight is either reggae or rap, I forget which.
Before WDBM went on the air, students majoring in broadcasting
got experience on four dorky AM carrier stations, which could only be
received in the campus dorms and which almost no one listened to.
In contrast, WDBM is almost a powerhouse, with clear reception 30 miles
from East Lansing.
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scott
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response 14 of 145:
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Mar 5 01:11 UTC 1997 |
Hey, I was a DJ for a couple months on one of those AM carrier stations! The
playlist was even more rigid than MTV, for some bizarre reason.
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krj
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response 15 of 145:
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Mar 5 06:43 UTC 1997 |
Payola. :)
I found out today that one can get a Real Audio feed of the CBC-FM
stereo network. CBC is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which
has a Windsor station which comes in pretty well here in Ann Arbor.
CBC is usually what I am referring to when I half-seriously mention
Socialist Radio; there are a few things I wanted to say about CBC,
but they will have to wait for a few hours.
I gotta get this Real Audio stuff set up.
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bruin
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response 16 of 145:
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Mar 5 13:37 UTC 1997 |
RE #15 Would the BBC be "Socialist Radio" as well?
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ryan1
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response 17 of 145:
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Mar 6 00:23 UTC 1997 |
Is payola illegal?
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bruin
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response 18 of 145:
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Mar 6 00:57 UTC 1997 |
RE #17 Not only is payola illegal, but it has ruined a number of promising
careers in radio (the best known being Alan Freed, who coined the term "rock
and roll").
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krj
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response 19 of 145:
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Mar 6 03:31 UTC 1997 |
OK, the next question is: *why* is payola illegal? Should it be?
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omni
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response 20 of 145:
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Mar 6 16:51 UTC 1997 |
The record companies cannot give an incentive to play a *specific* record
or artist, but they can give gifts to deejays, and radio stations. There was
an interesting report on the record biz on Primetime live last Wednesday.
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krj
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response 21 of 145:
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Mar 6 17:18 UTC 1997 |
Payola: Why should it be illegal to go to the person who chooses the
music for a radio station and say: "Here's the record I am promoting.
I want you to do me the service of playing it X times on your
station, and the fee for this service is Y dollars, so there you are."
Why is this different than any other form of commercial promotion?
There's an argument -- dammit, I can't recall where I read it, years
ago -- that payola was instrumental in the rise of rock & roll.
The big record labels of the time didn't understand rock & roll,
and (so the argument goes) they had radio pretty well sewn up for
their benefit. Payola was a way for the rock'n'roll indies to break
into the field.
Omni: darn, I wish I'd known about that PrimeTime Live segment on
the record business. Any summary you can offer would be appreciated.
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krj
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response 22 of 145:
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Mar 6 17:30 UTC 1997 |
Socialist Radio, #1: There's this myth that in good ol' America,
land of the free, radio is governed by The Free Market. T'aint so.
The theory of free markets requires that it be easy for a business
to enter the market. Is it easy to enter the radio business? No,
you need a government license to broadcast, and the number of such
licenses is strictly limited. Compare this with the record business;
the independent record industry is constantly being reinvented.
Usually each cycle ends with the indies being devoured by the large
companies, but there are always another cycle of indie record companies
gearing up to satisfy the wants of miniscule audiences.
Another issue in commercial radio: who is the customer?
Perhaps commercial radio can be best thought of as "audience farming."
The business of radio is to grow an audience which can be sold to
advertisers. So you aren't the customer; you're the product!
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omni
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response 23 of 145:
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Mar 7 17:25 UTC 1997 |
Actually, it was Turning Point, and I believe that you can buy a video
for 19.95 plus shipping. check http://www.abc.com for more info.
They followed a band, Love in Reverse from basement to recording thier first
CD, which flopped. Interesting look into the record biz.
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bmoran
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response 24 of 145:
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Mar 13 15:23 UTC 1997 |
I've been listening to the Sunday night lineup on the 'River' 93.9fm from
Windsor, Ontario. It starts at 6pm with imho the best hour of radio in the
area, but I can't remember the name of the show. Ann Delise and Thom Jurek
play a great assortment of stuff not heard anywhere else. This is followed
by the House of Blues show, hosted by Elwood Blues, brother of Jake. Each
week another facet of blues, with interviews of both historic and modern
figures.
I quit listening to NPR news back in the late 70's - early 80's
when EVERY newscast spent most of the time reporting on Nicaragua and El
Salvadore. I'm sure something was happening somewhere else in the world.
Shortwave provides a lot of my info now-a-days. I hear the news
and club top 10 from BBC, (Did you know the Bee Gees are currently #5),
Radio Neatherlands has commentary about the Arts, and tho I don't know any
Spanish, listening to a soccer game from Mexico is really exciting.
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