Wednesday, March 22, 2000
Media Consolidation in Champaign-Urbana: Today's print edition of the News-Gazzette reports that Saga Communcations, owner of WLRW (94.5 FM) and WIXY (100.3 FM) has bought WKIO (Oldies 92). Other reports put the price tag at $7 million. This brings the total number of commercial FM station owners in C-U to 3:
1. Saga
2. AAA Entertainment--recently bought all of Liberty Media II's stations, including WQQB (96.1), WGKC (105.9) and W (95.3), joined by the purchase of WEBX (93.5), formerly "the Web."
3. Professional Impressions Media Group-- owner of the News-Gazzette--which owns WHMS (97.5) and WDWS (1400 AM).
Makes me wonder how much more things will consolidate--Saga and PIMG haven't reached their FCC limit yet. At least WEFT isn't for sale.
posted 3/22/2000 12:35:06 AM [link
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Recent posts to the message board at the Downstate Illinois Radio Watch mention what appears to be an unlicensed station operating in Peoria.
Now if only someone would cobble together a micropower station in Champaign-Urbana, which, with its density and student population is ripe for such a thing. Too bad all my free time goes towards WEFT.
posted 3/22/2000 12:26:40 AM [link
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Tuesday, March 21, 2000
Just found a nice resource site for micro/low-power radio: Rogue Radio Research. Lots of pamphlets, how-tos and other fine info. You could spend quite a bit of time there reading up.
posted 3/21/2000 01:15:02 PM [link
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Chalk up another one for consolidation. The New York Times reports today that Viacom, owner of CBS, has negotiated to buy UPN, making it the owner of 2 (out of 6) commercial broadcast TV networks. Viacom has yet to receive FCC approval, since the commission usually frowns on one company owning more than one network, but Viacom hopes to cut some sort of deal.
Not long before prime-time wrestling replaces 50% of CBS programming.
posted 3/21/2000 11:10:07 AM [link
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Monday, March 20, 2000
WEFT recieved this statement from the Chief Union Steward of UE Local 1421 at Pacifica station KPFK regarding the recent freelance stringer strike against Pacifica Network News.
posted 3/20/2000 10:27:59 PM [link
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Tuesday, March 14, 2000
Adbusters is running a campaign for TV Turn-off week, April 22-28. They've been trying to get their own ads for this campaign run on network TV and are consistently refused by all but CNN. They're asking for folks to try to get their commercials run on local TV or public access, and to post their posters.
But when you turn off your TV, turn on your radio.
posted 3/14/2000 11:51:42 AM [link
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Monday, March 13, 2000
CNN reports that the Tribune company, owner of the Chicago Tribune, is buying the Times/Mirror company, which owns the LA Times, amongst other properties.
Yet another step in the consolidation of our media. How few distinct voices will be left in just a couple of years?
posted 3/13/2000 01:34:54 PM [link
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The New York Times reports today on an initiative by the FCC to promote the trading and auction of spectrum of all types. (You need a free account to read the article, but it's worth it because free is better than the $1 for the paper edition! You don't have to give them your real personal info, anyway.)
This move is interesting in light of the recent approval of low-power radio by the FCC. Seems like the commission is throwing a big fish to the spectrum industries (broadcasting, wireless comm.) in exchange for a little fish thrown to citizens. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem likely that the opportunity for large broadcast groups to cash in big will deter the NAB from stopping their campaign against low-power radio.
posted 3/13/2000 10:59:36 AM [link
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Friday, March 10, 2000
Matthew Lasar, author of Pacifica Radio, has been placing on his website--the Lasar Letter--transcripts of original "Letter to the Listeners" aired by Pacifica founder Lew Hill during the 1950s.
They make for facinating reading, and provide some nice perspective on Pacifica's current problems. Lasar frequently updates with commentaries and other interesting artifacts, so his site is worth checking out on a regular basis.
posted 3/10/2000 02:34:24 PM [link
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Tuesday, March 07, 2000
Once again John Anderson of the Free/Pirate Radio Page at About.com has the scoop: Doug Brewer, the Tampa "Party Pirate," and owner of L.D. Brewer Radio recently got a double-whammy from the federal gov't. Anderson reports that Brewer had a summary judgement against him in his case against the seizure of his transmitter 2 years ago and also received a fine notice from the FCC for allegedly selling a transmitter capable of more than micropower (part 15) levels.
posted 3/7/2000 04:47:22 PM [link
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Saturday, March 04, 2000
For those who live in East-Central Illinois (home of WEFT): Be aware that our own House Rep. Thomas Ewing has signed on to H.R. 3439, the 'Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act of 1999,' which aims to kill Low-Power FM before it starts. Now is the time to write, call, e-mail or fax Rep. Ewing to encourage him to withdraw his sponsorship of this bill. His son, Sam Ewing, plans to run for his dad's place as the Rep. for Illinois' 15th district, and this fact shouldn't be remember when it comes time to consider him in a primary or the general election..
posted 3/4/2000 03:54:35 PM [link
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Michael Albert has published a nice commentary in Z Magazine on-line entitled "Resolving the Pacifica Crisis." In my opinion, too much needless virtual blood has been shed in the battle over Pacifica, exemplified by the ongoing debate between Saul Landau and Edward Herman. The stakes in this battle are high, and the events going on at the Pacifica national are disturbing, but, as Albert notes, entrenched uncompromising positionalism (that doesn't necessarily coincide with some principle) and backbiting will only destroy the hope of Pacifica, and not reform it.
posted 3/4/2000 03:28:38 PM [link
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I just received a press release from Stephen Dunifer of Free Radio Berkely and IRATE announcing "the Premiere Showings of Documentary Video on Micropower Broadcasting -';Free Radio':
Sunday, March 5th - Berkeley, 7 PM, Unitarian Fellowship (Cedar & Bonita)
This premiere gala, starting at 7 PM, is a fund raiser for Free Radio
Berkeley IRATE (International Radio Action Training Education). A
sliding scale donation of $10-$25 is requested.
Sunday, March 12th - San Francisco, 7 PM, Cell Space (2050 Bryant)
This event, which starts at 7 PM, will feature several guest performers. Proceeds will benefit Free Radio
Berkeley IRATE, Cell Space, and San Francisco Liberation Radio. A
sliding scale donation of $10-$25 is requested."
posted 3/4/2000 01:29:16 PM [link
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Thursday, March 02, 2000
A short article in Upside magazine discusses the prevalence of Linux in 'net radio servers.
An open source platform like Linux may be the best hope for they type of openness on the web that allows users/citizens the opportunity to use the 'net for their own purposes rather than simply be consumers of content streamed at them via some proprietary system. (Note that AM and FM broadcasting are, in effect, open systems, although the FCC controls major changes).
posted 3/2/2000 12:41:26 PM [link
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Wednesday, March 01, 2000
Students Against University Censorship have put up a site protesting the blockage of bandwidth hogging mp3 trading sites, like napster.com, at many major universities (including mine, University of Illinois).
On it's face this appears to be simply a case of bandwidth restriction and copyright--Universities need to preserve their bandwidth for academic purposes and avoid copyright violation liabilities. But is it? Could this be part of a slippery slope towards closing off other sites to students--chat rooms, streaming audio or video, pornography?
posted 3/1/2000 11:05:12 AM [link
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