The recent earthquakes in Chile and Haiti are a strong reminder about the importance of radio as a communications tool, especially in times of disaster. Haitian radio stations have served to help with rescue efforts and shortwave radio operators in Chile were also instrumental in transmitting tsunami updates and emergency communications. Along these lines, the […]
Amazon.com Widgets The sad news that seminal musician and producer Alex Chilton died started spilling out over the Internet on St. Patrick’s Day evening, just as SXSW was getting started in Austin. Chilton’s band Big Star was scheduled to play at the festival on Saturday, at a much-anticipated show (which will now be a tribute/memorial […]
Well, the geeks are getting ready to flee Austin to make way for all of the radio folks streaming in for the music portion of this massive festival of technology, music and film that is South by Southwest (SXSW). As in years past, radio stations have both a visible and audible presence; hosting shows, doing […]
Last week’s Intercollegiate Broadcasting System conference (IBS for short) kicked off the music and radio convention season and there appears to be no end in sight for broadcasters and music lovers over the course of the next few weeks. If you’re hoping to immerse yourself in music, bond with broadcasters, or geek out about the […]
Amazon.com Widgets In light of the 70th anniversary of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System’s (IBS) annual conference last weekend, it’s a good time to reflect on the college radio pioneers who rarely get mentioned in radio history discussions. My fascination with the early days of college radio began when I started diving into the history of […]
It seems that most folks have short-term memory when it comes to college radio, as there’s much nostalgia for the supposed college radio “heyday” in the 1980s. Many would be surprised (and even shocked) to know that student radio has a tradition going back for more than 70 years. In fact, some of the earliest […]
A study released this week from the Pew Internet and American Life Project reveals some interesting tidbits about how people in the United States are increasingly turning to the Internet as a major source for news. However, the report, “Understanding the Participatory News Consumer” (PDF) also highlights the fact that people continue to seek information […]
Radio gets a bum rap in pretty much every arena that you could imagine: from pop culture, to literature, to news coverage. Academia is no exception, so radio scholars have had to organize and remind their colleagues that radio is worth studying. With that in mind, I wanted to share with you a few resources […]
I am a college and community radio loyalist and these days I never listen to commercial radio unless someone else has put it on and I have no way to control the radio (during cab rides, in doctor’s office waiting rooms, and perhaps via cheesy hold button music, etc.). Since coming up with a list […]
It was some pretty exciting news from the FCC on Tuesday, when they announced the list of 59 organizations who won the non-commercial educational radio license lottery. Although I was thrilled for some of the winners, as a college radio observer, I was saddened and surprised to see that very few colleges or educational institutions […]
