It’s 2015, and that means Howard Stern’s SiriusXM five-year contract is up for renewal again. Last time around, in 2010, Stern milked the protracted “will he or won’t he” drama nearly right up to the end, finally signing on at the beginning of December. Back then the biggest rumor swirling around was that Apple had […]
Author Archive | Paul Riismandel
Digital Watch: Broadcasters Are Losing Young Listeners Online
As if it wasn’t already obvious, online audio of all types is growing by leaps and bounds. In fact, 44% of all Americans over age 12 listen every week. It’s most popular with young people, though also quickly gaining traction with everyone under age 55. This is according to the the 2015 edition of their […]
Why Rush Limbaugh Is Dragging Down AM Talk Radio
Talk radio veteran Darryl Parks is a harsh critic of how the format continues to lose touch with most of the radio audience who aren’t white male baby boomers. In a new post this week he takes aim at Rush Limbaugh, describing the leading conservative talk host’s “fall into oblivion.” Parks notes that Limbaugh’s program […]
Digital Watch: In Search of High Fidelity Internet Radio
After writing last week about how some listeners were upset about changes to the BBC 3 high quality/bitrate stream my curiosity was piqued about higher fidelity internet radio stations. So I set about finding stations that highlight sound quality by offering higher bitrate streams. First, it’s important to define terms. For the purpose of this […]
The ‘Destination DIY’ Podcast Is Now ‘Rendered’
Portland-based podcaster Julie Sabatier has been producing the Destination DIY podcast for going on five years. The show highlights people and groups who are doing all sorts of things themselves, from making music to butchering meat. I first talked with Sabatier in November 2013, when she was conducting a crowdfunding campaign to cover monthly production […]
LPFM News: Group of 13 Apps from OR dismissed, Name Fight in Woodstock
Sixteen groups joined the ranks of those with low-power FM construction permits in the last week, bringing the grand total up to 1730 new stations going on the air. There were twenty-two applications dismissed in the same period. Fourteen of those dismissals come from groups in rural Oregon and the city of Bend that all […]
The FCC Passes Network Neutrality, Kills Internet “Fast-Lanes”
In a party-line three-to-two vote, today the FCC passed open internet rules that reclassifies internet service as a public utility. Here are some key provisions of the Open Internet Order that are of particular interest to consumers and internet broadcasters. It’s important to note that these provisions apply equally to mobile broadband–3G, 4G and LTE–as […]
Digital Watch: Net Neutrality Ready for Vote, Slate Debuts Podcast Network, BBC Upsets Internet Listeners
The most significant digital radio news this week is the FCC’s vote on Open Internet rules happening at Thursday’s open meeting. The proceedings begin at 10:30 AM EST, and will be streamed live. I posted an overview on Tuesday, and things haven’t changed much since then. The House Communications and Technology Subcommittee held a hearing […]
FCC Enforcement Against Pirate Radio Lowest Since 2005
FCC actions against unlicensed broadcasters hit their lowest point since 2005 last year. That’s according to John Anderson at DIYMedia.net. He’s been tracking enforcement actions against pirate radio since 1997. FCC Actions include station visits by Enforcement Bureau field agents, as well as more mundane things, like Notices of Unauthorized Operation, which are essentially letters […]
FCC Votes on Future of Internet & Internet Radio on Thursday
On Thursday the FCC will vote on the future of the internet in the US, which also includes the future of internet radio in all its forms. The five commissioners will weigh in on Chairman Tom Wheeler’s Open Internet proposal at the Commission’s February open meeting. Yet, although Chairman Wheeler has released overviews and details, […]