There are reports from Zimbabwe indicating that the crackdown on independent radio is stepping up. Shortwave station SW Radio Africa reports that police in the town of Rusape went on raids of opposition party supporters looking for shortwave radios (via SWLing post). However a member of parliament said that the police found no radios. According […]
A patent troll has been threatening the future of podcasting. A company called Personal Audio owns a patent that it claims covers podcasting, and has begun contacting prominent podcasters demanding payment for licensing their patent. The patent in question was only issued in 2012, some 7 years after the widely acknowledged invention of podcasting, and […]
Last week police in Zimbabwe banned the use of so-called “specially designed radios” capable of receiving shortwave broadcasts from outside the country, not just FM broadcasts from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Company which is loyal to President Robert Mugabe’s party. According to the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) the law is aimed at hand-cranked and […]
If you’ve ever found yourself scanning the AM dial during a late night road trip on the highways of North America, then you’ve probably encountered one of the radio networks that serves truckers with country music, call-in shows, and information tailored to long-haul professional drivers. They rely on the long-distance capacity of AM to serve […]
The commercial radio business is looking stronger, especially on digital platforms. Terrestrial and digital radio revenue went up in 2012, with 4th quarter revenues surging even more. That’s according to a report from the Radio Advertising Bureau. Revenue from commercial spots inched up 1% for the year overall, but increased 4% in the 4th quarter, […]
If you enjoy a free Spotify account you’re used to listening to the service’s large music catalog from your computer, but not your mobile device. That’s because mobile listening is only available to paid customers, although you can get a 30 day free trial to give you a taste. According to a report by the […]
It’s often treated as a fact that young adults don’t listen to radio and prefer pirate music, but a recent USA TouchPoints survey (via Radio and Internet Newsletter) says that a full 40% of Americans aged 18–24 listen to streaming audio online every week. Older demographics are also tuning in online, with 34% of 25–34 […]
According to the Fifth Report and Order released in March, the FCC has started dismissing backlogged translator station applications based non ational and local caps. In that Order the FCC established caps for the number of applications a single applicant could pursue in a given market, and nationwide, in order to ensure open frequencies are […]
The Daily Camera reports on an unlicensed broadcaster in Boulder, Colorado that was previously little heard of outside of Boulder. Boulder was home to Boulder Free Radio, which was famous in free radio circles for playing a long-running cat-and-mouse game with the Denver FCC office, until being busted for the last time in 2005. It […]
For Super Bowl weekend SiriusXM’s Real Jazz channel 67 is featuring Radio New Orleans with music founded on the roots of jazz from the game’s host city. This special programming was put together in conjunction with community radio WWOZ, which focuses on Jazz and New Orleans heritage music. WWOZ is broadcasting live on Saturday from […]
