On Friday, the FCC released a Memorandum Opinion and Order, which may bring a resolution to the lengthy and contentious competition for a new low power FM (LPFM) channel in San Francisco at 102.5 FM. This paves the way for a potential time-share between the two remaining applicants: San Francisco Community Radio and San Francisco […]
Archive | Community Radio
Radio Station Field Trip #103 – Touring Takoma Radio as it nears its LPFM Launch
It’s been particularly exciting for me to visit some of the new low power FM (LPFM) community radio stations that are in development thanks to the Local Community Radio Act. After an all-day field trip from Washington, D.C. to Culpeper, Virginia (to see the Library of Congress’ Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center), […]
Nearly 50k sign petition to protect Australian community radio
On Saturday July 2 Australia will hold national elections for all 226 members of its Parliament. Supporters of community radio across the country are taking advantage of this attention to demand the restoration of $1.4 million in cuts to the service. Almost 49,000 Australians have added their names to a #keepcommunityradio petition page. The petition reads in […]
10 Weird Things Spotted by a Kid during Radio Station Tours
I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting on my radio station tours as I prepare for my 100th tour report this week. During that process, I asked my daughter if she could list off for me some of the interesting and/or weird things that she’s seen when accompanying me on radio station tours. She’s […]
Community Radio Pays Off with Collective Effort for the Greater Good
Editor’s Note: In last week’s edition of our free email newsletter, the Radio Survivor Bulletin, I asked readers to share what keeps them motivated and excited to create great radio, even when burnout begins creeping in. Rachel Duchak responded and directed me to this short essay she wrote for her website, Central Coast Foodie. It’s […]
City of Boston wants feedback from residents on new Low Power FM station
There’s something to be said for a city acquiring a Low Power FM radio signal. Take Boston, for example, which snagged an LPFM license from the Federal Communications Commission in 2015 and has given the task of running the shebang to the Boston Neighborhood Network. To get things started, the municipality is holding no less […]
Friendships Forged in Community Radio
This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 14th annual Filmed by Bike Festival here in Portland. As an avid cyclist and enthusiast of independent, grassroots filmmaking, it’s pleasure to take it in. But it also so happens that founder and festival director Ayleen Crotty is an old friend whom I first met […]
KUSP falls short of marathon goal, will continue programming through May 7
Beleaguered public/community radio station KUSP-FM of Santa Cruz, California has concluded its “Mayday” fund drive. Unfortunately the operation only raised around a third of the money it needs to keep going over the coming six months. Here’s the bottom line from KUSP’s latest blog post: “We cannot afford our regular broadcast and still tend to the financial obligations that are […]
LPFM Watch: Win-Win Resolutions in Massive Los Angeles MX Group
Los Angeles has been the site of the biggest group of applicants in the country battling it out for a single low-power FM frequency. A partial resolution of this competition has been reached, thanks to the efforts of the LPFM advocacy group Common Frequency and the cooperation of existing stations. As a result many more […]
The joys and perils of outback mining town community radio
Australia’s ABC News service has an nice profile of Moranbah community radio, an outback Queensland station that broadcasts to the mining town of that name. Interestingly, the general manager of station 4RFM called deejaying at the signal a great cure for the blues. “It can change your perspective,” Kayreen Burgum told ABC. ” . . […]