One of the fun aspects of writing for Radio Survivor as we enter a new decade is that our efforts have become more idiosyncratic. When we first started the site in 2009, I think we sort of envisioned it as a radio news site, but one with a decidedly non-commercial focus. An early motto offered […]
Archive | Op-Ed
Opinions, editorials and fun stuff.
Introducing the Most Important Radio Trends of the Decade 2010 – 2019
This year we celebrated 10 years of Radio Surviving. We ended out our first year of publication in 2009 with a look back at the “Decade’s Most Important Radio Trends.” As the 2nd decade of the 21st century draws to a close, we will now similarly review the last ten years of radio. Some changes […]
Alice’s Restaurant on the 2019 Thanksgiving Radio Menu
Catch Alice’s Restaurant on the 2023 radio dial. See our latest listening guide. In fall, 1967, Arlo Guthrie released “Alice’s Restaurant,” unintentionally launching a Thanksgiving radio tradition that persists more than 50 years later. The Thanksgiving-themed 18+ minute story-song is beloved by folkies and classic rock fans who continue to search the radio dial for […]
No, Vinyl Records Aren’t Outselling CDs – Do the Math
Last month news spread that, “Vinyl Is Poised to Outsell CDs For the First Time Since 1986,” as Rolling Stone reported. The source of that prediction is the recording industry’s own mid-year report, which showed vinyl sales racking up $224.1 million on 8.6 million units in the first half of 2019, creeping up on CD’s […]
Thanks to All Our Supporters!
We wrapped up our first truly focused Patreon campaign last week. Thanks to our many supporters, we more than doubled our base of patrons, bringing us to a grand total of 64. We are elated and humbled that so many readers and listeners joined on to help support our work. (more…)
Don’t Waste Your Money on that Bluetooth Cassette Player Kickstarter
Last week – coincident with the original Walkman’s 40th birthday – I saw all these articles reporting on this supposedly “world’s first” Bluetooth enabled portable Walkman-style cassette player/recorder, named IT’S OK (yes, the brand is in all caps). Reactions to this Kickstarter ranged from snarky to excited, but all the coverage struck me as a […]
Podcast #200 – How We Survived a Decade of Independent Publishing
Radio Survivor celebrates 10 years on the internet and four years podcasting with our 200th episode. Matthew Lasar joins Jennifer Waits, Eric Klein and Paul Riismandel for this review of the last decade in radio that matters. Matthew tells the Radio Survivor origin story that sprang forth from his I.F. Stone inspired research deep into […]
We’re Making a ‘Zine for Our Supporters
We wanted to find a special way to thank the readers and listeners who support us every month via our Patreon campaign. Something unique, hand-made and in the spirit of great college and community radio. Why not make a ‘zine? If you’ve never heard of a ‘zine, it’s an independently produced publication, often photocopied and […]
A Decade of Radio Surviving
Ten years and 16 days ago we opened the doors on this website. On June 11, 2009 Matthew Lasar inaugurated Radio Survivor with this post: “Congress grills FCC, NAB on Low Power FM.” This was still about 18 months before the Local Community Radio Act was signed into law, opening up the most recent wave […]
Three reasons not to edit out the ums
Removing “ums” from an interview is a foundational skill of podcast and radio editing, right up there alongside finding the right place to start the show and boosting the volume when it’s too quiet. But not all “ums” are equal. The um as a stand-in for another word: I’ve heard “ums” in audio used intentionally […]