The 2020s will be heaven for radio anniversary history buffs
Get ready for a decade of “100 years ago today” stories about the first this that and the other thing, radio-wise.
Understanding Radio in the Popular Zeitgeist – An Analysis of Radio Survivor’s Most Popular Posts of the Decade 2010 – 2019
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 […]
Podcast #226 – Irish Pirate Radio Encore
Here at the close of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 we’re celebrating the 31st anniversary of the end of one of the most fascinating periods in radio broadcast history, when pirate radio ruled the Irish airwaves. We enjoyed this interview – recorded at the beginning of 2019 – and we think you will, too. […]
Podcast #225 – A Review of 2019 in Radio
Matthew Lasar starts off this episode by declaring that this was the year that his undergraduate students stopped listening to broadcast AM/FM radio. Then he admits, he’s nearly stopped, too. Find out why in this lively rundown of what was significant to radio in 2019. On the other hand, our resident college radio expert Jennifer […]
College Radio Watch: 2019 College Radio Year in Review
As we approach the end of 2019, it’s time for my semi-annual reflection on the year in college radio. As is often the case, the stories picked up most by the popular press focus on big news (like station launches, license sales, and budget crises), major milestones (like significant anniversaries), and quirky or feel-good stories […]
Podcast #224: How the FCC Could Support Diversity, Localism & Competition in Radio & TV
All nine judges on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently denied the FCC’s request for a rehearing on its many-times rejected media ownership rules. Prof. Christopher Terry calls this the Commission’s “Legacy of Failure.” But it begs the question, what does success look like? Prof. Terry, who teaches media law at the University of […]
The Near-Death of Independent Internet Radio Is One of the Most Important Radio Trends of the Decade
Internet radio experienced a sea change in the middle of the last decade that washed away many independent broadcasters, and changed the atmosphere for others. While the medium continues to sail on, it is also more fractured – and more diverse – than ten years ago. That’s why this evolution is one of the decade’s […]
College Radio Watch: WDUB to Sell FM License and More News
On Wednesday, December 11, 2019, Denison University in Granville, Ohio, filed paperwork with the FCC for a proposed assignment of the FM license for its student-run radio station WDUB-FM (aka The Doobie). The sale price is a paltry $5,000 being paid by Ohio State University (WOSU Public Media). Additionally, Denison will be granted underwriting announcements […]
Podcast #223: Will CMJ Return, Will AM Go Digital and Will FrankenFMs Disappear? Plus Other Big Questions
The Federal Communications Commission is all about radio at the end of 2019, and we catch you up on what you need to know. We all have questions about the possibility of AM stations going all-digital, including the FCC. The regulatory body released the things it wants to know about how digital stations would work, […]
The Rise and Possible Fall of FrankenFMs Is One of the Most Important Radio Trends of the Decade
In a few dozen markets around the country there is a rare species of FM station that is only heard on the far left end of the dial. Because of the unusual spot on the dial, and sometimes unusual programming, some listeners may think they’ve tuned in a pirate. But these stations are legal, if […]