Spies still using radio
Numbers stations have been part of radio lore for decades. If you’ve ever listened to much shortwave radio at some point you would have come across an unidentified station broadcasting only a person reading off numbers, like an endless lotto feed: “21 99 36….” Sometimes this is in English, and often in Spanish or other […]
Hey NPR: bring back the word "reactionary"
National Public Radio’s ombudsman Alicia Shephard pondered an interesting conundrum this week. What do you do when you are covering elections in a state like Utah, where just about everybody can be classified as a “conservative”? How do you grade the distinctions in conservatism? The network’s Howard Berkes decided to roll out the term “ultra-conservative” […]
Christian Radio Station Quells Violence after Mehserle Verdict
Although I still haven’t sleuthed out the origins of “Oscar Grant Radio,” the mobile radio station that offered up a voice for citizens on the streets of Oakland following the Johannes Mehserle verdict on Thursday, today I learned about another station that was live on the street in order to both discourage violence and offer […]
Oscar Grant Radio on the Streets of Oakland
After the verdict was read yesterday in the trial of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle in the shooting death of Oscar Grant, there was a great deal of media coverage about local reactions in the San Francisco Bay Area. Most interesting to me was a brief glimpse of a mobile radio station in Oakland […]
FCCFREE RADIO: Pirates No More
Lately there’s been a lot of buzz about the comings and goings of pirate radio stations, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area. New station Radio Valencia is about to begin broadcasting any day now in San Francisco and pirate radio stalwart Freak Radio Santa Cruz is continuing in its mission, while looking for a […]
Is radio really the next killer app for smartphones?
It’s the rumor that won’t die. Last November the blogosphere was alive with reports that iPhones have a latent FM radio built-in, just waiting to be turned on by Apple. However, the new iPhone 4 is on the streets and there’s still no sign of that radio-in-waiting. Now AppleInsider reports on a patent application from […]
College Station KVTI Hands Control over to Public Radio Group
Why do I always feel like I’m the bearer of bad news about college radio? In another sad sign of the times, Clover Park Technical College in Tacoma, Washington has decided to cut costs by passing along control of its 51,000 watt college radio station KVTI to Washington State University’s Northwest Public Radio. As a […]
The Storm Brewing at University of Virginia radio station WTJU: Crisis or Opportunity?
University of Virginia radio station WTJU was at the center of much buzz and heated online debate last week, as staff and listeners reacted to news about proposed changes to both the station’s format and volunteer involvement. Concerned and frustrated DJs turned to the Internet, with one penning a blog post called, “WTJU is Facing […]
![Freak Radio Studio [image courtesy DIYmedia/flickr]](https://www.radiosurvivor.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/213634017_eacc013ca2_m.jpg "Freak Radio Santa Cruz's transmitter looking for a new home")
Democratized Pacifica radio has spent over $2.4 million on its boards
Since democratizing itself, I estimate that Pacifica radio has spent $2,424,662 on its complex governance system and board elections. Where the heck did that money go?