As I publish this piece Wednesday evening it is increasingly likely there will be military attacks on Syria by the US, Britain and allies in response to evidence that the Syrian government carried out chemical weapons attacks on its own citizens. It is certainly a tense situation, and for the people of Syria the situation […]
While it can be a strong force for information freedom, events in the Middle East over the last four years have also demonstrated how easily a repressive regime can shut down the internet inside its borders and choke off news that the government wishes to suppress. When this happens radio can be ready to step […]
Here’s your Monday round-up of stories we collected over the weekend. Radio Free Asia reports that the Cambodian government is banning the broadcast of foreign radio programs on local stations. Prime Minister Hun sen says the move is to keep foreigners from campaigning for candidates. The US Government lodged a protest with Cambodian authorities. (via […]
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 […]
As most radio enthusiasts have probably already heard, veteran talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger appeared on the Larry King Live program Tuesday night and announced that she would leave her show at the end of the contract. Schlessinger made the decision in response to growing flack over her repeated use of the so-called “n-word” […]
There are growing concerns about the control that militant groups are wielding over citizens and media outlets after music was banned from Somali radio on Tuesday and school bells were outlawed from a Somali town on Thursday. Today’s New York Times reports that, “Insurgent groups in Somalia have increasingly alienated the population by imposing a […]
I love reading stories about radio and every time I run across a college radio mention in a book, my interest in piqued. In the months to come I’m going to work on compiling a list of college radio “must reads,” from the academic to the autobiographic. My first pick: Kill the Music. Kill the […]
