Yesterday it was announced that long-time alternative rock station WFNX is selling its Boston-area 101.7 FM frequency to Clear Channel. One of the few independently-owned commercial radio stations, WFNX is currently owned by MCC Broadcasting Company (which is affiliated with the Boston Phoenix aka Phoenix Media/Communications Group). Stephen Mindich, President of MCC announced in a […]
Yesterday, Camden, New Jersey radio station WKDN made a radical change in programming, switching from Family Radio to Hannity@106.9 FM Radio following the the station’s sale to Merlin Media for $22.5 million. Listeners to WKDN in the Philadelphia-area could hear Family Radio’s religious programming transitioning to a loop of the R.E.M. song “It’s the End […]
At Radio Survivor we obsess about radio consolidation every day of the year, but this topic isn’t pervasive across mainstream popular culture. Because of that, I was excited to hear about a new film, Corporate FM, which delves into the “downfall of commercial FM.” The movie premieres tonight at 8:30pm at the Kansas City Film […]
In my free time I like to schedule visits to radio stations in order to get a glimpse into their day-to-day operations. This project started way back in 2008 when I made my first field trip to WECB at Emerson College. Along the way some studios (like KUSF) have sadly been dismantled, others have moved […]
The popular music world suffered two significant tragedies recently, with the untimely death of singer Whitney Houston on Feb. 11, followed by the death of Monkees singer Davy Jones yesterday. In the days before ubiquitous facebook and twitter access, most people probably would have heard the sad news first on their radios, along with tributes […]
A friend send me a link to this edition of Dinosaur Comics where a T-Rex offers his snarky memories of commercial radio: Now go read the whole strip and be prepared to laugh (or cry).
The owner of commercial radio station WKZB in Stonewall, Mississippi is donating the station to Meridian Community College. The “classic hits” station, dubbed 106.9 “The Buzz,” is part of a local network of radio stations in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana owned by Clay Holladay under the auspices of Mississippi Broadcasters, LLC (and branded as “The […]
Time and time again we are reminded of the vital importance of terrestrial radio following a natural disaster. Just this week, six commercial radio stations in Joplin, Missouri have stepped up following the horrific tornado there. As was the case after the recent tornado in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and after the hurricane in Haiti; radio has […]
Back in the olden days radio was owned by the geek crowd, with every science-savvy kid worth her salt crafting a home-made radio out of wires and household objects while sitting at the kitchen table. The earliest radio stations were created and run by physicists and engineers who had the skills to build transmission equipment […]
Big news for broadcasters today, as the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a decision striking down the FCC’s indecency policy. According to the decision, the “FCC’s current policy fails constitutional scrutiny,” in large part because it is too vague and can lead broadcasters to shy away from airing programming, effectively […]
