Midwestern reporters are talking about a “broadcasting craze” in Wisconsin, as five Low Power FM radio stations take hold across the state. These stations broadcast or will broadcast to communities 30 to 80 miles west of Milwaukee. They’re all around 20 to 40 miles apart from each other in a 40 mile area. The latest […]
Tag Archives | Community Radio
Alternative to What? Finding a Better Definition for Community Radio
We’re always interested in hearing from our readers and recently received an email from Myke Atkinson, the Station Manager of University of Calgary-based community radio station CJSW-FM in Calgary, Canada. He had written a piece about community radio for the National Campus/Community Radio Association’s email list and thought that it would be of interest to […]
Can community radio counter the influence of Maoist rebels in India?
The Hindu newspaper wants to know why community radio isn’t being more widely deployed in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. “. . . the state continues to overlook and under-utilise the radio in countering Maoist influence,” an opinion piece notes. “Oddly enough, this so in a region populated by numerous tribal languages that possess rich oral […]
RIP Don Joyce: Negativland Member, Artist, KPFA DJ
I was sad to hear that radio DJ/Negativland member Don Joyce passed away yesterday. As a fan of freeform radio, sound collage, and experimental sounds, I’m awed by the longevity of Joyce’s KPFA radio show “Over the Edge,” which has been on the air since 1981. Thanks to Joyce’s friend and Negativland co-conspirator Peter Conheim […]
Radio Survivor Podcast #7: The FCC’s Legacy of Failure with Media Ownership Policy
On this episode Dr. Christopher Terry from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee tells us how the FCC has fumbled its updates of media ownership regulation for a dozen years, and why that’s important. We also learn why community radio and independent musicians should care that NPR has left the MIC coalition, a lobbying group targeting music […]
A Middle Ground Between Unlicensed Micropower & LPFM?
Michael Gaines contacted us after doing some research about the potential for very low power FM radio–something under 100 watts, but higher than the milliwatts permissible for unlicensed Part 15 transmissions. After an email exchange on the topic–which revealed we both worked at the same college radio station in New Jersey–I encouraged Michael to share […]
LPFM News: First New Construction Permits of July Issued
The first low-power FM construction permits of the month were issued in the last week–three of them, to be precise. Two are in Florida, and one in California. That brings the grand total to 1,871 LPFM applications approved from the 2013 licensing window. One grantee had its request to cancel its construction permit finalized by […]
Report: NPR costs not “primary contributor” to KUSP financial woes
A report from a committee of advisers to struggling community radio station KUSP in Santa Cruz, California, offers an updated overview of the signal’s financial situation. “There has been a focus in the public discussions on the NPR cost, with the mistaken assumption that the cost of NPR programs was the primary contributor to the […]
LPFM Watch: LPFMs up 12% in Q2 of 2015; KZAP Returns as LPFM
No new low-power FM construction permits were issued this past week, which, of course, had a holiday weekend probably slowing down the works. However, the FCC did release its quarterly count of broadcast stations in the US. Not surprisingly–especially if you keep up with LPFM Watch–the radio service with the biggest increase in the second […]
Zambia to community radio: you are on your own
When it comes to funding community radio stations, Zambia’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services can only offer some friendly advice: good luck with all that. “Let me make it very clear that it will not be possible for Government to fund community radio stations,” the Zambia Daily Mail quotes Chishimba Kambwili as saying. “Already we […]