In a serendipitous coincidence, new low power FM (LPFM) community radio station WPPM-LP had its launch party while I was in Philadelphia for the College Broadcasters Inc. convention last October. Not one to miss a historic radio event, I sneaked away from the conference in order to attend the festivities on October 20, 2016. Excitement […]
Tag Archives | Community Radio
Podcast #92 – Conspiracy Theory & Community Radio
Mae Brussell hosted radio shows focused on the JFK Assassination, fascism and other conspiracies on community radio stations KLRB an KAZU in the 1970s and 1980s. Brussell’s brand of broadcasting represents a strain of community radio show thatcontinues to be found, often to the chagrin of program directors and boards of directors. Matthew Lasar joins […]
Podcast #88 – From Color Bar Radio to WRIR
WRIR is a community radio station born from the first wave of low-power FM in the early 2000s. Yet the station has roots in the rich history of independent media in Richmond, VA. Intrepid radio tourist Jennifer Waits shares her tour of the station, uncovering obscure cable radio history along with some unexpected facts about […]
MacBird! live at KPFK, 1967, and perchance the only online performance?
I teach a course at UC Santa Cruz on conspiracies and conspiracy theories, and I’ve been rummaging around for a digital performance of MacBird! for quite some time. As far as I can tell, the only online rendition of the show can be found on the Internet Archive. It is an air check via KPFK-FM […]
Radio Station Visit #129 – WTJU at University of Virginia
WTJU was the impetus for my trip to Virginia last month, as the University of Virginia-based radio station invited me to speak at its College Radio: Then, Now and Next symposium on St. Patrick’s Day. I’d long known about the station and it was actually my 17th (and final) stop on my Spinning Indie 50 […]
New online community radio from India: boxout.fm
Alas, I made it a day late for the inaugural launch-party broadcasts. But I have signed myself up for boxout.fm’s impending new online community radio service. India Today has an interview with the founders. “Initially,” says one of the progenitors: ” . . . we will start off with 4-6 hours of daily live shows hosted by […]
Northwest Community Media Gathers in Portland this Weekend
This weekend the Alliance for Community Media’s Northwest Chapter will hold its conference on March 31 and April 1 in Portland, OR, hosted by Open Signal community media. Although ACM has historically represented public access, educational and government cable television channels (so-called PEG channels), this event also invites community radio folks to participate. This cross-medium […]
Radio Station Visit #124 – Community Radio Station WRIR-LP in Richmond, Virginia
A little over a week ago, I got back from a radio-filled trip to Virginia, which included a stay in Charlottesville for the College Radio: Then, Now, and Next symposium and visits to nine radio stations throughout the state. Before heading to the airport, I trekked to a couple of radio stations, starting off with […]
Podcast #85 – Dreaming of a Better CPB
The president’s proposed budget would eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting by 2018. Radio Survivor’s own Matthew Lasar joins to help us put this attack on public broadcasting in historical perspective. He analyzes the inherent weakness in the design of the CPB and proposes ways in which the system could be both stronger […]
How To Improve Your LPFM, Community & College Radio Reception
One of our Patreon supporters dropped us a line to ask if we’d take up the question of how to improve reception of low-powered stations. It’s a challenge most radio lovers have faced, not quite being able to tune in your favorite college or community station, especially inside a house or office, even when that […]