Few topics create as much anxiety at college and community radio stations – not to mention many a commercial radio morning show – than broadcast indecency. Since the dawn of broadcast regulation in the US there have been legal restrictions on the kind of speech that may be broadcast on the public airwaves, with a […]
When Tipper Gore and the PMRC called rock and rap stars to testify in front of Congress about explicit lyrics, did this affect college radio? How could it not? Prof. Kate Jewell is examining the relationship between college stations and the culture wars as part of a new book project. Jewell is Associate Professor of […]
College radio correspondent Jennifer Waits shares her 99th radio station tour. This time, her guide at Hunter College’s WHCS was prepared with historical artifacts for Jennifer’s perusal. Then Eric and Paul dive into more adult territory, as they dig up the so-called “lost episode.” Six months ago Eric interviewed three podcasters with shows that probably […]
Since the FCC passed its new Open Internet rules, reclassifying internet service as a telecommunications utility, I’ve fielded some questions–occasionally hushed, others less so–about if there might be another edge to this sword. Concerns seem to be sparked by the Commission’s recent decision to throw the book at a Roanoke, VA television station for the […]
Over the last few days we’ve been tweeting and pondering the “dirtiest song on the radio” question. The conundrum has been reprompted by a Wall Street Journal post on the history of Aerosmith’s song “Walk This Way,” titled “The Dirtiest Song on the Radio” (it was christened this by David Johansen of the New York […]
We’re nearly a full work-week into the government shutdown, and there have been many questions about what the effect will be on radio braodcasters. I covered this topic in this past week’s Radio Survivor Bulletin email newsletter. What follows is an updated version of that piece. To make sure you receive exclusive news and content […]
The Federal Communications Commission’s website is mostly down for the duration of the Federal government funding outage. Looks like the whole application filing system is temporarily kaput, which is probably bad news for the impending Low Power FM window, but we’ll have to see how long this crisis lasts. In the meantime, we are noticing […]
In reply comments submitted to the FCC, College Broadcasters Inc. (CBI) argues for a softer stance on the broadcast of indecent material. In its filing (PDF), CBI asks the FCC to cease enforcement of its fleeting expletives policy. CBI writes, “The enforcement of a ‘fleeting expletive’ policy is resource intensive, constitutionally suspect, creates a chilling […]
Here is an excerpt from Boston NPR News Station WBUR, responding to the Federal Communications Commission’s request for feedback on its indecency rules. The station supports NPR’s position that the rules should be enforced only in “egregious” cases”: “Sometimes WBUR’s service to the community produces potential indecency violations under the Commission’s current ‘zero tolerance’ approach. […]
Today the FCC released a letter announcing that it would honor College Broadcasters Inc.‘s (CBI) request to allow more time for the public to file comments regarding the broadcast indecency policy proceeding. According to the July 12 public notice (PDF): “On July 1, 2013, College Broadcasters, Inc. (CBI) filed a request to extend the deadline […]
