NPR Grapples with the Prospect of a Post-Radio Future
Mar 14: Christian Science Monitor
National Public Radio hasn't wanted to undercut local stations' fundraising by giving fans another way to hear the programs via the Internet. But that could change, as NPR considers whether to fully embrace "new media" technology.
The Music Industry, Adapting to a Digital Future
Mar 13: National Public Radio
Writer Eliot Van Buskirk of Wired.com joins NPR's Fresh Air to discuss the new, digital landscape of music, and the resulting changes in the music industry. (Audio 26:25)
2008 National Conference for Media Reform Coming to Minneapolis
Mar 12: Free Press
On June 6-8, several thousand activists, journalists, scholars, policymakers and concerned citizens from across the country will gather at the Minneapolis Convention Center for the 2008 National Conference for Media Reform, hosted by Free Press.
Private-Equity Boss Defends Clear Channel Deal to Congress
Mar 11: Dow Jones Newswires
Clear Channel's future path would be "best served" by focusing on fewer radio stations in fewer media markets, the managing director of one of the buy-out firms seeking to acquire the company told Congress.
Media Center's Youth Advisory Council Visits Stanford University's KZSU
Mar 11: Media Center Youth Advisory Council
The Youth Advisory Council is a diverse group of ten high school students, dedicated to learning professional video production and creating meaningful content to transform their community. They recently visited KZSU at Stanford. (Video 34:25)
NPR Chief, in Office Since 2006, Will Depart
Mar 7: New York Times
The board of National Public Radio announced that the chief executive, Ken Stern, 44, was leaving after less than 18 months in the job. The board said the departure was "by mutual agreement."
NPR Leader Out After Board Clash
Mar 7: Washington Post
Ken Stern stepped down as chief executive of NPR following repeated clashes with NPR's board over the direction of the organization and its expansion into new media -- which often riled station managers.
CBS and AOL Combine Online Radio Networks
Mar 7: Reuters
CBS Radio, the nation's No. 2 radio broadcaster, announced that it will combine its more than 150 online radio stations with AOL's more than 200 online stations.
Radiation Therapy
Mar 5: Seven Days
As communications gadgets make the world community more accessible, it's easy to overlook the thriving communities that exist in our own backyards. Burlington, Vermont's new low-power FM station is bringing the community together in unique ways.
Compressed Air: When Local Media Isn't There for the Public
Mar 5: Anniston Star
If local media no longer is local, how does it fulfill one of its most essential roles: informing the community in times of peril? Local radio stations were once essential in times of crisis. Now they're delivery systems for syndicated programming.
Martin: XM-Sirius Review Could Still Be Done By Month's End
Mar 5: Broadcasting & Cable
The FCC's review of the proposed merger of XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio could still be done by the end of March.
Does John McCain Need the Fairness Doctrine?
Mar 4: allvoices.com
After Rush Limbaugh's attacks on Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), shouldn't the Republican contender be allowed to respond to all this at its source? Could it be that McCain needs the Fairness Doctrine?
Millionaire Wants Minority-Owned Satellite Radio Network
Mar 4: ars technica
A coalition of civil rights groups, led by an ambitious black entrepreneur, want the FCC to set conditions for the union that would establish a new, minority-controlled satellite radio broadcaster after XM and Sirius Satellite Radio merge.
Compressed Air: Local Radio News a Dying Art
Mar 4: Anniston Star
The numbers on the AM and FM dials mostly remained unchanged, but radio was never the same after passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Massive consolidation meant companies traded computers for reporters in order to satisfy the bottom line.
Compressed Air: Straining to Hear Democracy Through the Static
Mar 2: Anniston Star
Thanks to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, many communities now have less local news and are served by media interests that are headquartered far away from the cities and towns receiving their signals.
XM and Sirius Extend Merger Deadline by Two Months
Feb 29: Reuters
XM Satellite Radio Holdings and Sirius Satellite Radio have extended by two months a deadline to potentially terminate without penalty Sirius's year-old proposed acquisition of its bigger rival.
Code4Lib 2008: The Internet Archive
Feb 28: Special Libraries Association
Libraries tend to get destroyed by people who don't want them around. Lot's of copies keep stuff safe, and librarians and archivists are working to safeguard the information housed on the Internet and other media for future users.
Sirius Says It Could Do Without XM
Feb 27: Washington Post
Sirius Satellite Radio said that it gained subscribers in the fourth quarter and lost less money, signs that its business is improving even as the company's merger with XM Satellite Radio remains stuck in a regulatory limbo.
Group Asks Court to Overturn Media Ownership Rules
Feb 27: Radio Ink
Media Access Project has filed a petition on behalf of Prometheus Radio Project asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to throw out the FCC's changes to its media ownership rules allowing for newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership.
FCC Promotes Diversity; Its Methods May Be Dated
Feb 26: National Public Radio
The FCC is encouraging more diverse content on the airwaves, minority ownership of commercial broadcast outlets and requirements for locally oriented programming. But are most of their ideas outmoded concepts for today's wired world? (Audio 7:37)
Minority Advocates Push Multilingual Emergency Alert System
Feb 25: Broadcasting & Cable
Arguing that "tens of millions of Americans are not fluent in English," minority advocates are pushing for a multilingual version of the FCC's Emergency Alert System.
Chicago May Get in Tune with Low-Power FM
Feb 24: Chicago Tribune
If you ever wished there were radio stations playing locally produced music or musical genres you rarely hear on commercial radio, one that broadcasts your neighborhood's stories, low-power FM radio may be the answer.
Radio Free Nashville: Low Power for the People
Feb 21: Spoke Films
Offering a wealth of political views, diverse music, and community news, WRFN-LPFM makes a strong case for both the continued relevance of radio in the digital age and for media reform at the national level. (Video 7:01)
Air America Is Changing Ownership
Feb 21: Huffington Post
Progressive radio network Air America is switching ownership. Charlie Kireker, a former political official and creator of Pendulum Media, will succeed Stephen L. Green. Mark Green will remain as Air America's president.
Is the Spectrum Just Too Complex for Reporters?
Feb 21: Nieman Watchdog
The electromagnetic spectrum is incredibly valuable, but its parts are auctioned off cheaply or given away by the government to a few knowledgeable people who then make fortunes. And the story is just about never reported.
The Demise of Hyphy
Feb 20: SF Weekly
A closer look into the absence of hyphy movement from the Bay Area's airwaves found that while local artists bear a degree of responsibility for the decline of the homegrown art form, KMEL-FM -- the top urban radio station -- is far from blameless.
Nonprofit Group Urges Department of Justice to Block XM-Sirius Merger
Feb 19: Broadcasting & Cable
A nonprofit group recommended that the Department of Justice file suit against the proposed XM Satellite Radio-Sirius Satellite Radio merger. The DOJ is currently considering whether or not to approve the deal.
A Wary Eye on Private Media
Feb 17: Chicago Tribune
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps sees a need to scrutinize the growing influence of private equity firms and hedge funds in broadcasting. He's called for an inquiry into the impact of private equity on the FCC's ability to oversee the public airwaves.
Is PBS Still Necessary?
Feb 17: New York Times
Every year, it gets a little harder to muster the necessary outrage against proposed budget cuts to public broadcasting, and now and then a heretical thought presents itself: What if the glory days of public television are past recapturing?
FCC Plan to Let AM Stations Use FM at Night Controversial
Feb 16: ars technica
Several media reform groups are questioning an FCC proposal to allow AM radio stations to duplicate their programming on FM translators. The groups are concerned about the plan's impact on communities that hope to build Low Power FM stations.