Month: March 2000

Media Consolidation in Champaign-Urbana: Today’s print edition of the News-Gazzette reports that Saga Communcations, owner of WLRW (94.5 FM) and WIXY (100.3 FM) has bought WKIO (Oldies 92). Other reports put the price tag at $7 million. This brings the total number of commercial FM station owners in C-U to 3: 1. Saga 2. AAA…

Recent posts to the message board at the Downstate Illinois Radio Watch mention what appears to be an unlicensed station operating in Peoria. Now if only someone would cobble together a micropower station in Champaign-Urbana, which, with its density and student population is ripe for such a thing. Too bad all my free time goes…

Just found a nice resource site for micro/low-power radio: Rogue Radio Research. Lots of pamphlets, how-tos and other fine info. You could spend quite a bit of time there reading up.

Chalk up another one for consolidation. The New York Times reports today that Viacom, owner of CBS, has negotiated to buy UPN, making it the owner of 2 (out of 6) commercial broadcast TV networks. Viacom has yet to receive FCC approval, since the commission usually frowns on one company owning more than one network,…

WEFT recieved this statement from the Chief Union Steward of UE Local 1421 at Pacifica station KPFK regarding the recent freelance stringer strike against Pacifica Network News.

Adbusters is running a campaign for TV Turn-off week, April 22-28. They’ve been trying to get their own ads for this campaign run on network TV and are consistently refused by all but CNN. They’re asking for folks to try to get their commercials run on local TV or public access, and to post their…

CNN reports that the Tribune company, owner of the Chicago Tribune, is buying the Times/Mirror company, which owns the LA Times, amongst other properties. Yet another step in the consolidation of our media. How few distinct voices will be left in just a couple of years?

The New York Times reports today on an initiative by the FCC to promote the trading and auction of spectrum of all types. (You need a free account to read the article, but it’s worth it because free is better than the $1 for the paper edition! You don’t have to give them your real…

Matthew Lasar, author of Pacifica Radio, has been placing on his website–the Lasar Letter–transcripts of original “Letter to the Listeners” aired by Pacifica founder Lew Hill during the 1950s. They make for facinating reading, and provide some nice perspective on Pacifica’s current problems. Lasar frequently updates with commentaries and other interesting artifacts, so his site…

Once again John Anderson of the Free/Pirate Radio Page at About.com has the scoop: Doug Brewer, the Tampa “Party Pirate,” and owner of L.D. Brewer Radio recently got a double-whammy from the federal gov’t. Anderson reports that Brewer had a summary judgement against him in his case against the seizure of his transmitter 2 years…