Author: Paul
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New, Improved Minidisc Software
SonicStage is the software that Sony provides for downloading and uploading audio from its Hi-MD minidisc recorders (and just download to its MDLP recorders). SonicStage has been much maligned for being clunky, slow, and for the digital rights management which limited how many times an MP3 could be downloaded to minidiscs and how many times…
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Another FCC Hit in San Diego
Just two weeks after Free Radio San Diego was busted, Jake alerts me that the FCC just sent a warning letter to the operators of 106.9 FM in San Diego, which rebroadcasts the internet station Radioactive San Diego, where Jake does his Lying Media Bastards program. According to SD IMC, the letter delivered yesterday demands…
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New FCC Commissioners Soon, or Wishful Thinking?
Any deregulatory initiative at the FCC is effectively blocked up right now because the Republicans do not enjoy their typical majority under a Republican executive because a new commissioner has not yet been appointed to replace former chair Michael Powell. A new commissioner also needs to replace Kathleen Abernathy, whose term has expired but may…
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Make Your Own Audio Cables and Save $$$
It’s not that hard and you can make ones that rival the $30 ones at your big box electronic store. I have to admit that I don’t do it so much, but being reminded of the basic steps gives me inspiration to quit paying $10 a pop everytime I need new A/V cables (which is…
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FCC Approves Calvary Chapel LPFMs
This one totally flew under my radar: apparently two weeks ago the FCC ruled that fourteen Calvary Chapel churches could get low-power FM licenses. Last year the FCC held thirty applications from Calvary Chapel churches because they essentially submitted cookie cutter applications. The FCC Audio Bureau Chief Peter Doyle wrote that, there is nothing in…
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Easy Web Video Publishing
Steev points out two good open source web applications–Broadcast Machine and Osprey–for easily uploading and sharing video, either by downloading directly from a server or with BitTorrent. I’m interested in this not just because of its obvious use for independent media, but also because I’m trying to set up a video portal at work, so…
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It’s Not About Choice Alone, but How Many Choices; or, Is There Truth in Legislation Naming?
Media Access Project’s Howard Feld give us his assessment of the so-called “Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act” recently introduced into Congress: I’ve just read through the “Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act” (72-page pdf available here) introduced by Senator Ensign (R-NV) (and co-sponsored by Senator McCain, to my intense disappointment). In the name of…
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Don’t Be Cowed By Romanticized History
I’ve often heard activists and independent media makers express a sense of inadequacy or longing for a time or place other than now and here, stemming from the belief that it was better then or is better elsewhere. I addressed that sense of geographical inadequacy in a piece called “The Sense of Place” in mediageek…
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Payola Investigation Could Be Leverage for Action on Consolidation, but It Will Take a Lot of Force
According to Broadcasting and Cable (sorry, no free story beyond the summary), Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold connected the dots between radio payola, as being investigated by the NY attorney general. Of course, he’s suggesting legislation, perhaps similar to the “Competition in Radio and Concert Industries Act,” he introduced in 2003. Similar to the media reform…
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Radioshow News Headlines from July 22:
These are the news headlines as read on the July 22 edition of the mediageek radioshow: Rep. Hinchey Introduces Sweeping Media Reform Bill; Hinchey also goes to bat for wi-fi.