TheDoctorDementoShow.com Webman Changes Domain (June 1, 2005)

Wayne Ross created the website thedoctordementoshow.com as a resource for sharing episodes of the syndicated radio show to fans worldwide. Unfortunately, although reps for Dr. Demento have forced Wayne to change the name of the website, the website, full of gigabytes of copyrighted music, may run afoul of the RIAA's lawyers if they find out about this website that allows people to download music without paying the music makers for them.

Listeners of the Dr. Demento radio show can get their fill of shows they want to hear again or shows they missed altogher. The site is very popular amongst fans who live in cities where radio stations don't carry his radio show.

Although this website educates people on what kinds of new comedy and novelty music is coming out today, lawyers from the RIAA argue that it's websites like this, as well as P2P file sharing, that's crippling the CD industry, as this website contains thousands of songs by RIAA-represented musicians, composers, lyricists, and publishers, who surely will get flabberghasted when they find out that this website is giving away their music for free. Some independent musicians argue that free downloads help their livelihood by getting exposure to the listeners without going through the major record labels and corporate radio stations that just won't listen to what they have to offer. The big labels hate free download sites because it cuts into their bottom line of CDs full of cookie-cutter pop musicians heard on Clear Channel radio outlets nationwide.

From the website: "By request of "The Dr. Demento Show" radio program and Tolonian (sic) Productions, we have renamed the site the (link removed by request) and have placed restrictions on streaming. You will no longer be able to sequentially stream an entire show. All other features of the site will remain as-is, and new features will be added!"

A visit to one of the episode pages shows that three of the nine segments of the radio show are "not currently available for streaming," as well as being very slow due to the large number of listeners.

A suggestion for Dr. Demento: why not get your own 24-hour Internet radio station and stop shooting yourself in the foot by forcing independent websites to place restrictions on what parts of the shows people can download. This is why your radio show isn't heard in San Diego or Los Angeles because you (being a Libertarian) are basically closed-minded about negotitating with a radio station in terms of how much a station should pay to carry your show, as well as restricting your range of new music selections while local morning radio shows and independent funny music radio stations are playing funny stuff from Blue Collar Comedy Tour, song parodies about popular TV shows people do watch as opposed to cult TV stuff like MST3k that few people care to talk about, playing funny stand-up bits, interesting stuff from homemade musicians using a cheap computer and a CD burner, and giving people other than Weird Al and Whimsical Will an equal chance to sing a comedy song about a given subject.

I, being a Republican, host my own radio show on dfsxradio.com, and I give the musicians a chance to expose their works, whether they come with something original or something based on something another artist did without restrictions. The listeners tell me what works and what doesn't. I don't play a song about constipation by Weird Al and not by Steve Goodie and Bob Ricci because I like Weird Al better. Oh no. I play them all because the other two artists deserve a chance to let their listeners hear what they did with the Avril Lavigne parody. I hardly hear funny songs about sports other than hockey on your radio show. I like to hear funny songs about baseball, football, and surfing. Why not play more of those on your show? I like to watch the comedies. Any funny songs about Arrested Development or Desparate Housewives yet? Maybe a funny song about saving Joan of Arcadia? I'd like to hear them if you got them. I'll play them on my show when I do.

Maybe people (including myself) aren't telling their radio stations to carry your radio show because you won't open your mind (as your Libertarian party stands for) to more ideas and viewpoints on certain subjects. If Roger Hedgecock can let the loony liberals and Libertarians spar with that Republican on his radio show, then you can give more aspiring novelty and comedy singers a chance to make it big. Stop playing Simon Cowell and play some new ideas other than unfunny sci fi stuff from a cable channel I never care to watch or another stupid Dungeons and Dragons song I can't relate to.

If your radio show moves to Sirius, it's unlikely that I'll pony up another $200 for Sirius equipment and $13 a month for your show. For that amount of money, I'll subscribe to Cox Digital TV and watch today's All My Children episodes in prime time without a VCR.

I'm off my soap box (no pun intended) for now.

PS: Thank you for your Demento Socity membership kit for 2005 arriving in my mailbox today. :-)