Letter: HD Radio Marketing (July 4, 2008)

I agree with you 100% jmanforever on HD radio, especially on AM.

Take KNX 1070, they run HD 24 hours a day and splatter on 1060 and 1080, wiping out those frequencies for hundreds of miles from Los Angeles. If you are in the LA area, they even interfere with the mighty 1090 sports radio out of San Diego/Tijuana.

I Asked This Question (July 3, 2008)

Answer from J Man Forever: No; ...they made no sound. They just polluted the s#@% out of the electromagnetic spectrum for no useful reason... but somebody got paid.

What's the point of "HD" radio? It is certainly NOT "High Definition" as they would lead you to believe. It's not even better programming, because it is the same over-processed crap they have always played in "Analog"... even on the "HD-2" channels... but someone is getting paid.

HD on the AM band is totally destroying the small local stations by jamming them out with side channel static. HD shouldn't even be allowed an AM... but it is, because somebody got paid.

It's all about the iBiquity corporation making huge profits at the expense of the American people. It's about doing away with "free radio", and eventually making everything "pay for play", with targeted advertising. Somebody got paid, and it sure wasn't me.

DEATH to HD radio!!!

The Wires (July 3, 2008)

Rush inks "long-term" contract. Rush Limbaugh will remain at Premiere Radio Networks "deep" into the next decade under a just-announced deal. Limbaugh says "This is exactly where I want to be, doing what I was born to do." Premiere president Charlie Rahilly says advertiser and affiliate demand is at an all-time high. The "Rush Limbaugh Show" will reach a milestone in August when it celebrates its 20th anniversary as America's most-listened-to radio program. Limbaugh's show reaches nearly 20 million people a week across 600 affiliates

Loud and Play, a Swiss-based webcast focused on techno and dance music, streams live DJ club performances. It focuses primarily on underground dance and electronica music. While only one, non-customizable stream is offered (both online and through media players like iTunes), the site features a well-organized daily schedule of when particular programs (which are centered around sub-genres of dance music) will air. Interestingly, the site boasts that Loud and Play broadcasts live DJ performances from clubs. Sure enough, a rebroadcasted live track aired while we were tuned in. Certain live performances and in-house performance sessions can be downloaded as well. The player itself is minimalist, with a heavy focus on social networking through the included chat interface and a forum. (review by MS of kurthanson.com)

Featured Blog: Viva La Mainstream. Read the ramblings of author TJ a college student with a borderline-unhealthy obsession with music, film, and entertainment in general.

Featured Podcast: Dale Cast. General music, and comedy samples from Frosterley in the heart of Weardale. Plays the best in oldies and new podsafe music from around the world. Tune in Daily for a new show filled with music from all of our Cyber PR Artists.

Featured Internet Radio Station: New Music Radio. 24/7 rock station playing the best in MySpace Bands. New Music Radio is Internet Radio without Rules! Tune to hear songs from Cyber PR Artists JD & The Straight Shot.

CNBC: Is Limbaugh worth it? Probably. And also, we have to remember with these numbers, that they're nearly always contingent on the talent delivering certain ratings. And anything can happen. Now that Sirius and XM are about to merge, they're expected to cut programming costs and Howard Stern could get burned. And with the rate of change in the media industry, who knows what else will come along to replace terrestrial radio. So while Limbaugh's take here is impressive, a lot of things could happen to change the contract before it's supposed end date of 2016 (read more - Julila Boorstin - CNBC)

Cable Fax: HDNet’s Mark Cuban told CableFAX that consolidation has tilted the playing field and may extinguish the voices of independent programmers (read more - CableFax)

News.com.au: "An estimated 33 million people in the United States alone are weekly listeners of internet radio, and that number is growing," George Parthimos said. "As connectivity to the internet becomes more ubiquitous, including wireless broadband, access issues holding back internet radio go away and more listeners will tune in." (read more - Richard Conrad - News AU)

John Rook: With the exception of the expert coverage of Chicago area broadcasting by Robert Feder at the Sun Times, very few newspapers deem local radio and television important enough to be reported. But with the drop in circulation in my own area the editors of the Spokane Spokesman-Review have now awakened to proudly gush about being a participant in the programming of one of the town’s news/talk facilities. Now-a-days with newspaper circulation in a deadfall, columnist and editors at the Tribune Corporation have suddenly found themselves taking direction from radio programming wizards Randy Michaels and Lee Abrams (read more - www.JohnRook.com)

Randy Dotinga: Satellite radio merger on tap. If you get cable television, you may have asked yourself the eternal question: Why on earth am I paying for all these darned channels? There are channels for Spanish-speakers, golfers, gay people, evangelicals and game-show fans. And while there may be three people in the entire country who fit all those categories, many of us still pay for each and every one of those channels. Consumer advocates have been pushing for "a la carte programming" for years. Now, buffet plans may finally be on tap in the world of broadcasting ---- but not in the land of TV. As part of his conditions for allowing the XM and Sirius satellite radio networks to merge, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is reportedly saying the companies should allow a la carte plans, and they're on board with his proposal. And that's not all. At Martin's urging, the networks have agreed to put a cap on prices for three years and reserve 24 channels for noncommercial and minority-run programming. But while the combined number of subscribers for both networks is now at an impressive 18 million, there's no guarantee that satellite radio will remain viable after a merger. Nor, for that matter, is the merger a done deal. Read more at Randy's page. Also: FM 94/9's "Big Sonic Chill," one of the more creative shows on the local dial, has a new host. Amanda Thorne, a veteran of radio stations in San Francisco and Seattle, is stepping in to replace Midori, who hosted the show for several years.

The Wires (July 2, 2008)

Fortune Magazine: Howard Stern may have a Sirius dilemma. Financial problems at Sirius and XM mean the lavish deals with Stern and other top talent may be a thing of the past (read more - Scott Moritz - Fortune)

Penn Live: I don't see why anyone, let alone a group supposedly acting on behalf of consumers, would care about the companies making an interoperable receiver before they are allowed to merge. Up until now, if you want the content that Sirius offers, you would buy a Sirius receiver, but if you wanted XM's content, you would buy an XM receiver. It's kind of like the whole MAC/PC argument. You know the commercials - "Hi. I'm a MAC!" People make a decision concerning which type of computer they want to buy the same way that people choose Sirius or XM. OK. So maybe you don't like that analogy. Well, how about cell phones? (read more - Brian K. Hoover - Penn Live)

Happy Hare: I left the air in 1971, and showed that I meant it by turning down the morning news/talk hosting at KSDO under VP/GM Peter Lund, later the president of CBS. Well, not all of my judgment was solid. I chose to enter Sales because KSON GSM Mike Stafford gave me the store. A big guarantee, a lofty life insurance policy and a fancy car. The company, Jefferson Pilot, even stowed away a generous retirement nest egg for me. The capper: I was in my mid-40’s without “medical.” I abhor vacuums Another capper: Stafford was going to avert his eyes while I went to L.A. at least once a week, to do national V/O’s (read more - www.HappyHareOnline.com)

The Wires (July 1, 2008)

Seeking Alpha: As a musician and producer who lives and breathes for new technology in audio entertainment, I am convinced of two things concerning the future of radio: 1. Terrestrial radio is a dead man walking. 2. Satellite and Internet radio are the going to be the new and permanent sheriffs in town. Now I think we all know why The National Association of Broadcasters is so against the Sirius/XM Merger. Their business model is so outdated it has rust flaking off the chassis. Don't think so? Let's speculate for a minute (read more - Gino Lattarulo - Seeking Alpha)

Top 5 Headlines Of The Week (Jun 23-29, 2008)

4. No number 4. Blogger busy popping blisters from his feet.

3. If Clear Channel advertised HD Radio while everybody is listening to their iPods, did they make a sound?

2. June 27th marked the 10th Anniversary of the First Monthly Weird Al Yankovic Day.

1. Padres Lose and Lose and Lose and Lose and...