Muttering (July 25, 2009)

The Wires (July 25, 2009)

ZDNet: SimpleMind Xpress turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a brainstorming, idea collection, and thought structuring device. Drag, arrange and edit topics, change colors, borders and lines for maximum presentation impact. License: Free. OS: Mobile

Mel Phillips: The number of those opposed to airplay royalties has swollen to 244 House members and 23 Senators. The number of House and Senate proponents of the bill is part of the public record but not often published. It's safe to say that they form the minority opinion.

Jacobs Media: Album Oriented Rock - a phrase that no one uses anymore, but it once described the most popular rock format of the '70s and '80s. AOR lost its mojo for a variety of reasons.

The Wires (July 24, 2009)

Gary Lycan: Listen up, Orange County! You're on your own when it comes to deciding what radio stations you like to listen to. No way do you have the same habits as those folks in Los Angeles. You know the story - contemporary hits KIIS/102.7 FM is usually No. 1 in the Southern California ratings, and we've been telling you AMP Radio 97.1 FM is close behind with the same format - Randy Thomas is the leading female voice announcer in our country. She began in local radio, moved on to a successful career announcing the biggest events on the planet, and now she's helping others who want to get into the voice-over business

Inside Music Media: It doesn't take long to conclude that the radio industry has a big problem. Not the recession. Or owing too much debt to repay it. The listener problem. Radio groups find themselves in an impossible position these days -- a sad situation of their own making.

FMQB: Performance Royalty Opposition Continues To Grow Local Radio Freedom Act now supported by 244 House members and 23 Senators.

Letter: XX Sports (July 23, 2009)

The Wires (July 23, 2009)

Was Pulse 87’s “donate now” bit just a big gag, or was it for real? Did Mega Media’s lenders really relent, as it said after a day of almost frantic listener appeals? The New York Board at Radio-Info.com is tossing that one around like a beach ball at a stadium concert, and you can read all the points of view on the thread. The Pulse 87 fundraising solicited donations using premiums like wristbands, caps, etc. But then it stopped and Pulse announced it was returning all donations. Is that the full story?

Tom Taylor of radio-info: Internet-only WOXY.com is coming un-tethered from its home in Ohio. It’s headed for the live-music capital of Austin, though WOXY.com will still be heard over the air back in Cincinnati on the HD-2 channel of pubcaster WVXU. Adult alternative WOXY made quite a name for itself as an independent in the 1980s as “97X” in Oxford, Ohio. Then its mom-and-pop sold out their 97.7 frequency to First Broadcasting (for a move-in scheme) and the station managed, after a couple of tough moments, to graft itself onto the WOXY.com website as a viable business. By this Fall, it will call the Austin Theater its abode, with a soundstage and the ability to do video for the website.

Detroit Free Press: Artists seek fair pay for airplay; radio cries foul: Royalty bill pits singers against small stations (read more - Todd Spangler - Detroit Free Press)

Biz Journal: Clear Channel donates radio stations to support Minority Media and Telecommunications Council minority ownership initiative

Radio Ink: Talk Radio Network host Michael Savage is apparently still banned from entering the UK, despite reports that the British Home Office had changed its policy

Pulse 87.7 Gets A Reprieve (July 22, 2009)

The station has posted on its website the following:

Because of your overwhelming response, we here at PULSE 87 have been given a reprieve from some of our creditors and now have some additional time to attempt to raise money through more conventional means to continue broadcasting.

The outpouring of support from the PULSE 87 audience has been nothing short of remarkable! You’ve shown NEW YORK, our advertisers and the music community how important this radio station is to all of you.

There are some who will say this was just some desperate publicity stunt. We assure you that was absolutely not the case! This was really going to be the end. We are going to take this reprieve and do everything in our power in order to raise the money to keep providing you, our loyal listeners, with the very best dance music in NEW YORK for free!

Everyone who donated money will have their donations returned in full. Thank you! PULSE 87 listeners -- you are amazing! To all the artists who ran to our aid with their support, we hope to be here to support you and your music for a long time!

The Wires (July 22, 2009)

Inside Music Media: It is disturbing to know in these difficult times that Clear Channel is treating some of its listeners no better than it has been treating its employees. For example, take those 1,100 or so poor souls who got their cars stuck at the Ionia Fairgrounds concert staged by the very popular Clear Channel country station B93 in Grand Rapids.

Hear 2.0: "How does the radio industry leverage its strengths to provide superior value to an audience with an endless variety of digital options?" And that leads to the further question, "What do we mean by 'radio' in a digital age?" The answers to those questions, of course, have little or nothing to do with distributing our content on other devices - because it's the same content we already distribute universally on devices every consumer has at home, at work, and in their car.

Pulse 87 In Financial Trouble (July 21, 2009)

Pulse 87 Website: "Pulse" asks for lifeline. Mega Media Group's dance "Pulse 87.7" WNYZ-LP, New York is seeking donations in order to save the niche format. Station personality Borasio told listeners today, "We haven't been bringing the money in that it costs to keep is us floating."

The station's website posted the following this morning:

PULSE 87, NEW YORK's New Dance Leader, Is Urging You To Save PULSE 87. For more than a year, we've brought dance music back to NEW YORK. New music every week. Unique mixes every day. Dance music every hour. Now, we're getting close to our final hour. Due to the economic situation we are all facing, and the fact that we are a small company, PULSE 87.7 FM is in a unique predicament. We have reached a crossroad where a decision needs to be made.

We have approximately one week left to be on the air if we do not generate the appropriate funds to stay afloat.

WNYZ is offering tote bags and t-shirts and insists the radiothon isn't a stunt.

All Access adds that "Meanwhile, how much life would PULSE 87 actually have before the FCC orders all analog LPTV and translator stations to go full digital? The matter is before the FCC, and when that happens, it will cause a cessation of hearing analog channel 6 on the FM band, without a digital encoder."

Real Leykis Not OK With 'Fake Leykis Podcast' (July 21, 2009)

The July 3rd episode, one of two "Fake Leykis" podcasts posted at fakeleykispodcast.com, remains on the site for now.

The Wires (July 21, 2009)

Radio Ink: U.K. Lifts Ban on Savage

The Wires (July 20, 2009)

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RWOnline: LPFM Promotes July 20 National Call-In Day. They're pushing Congress to ease channel protections to allow more stations onto the band.

TV Tech: ATSC Mobile DTV Standard Advances. TVT's Doug Lung reports final approval could come as early as September

RWOnline: Performance Tax: `Worth the Fight'. Dennis Wharton of NAB comments in response to RW editorial

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ZDNet: Photo Gallery: The decade's 25 biggest tech flops. After nearly 10 years of working at CNET, executive editor David Carnoy looks back at the most hyped tech products that didn't pan out as planned--or just flat out bombed