Way back when, I wrote about the future of radio (there was a Part Two as well), and I discussed how services like Pandora are opening up new ways to find cool new music. I also discussed some of the regulatory issues that make services like Pandora…frustrating. Let me quote from a Chicago Tribune article on the topic to remind of just a few:
A recent article in the LA Times asked the question: where have all of Howard Stern’s listeners gone? As Howard himself complained to Entertainment Weekly, not enough have followed him to Sirius, and as the early ratings have shown, many didn’t stick around to listen to Adam Carolla or David Lee Roth.
I can’t speak for the 9,999,999 listeners who didn’t go to Sirius, but as a Stern detractor who became a listener who became a fan over the past decade, I can tell you why I didn’t go to Sirius and why I’m probably not helping Adam Carolla’s ratings.
Wired has an article on an idea I floated a few weeks back, discussing the way podcasts are changing the public radio landscape. Then I only touched upon the idea that podcasts of popular programs both dilute and expand audiences. Since the idea is in the air — and, of course, since it’s pledge season — let’s talk more about this revolution.
There is nothing more annoying than public radio (or public television) fundraising. I’m a member of my local station, but I’ll confess to changing the channel during the fund drives. I only have so much time during the day to access world, national, and local news, and I’m going to maximize my own limited resources.
And, gods, those pleas for money are painful.
Indie 103.1, broadcasting somewhere on the Southern California coastline, is a radio station that is an absolute blast of fresh airwaves. It is one of the few radio stations out there that seems to take it as a mission to surprise its listeners.
Which is exactly what happened this morning, when I heard something which has bugged me for the rest of the day.
Two of the MediaBistro Fishbowls recently provided similar, but different, coverage of the satellite wars. In one corner, we have CBS eyeing (ha!) the purchase of XM*. In the other corner, we have the apparent trouncing of XM by Sirius.
Of course it’s too early to declare a winner, and given the fact that it’s a big planet, we don’t really need a winner (though at least one ‘loper has predicted a merging of the two satellite providers, at which point, you really will need a “Super-High Intensity Toggle Controller”).
Part Two: The Role of The Curator, Or Why Disk Jockeys Could Be More Relevant Than Ever
Continuing analysis of the SXSW panel called “The Future of Radio”. Panelists included moderator Kevin Smokler, Celia Hirschman of Downtown Marketing and KCRW, Roman Mars of WBEZ, Elise Nordling from SomaFM, and Tim Westergren of Pandora, bringing together lifelong radio listeners, public radio professionals, Internet radio stars, and purveyors of social networking applications. Part One is here.
New services (like, oh, Medialoper) are designed to help consumers sift through the mass of media being thrown their way. In the past, disk jockeys served as curators of music. In today’s world, the increased level of programming makes the curator process even more important. This means aligning consumers with trusted sources of information. A trust relationship develops between the two parties – without that trust – in taste, quality, integrity – the consumer goes away.
Part One: The Music Industry Doesn’t Have A Clue, And The Government Isn’t Helping Either
Remember when it was just video killing the radio star? Today, it’s the Internet and satellite and the iPod and, let’s be frank, general boredom with the medium. Does radio have a future in a digital world?
This was the topic of a SXSW panel called “The Future of Radio” (perhaps it’s a sign of the times that the podcast doesn’t seem to be online yet, but the video is – link below). Panelists included moderator Kevin Smokler, Celia Hirschman of Downtown Marketing and KCRW, Roman Mars of WBEZ, Elise Nordling host of Indie Pop Rocks from SomaFM, and Tim Westergren of Pandora, bringing together lifelong radio listeners, public radio professionals, Internet radio stars, and purveyors of social networking applications.
Before the session started, I eavesdropped on a conversation between two long-time radio professionals. At one point, the man said, “I’m very, very interested in podcasting.” And I’m thinking, “So you should be, so you should be.”
When I was a kid, I used to place a handheld Panasonic cassette tape recorder (with a condensor mic!) next to a transistor radio to tape songs off of KYNO-AM. Not yet having the the money to go out and buy every single song I liked; these recordings were key to how I connected deeply to pop music, on which I’ve since spent a huge amount of my disposable (and not so disposable) income.
Little did I know, that in the eyes of the RIAA, my 10-year-old self was a thief, and they were itching for a way to keep me from stealing their songs. And now, with the advent of digital radio, they may have found a way.
As these things go, I’m a relative latecomer to the podcasts of The Ricky Gervais Show: I only got ’round to listening to them a couple of weeks ago. Better still, I came into it totally cold, not knowing what to expect, and I was instantly hooked on the mad ramblings of Karl Pilkington. So much so, that as a matter of fact, I have no issues with paying for the podcasts of the second season.
It totally passes my Blackjack test: do I anticipate getting more pleasure out of this than playing a single hand of Blackjack? And in this case, the answer is a resounding “yes.” To be fair, Ricky was on Letterman last week, and explained that they are charging for this season to recoup the hosting and bandwidth costs for all of the downloads.
However, for those of you who don’t want to pay for your monkeynews, or you want to see to find out what the buzz is all about prior to paying — it looks like the Podcast Series 1 archive will also cost $5 to grab in one fell swoop — I’ve discovered a secret online stash of dozens of episodes of The Ricky Gervais Show.
WFMU is not a normal radio station.
A normal radio station would have pulled the plug on its transmitter after the college it was affiliated with went bankrupt. Instead, WFMU’s staff and listeners banded together to buy the station’s broadcast license from Upsala College back in 1995. Not only did the station survive the transition, it eventually raised enough money from its listeners to buy its own broadcast facility in Jersey City.
A normal radio station would have given in, or given up, when the RIAA began demanding that web broadcasters pay hefty royalties far exceeding what terrestrial broadcast stations pay. Instead, WFMU fought back and used the opportunity to lobby record labels for exemptions from the new fees.
A normal non-commercial radio station drives listeners away with frequent pledge drives that are designed to elicit as much guilt as possible. Instead, WFMU has only one pledge drive a year, and it actually draws listeners in with entertaining and unique programming (like the annual Yo La Tengo all request show scheduled for Tuesday March 7th, at 8pm EST - make a donation and Yo La Tengo will play your request live).
Normal public radio stations receive funding from corporate sponsors and go as far as they can to bend the financing rules imposed on public radio. WFMU accepts no corporate sponsorship or underwriting of any kind. The station is totally listener sponsored. As a result, there’s absolutely no conflict between what listeners might want to hear and what sponsors might find inappropriate.
In a world of right wing talk and satellite hype, WFMU is one of the few broadcast stations keeping traditional radio relevant. Ironically, they’re doing it with the help of the Internets.
WFMU began streaming its signal online in 1997. It was a costly and risky move for a station that had just gained it’s independence, and all of the financial obligations that went along with that independence. The bet paid off, however, and Internet listeners now make up a substantial portion of the station’s listening audience, contributing enough during the annual marathon to keep the station afloat.
More recently, WFMU has expanded it’s programming to include podcasts and web-only programs that bypass the arbitrary content limitations imposed by the FCC.
I’m frequently astounded that a small, listener supported station from Jersey seems to have a better grasp on new technology and its implications than any of the major media corporations. All of this innovation comes at a price, of course. Bandwidth and servers aren’t cheap — hence the annual Marathon.
If you’ve never listened to WFMU before, consider this your invitation to tune-in. You might also think about making a small donation to a very worth cause (tax deductible, of course). Consider how much of your hard earned cash you’ve given to the mega-media corporations in the past year. And what have they done for you lately (besides canceling “Arrested Development”)?
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Well, look at it from this standpoint: if Obama becomes President, it was bound to kill him in any event.
Good, though, as usual, not good enough.
We suggest that John Warner, R-Va -- who probably hasn't used a car to drive more than a couple of miles his own self in decades -- respectfully piss off!
The role model for Krusty the Clown has gone to the big circus tent in the sky. Did anyone ever see Bozo and Jesse Helms together in the same room? Just asking.
We're really looking forward to this.
Cool, but we're holding out for Rock Band: Husker Du.
That would be Mercury, which has lost a mile in diameter in its history. Obviously another pernicious effect of global warming. On the other hand, if that happens to Earth, it would make my commute easier.
Best headline ever. Also, is Kabbalah some kind of time machine? Because that really seems to be the only way Madonna should be able to lure anybody these days.
One economist termed the loss streak "Zito-esque."
That's OK, we still like it.
From the Department of Painful Admissions: "We're great about putting out a paper; we're getting a lot better at putting up a Web site," he [Russ Stanton] said.
That's one scary-ass headline. And you know that if Viacom had their way, they would send a bill to every single YouTube user they discovered watched Viacom content.
You all need to be watching "The Middleman," on ABC Family Channel. Yes, I said "ABC Family Channel." It's a hilarious post-millennial love child of "Batman," "The Avengers," & "The Tick." In the meantime, I'm off to catch a plane at J.R. "Bob" Dobbs International Airport.
An argument that the long-discussed "death of the movie critic" is perhaps premature. A fiscally-based argument.
Waiting until July 12th.
Dolphin family, toying with humans and vacationing in Jersey.
Hoo boy!! This is a headline that just screams "slow week." Also, we have some people around here pretty familiar with both Bruce Springsteen and rock 'n' roll mythology, and not every single person referenced in one of his songs automatically became famous.
Ruh-roh! The Propagandist has them right where he wants them!!
Residents of the area have been instructed to follow Camper Van Beethoven's advice.
"The 3G iPhone's 8-GB model will sell for $199 with a two-year contract to new customers and current iPhone owners, but existing AT&T customers who are not eligible for upgrade discounts will be charged $399 for the same device." Wow. That means that if you had the temerity to be an AT&T customer, but not buy an iPhone, you get screwed.
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