Why (FM, Not XM) Radio Sucks

It's too late.... by SirDaShadow · 2003-01-19 14:36 · Score: 2, Informative

Clearchannel has a virtual monopoly on the AM sector and it's only a matter of time before FM will get acquired by the big interests...

Re:It's too late.... by llamaluvr · 2003-01-19 14:46 · Score: 2, Interesting

Here in Cleveland, Clearchannel owns just about every prominient station on the FM dial.

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Re:It's too late.... by lostchicken · 2003-01-19 14:47 · Score: 1

In my city (Dallas) ClearChannel is a FM game. They own 4 of the music stations here.

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-twb
Re:It's too late.... by domninus.DDR · 2003-01-19 14:58 · Score: 2, Informative

Theres a new station in dallas that Im pretty sure isnt owned by clear channel. KKDL started in october or november by playing 30,000 songs in a row without commercials, now they have like a minute of commercials an hour. Its a dance station (106.7) and I can never find the website. I like it a LOT more than anything else on the radio down here.
Re:It's too late.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:01 · Score: 0

Seem to recall the Observer (Dallas independent weekly) running a piece on ClearChannel which quoted some pretty frightening numbers on their market saturation. Basically, they already have like >50% of the US FM market, not a monopoly, but close enough.

Also spooky was that they were running those 'alternative' music stations and full on pop stations around the country with vaguely locally interesting things spliced into the chatter from a single national set of DJs. Essentially, they fake having local interests at all and the US pop listening audience is pretty much unaware of it. Squeeze in a bunch of adds for local bars and car dealerships and noone notices. The phone in contests are run in a similar way, at least for the ones with non-local prizes. When you phone in you're competing with people from all over for that trip to Bermuda or whatever.
Re:It's too late.... by crazyprogrammer · 2003-01-19 15:10 · Score: 1

Same thing happened here in Kansas City a couple years ago. A new alternative/rock station, KRBZ, started by playing songs nonstop with no interruptions for about 3 days. About a week later they had about a minute of commercials every hour. Now a couple years later, they are just another alternative/rock station that plays 5-10 minutes of commercials every hour. I did a little bit of google searching and KRBZ is owned by Entercom. I'm not sure about KKDL, but I think they are owned by a different company.

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"the fax machine is nothing but a waffle iron with a phone attached to it." - Grandpa Simpson
Re:It's too late.... by 401k · 2003-01-19 15:16 · Score: 0

It's 60% of the ROCK market, not all FM, at least according to the Salon article: http://dir.salon.com/ent/feature/2001/04/30/clear_ channel/index.html But it's a pernicious and growing force in radio nonetheless, and having ten DJs in a basement in Oklahoma playing every record in the country is a scary thought. Worth a Simpsons episode, at any rate.
Re:It's too late.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:21 · Score: 1, Interesting

Here in Cleveland, Clearchannel owns just about every prominient station on the FM dial.
Well, either them or Infinity. WXTM, WNCX, etc. are all very popular Infinity stations in Cleveland too. So hey, a couple dozen radio stations basically owned by two companies. In Cleveland we like all kinds of music... country AND western. ;-)
Re:It's too late.... by athakur999 · 2003-01-19 15:23 · Score: 1

KKDL is owned by a company called Entravision. Most of their stations cater to the Spanish-speaking market. Dance music, AFAIK, is a new market for them.

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"People that quote themselves in their signatures bother me" - athakur999
Re:It's too late.... by /dev/trash · 2003-01-19 15:31 · Score: 1

ugh. I actually live in an area that has no Clear Channel Stations. The Sports AM is owned by ESPN, the Talk radio is locally owned. The FM stations are locally owned but growing in size, but nothing here is Clear Channel, yet.
Re:It's too late.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:43 · Score: 0

Just wait. You'll soon realize that Clear Channel owns you.
Re:It's too late.... by Stonent1 · 2003-01-19 15:52 · Score: 1

In my city (Dallas) ClearChannel is a FM game. They own 4 of the music stations here.

I know Hot 100.3, KYNG 105.3 (The talk that rocks), 103.7 KVIL, and 98.7 KLUV all owned by Infinity. 97.1 KEGL and 106.1 are CC. The rest I have no clue.
Re:It's too late.... by rosie_bhjp · 2003-01-19 16:03 · Score: 2, Interesting

In Cincinnati its no different. Its either Clearchannel or Infinity. Although we do get WOXY which is independantly owned and operated and quite good.
Offtopic, but, just went to Cleveland a few months back and I have to say I am quite impressed with what has been done to the downtown area, the flats, rock and roll hall of fame, science museum, etc.. very nice. Cheers

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A radio maverick jumps to internet only. The Future of Rock n Roll
Re:It's too late.... by Gerald · 2003-01-19 16:07 · Score: 2, Informative

Entercom owns many of the popular sations in K.C. They're a miniature version of ClearChannel.
Re:It's too late.... by aardvarkjoe · 2003-01-19 16:07 · Score: 1

...they are just another alternative/rock station that plays 5-10 minutes of commercials every hour.

Either your estimate is low, or stations in your area don't play many commercials. I'd love to have a decent station in my area that was playing music 5/6 of the time.

At one point there was a jazz station here that played a good 50 minutes of music an hour. They didn't last too long, though -- I believe they've been replaced by yet another country station (of which we already had four or five.) I've pretty much given up on the radio by this point.

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Re:It's too late.... by Anonvmous+Coward · 2003-01-19 16:09 · Score: 4, Funny

"In Cincinnati its no different. Its either Clearchannel or Infinity. Although we do get WOXY [woxy.com] which is independantly owned and operated and quite good."

I thought WKRP was privately owned.
Re:It's too late.... by FigBugDeux · 2003-01-19 16:32 · Score: 0, Redundant

what about WKRP?
Re:It's too late.... by RailGunner · 2003-01-19 17:06 · Score: 1

They don't own the best station in Dallas - 93.3 The Bone - Rock station - plays a lot of 70's / 80's / early 90's rock. Ozzy, AC/DC, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper.. the Bone rocks.
Re:It's too late.... by RailGunner · 2003-01-19 17:08 · Score: 2, Interesting

92.5 KZPS is a ClearChannel station as well. So is Mix 102.9, and 102.1 The Edge.
Fortunately, the one *good* station isn't - 93.3 The Bone.
Re:It's too late.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 17:22 · Score: 0

Maybe I'm just naive in beginning to notice it, but isn't AM radio pretty much conservative-kill brownie/liberal-praise jesus radio?

I just began listening to AM (by force) because the a-hole in next cubicle plays it just loud enough to where I can hear it.
Re:It's too late.... by Zalgon+26+McGee · 2003-01-19 17:25 · Score: 1

Parent should be modded "+1, Pop-culture reference that pre-dates most readers"

Now I feel old.

"My god! They're turkeys!"

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Book(n): Utensil used to pass time while waiting for the TV repairman
Re:It's too late.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 18:00 · Score: 0

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."

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Les: "He's afraid of you."
Venus: "Why?"
Les: "Because you're a Negro."
Venus: "Say what?!?"

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Les: "I'm about to spring into action."
Re:It's too late.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 18:03 · Score: 0

Much worse than that in the Bay Area. Almost EVERY music station, with the exception of about two, is either owned by ClearChannel or Viacom (Infinity). It's disgusting.
Re:It's too late.... by Stitchley · 2003-01-19 18:06 · Score: 1

Ok, but here's a question. I believe I've dug up a few "The Bone" radio stations. Here in the SF bay area, it's 107.7. They play the same bands, is there a corporate boogeyman in the closet? One who doesn't announce himself as much as ClearChannel?

To their credit, they seem to avoid the ClearChannel line in any event, hiring local DJ's , having local contests, focusing on the local music scene. Our Bone rocks too.
Re:It's too late.... by terraformer · 2003-01-19 23:27 · Score: 1

And Clear Channel controls programming for XM radio because they own something like 40% of the company...
Unfortunately, satellite radio is already dead.

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Re:It's too late.... by SubtleNuance · 2003-01-20 02:25 · Score: 4, Interesting

See this excellent article at Salon.com

the article is wrong when it says "tyranny of mass market research" caused radio to suck; two things happened A) as always, the soul has been sucked out of a vibrant social institute (Radio) by Profit-Motivated-Corporations. B) Payola facilitated this soul-sucking.
Re:It's too late.... by dhartman · 2003-01-20 04:06 · Score: 1

ALA Drew Carey
...Cleveland rocks, Cleveland rocks...
Just have another Buzz and call it a day. Enough of those and even the music sounds as good as Mimi looks.
Re:It's too late.... by The_K4 · 2003-01-20 04:19 · Score: 2, Insightful

I don't care about the comercials, what really pisses me of is DJs who feel the need to talk all the time, and try and make jokes that really arn't funny! Just SHUT UP and play music. I guess that's why I got the CD changer in the car; because all the do all morning is talk, and nothing they say is at all interesting or funny.
Re:It's too late.... by jmertic · 2003-01-20 07:00 · Score: 1

And were the bastards that pushed them out ( especially WENZ "The End", which was my favorite modern rock station ever ) for none other than the same Pop 40/Urban Mix that pollutes MTV. Thank God for SomaFM
Re:It's too late.... by Anonvmous+Coward · 2003-01-20 07:20 · Score: 1

"Parent should be modded "+1, Pop-culture reference that pre-dates most readers"

Heh I got modded as informative. Part of me thinks somebody didn't get the reference and thought I was giving them a fact heh.
Re:It's too late.... by mattsucks · 2003-01-20 11:15 · Score: 1

KTCU 88.7
KNTU 88.1
KNON 89.3
or even KERA 90.1

beat The Bone hands down any day. Want independent radio and
diversity? Go college or public. The "Left of the Dial" may be
coughing up blood, but its not dead yet.....
Re:It's too late.... by lostchicken · 2003-01-20 14:44 · Score: 1

93.3 is evil.

93.3 FM Dallas used to be KRSM, the local radio station run by my high school. We were stripped of our license because all the rest of the FM spectrum had been allocated, and we were "low priority", being a non-commercial station.

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-twb
Re:It's too late.... by sicrik · 2003-01-20 19:55 · Score: 1

It's a heckuva lot more than mass market research. Deregulation in 96 was pretty huge factor, which enabled Clear Channel to grow to some 1200+ stations. Cutting costs, and eating the competition (ala Microsoft, Enron, various airlines, many telcos...note the deregulatedness of the not-MS ones!) helped. Another funny thing about the media is that they control the media, which is the filter determining public opinion. friggin aye, our whole mode of operating as a country is creating this banal monster...giving businesses the rights of citizens, promoting the idea that it's okay to make gross sums of money and drive people on the other side of the world out of business to put in another Wal-Mart.

Anyway, I got off topic a bit, but the point is that as long as we're gonna let them give us only vanilla, we won't get super fudge chunk. I just subscribed to Sirius (XM competitor) and it rocks nicely. Make your journalists ask questions, read Robert McChesney, turn off lame-ass shock jocks with 22 minutes of commercials per hour and 20 minutes of talking!

cheers
rick

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-- An image is worth about 2.5E4 characters.
Re:It's too late.... by Lochin+Rabbar · 2003-01-21 15:24 · Score: 1

They do that because it cuts down the amount of music they have to play, hence the station pays less royalties. Yet another example of self defeating practices by the record companies.

first by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 14:37 · Score: 0

post?

FP? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 14:37 · Score: 0

FP? no way

radio by s0rbix · 2003-01-19 14:38 · Score: 0

correct me if im wrong, but xm isnt radio waves, its a digital signal. radio is analog, is it not? and free?

Re:radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 14:45 · Score: 0

Guess what- digital radio gets sent on "radio waves, " too. Even if it's from a satellite.
Re:radio by rpresser · 2003-01-19 14:49 · Score: 1

... but xm isnt radio waves, its a digital signal. radio is analog, is it not?

What do you imagine the digital signal is being carried on? Smoke signals?
Re:radio by Goalie_Ca · 2003-01-19 14:49 · Score: 1

well, digital or not, its still is a radio wave.

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Re:radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 14:58 · Score: 0

you must be an idiot.
Re:radio by frovingslosh · 2003-01-19 15:02 · Score: 4, Informative

correct me if im wrong, but xm isnt radio waves, its a digital signal. radio is analog, is it not? and free?
OK, your wrong. And corrected. XM is radio waves, delivered from a satelite. The signal delivered is a digital signal, but that doesn't keep it from being a radio signal. It's an electromagnetic signal in the radio frequency part of the spectrum (several gigahertz, but much lower in frequency, and longer in wavelength than light), so it's radio. You can't tune it in on your Walkman, but that's because 1) your Walkman doesn't tune to that fequency, 2) The Walkman antenna isn't designed for that frequency, and 3) the Walkman demodulator was not designed to demodulate and decode the digital signal; but that doesn't mean it's not a radio signal. You can't tune in a taxi cab or a cop car on a standard unmodified AM/FM broadcast band radio either, but they still use radio signals.
Standard AM radio is both analog and amplitude modulated (the strength of the signal changes in relation to the analog signal). FM radio is frequency modulated, in the normal FM bands the analog signal is used to change (modulate) the frequency of the radio signal. But there are plenty of digital formats that can be and are sent over radio waves, including XM radio.

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I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
Re:radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:23 · Score: 5, Informative

Here. I got all this from www.howstuffworks.com

XM Radio uses two Boeing HS 702 satellites, appropriately dubbed "Rock" and "Roll," placed in parallel geostationary orbit, one at 85 degrees west longitude and the other at 115 degrees west longitude. Geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) is about 22,223 miles (35,764 km) above Earth, and is the type of orbit most commonly used for communications satellites. The first XM satellite, "Rock," was launched on March 18, 2001, with "Roll" following on May 8. XM Radio has a third HS-702 satellite on the ground ready to be launched in case one of the two orbiting satellites fails.

XM Radio's ground station transmits a signal to its two GEO satellites, which bounce the signals back down to radio receivers on the ground. The radio receivers are programmed to receive and unscramble the digital data signal, which contains up to 100 channels of digital audio. In addition to the encoded sound, the signal contains additional information about the broadcast. The song title, artist and genre of music are all displayed on the radio. In urban areas, where buildings can block out the satellite signal, XM's broadcasting system is supplemented by ground transmitters.

Each receiver contains a proprietary chipset. XM began delivering chipsets to its XM radio manufacturing partners in October 2000. The chipset consists of two custom integrated circuits designed by STMicroelectronics. XM has partnered with Pioneer, Alpine, Clarion, Delphi Delco, Sony and Motorola to manufacture XM car radios. Each satellite radio receiver uses a small, car-phone-sized antenna to receive the XM signal. General Motors has invested about $100 million in XM, and Honda has also signed an agreement to use XM radios in its cars. GM began installing XM satellite radio receivers in selected models in early 2001.
Re:radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:31 · Score: 0

And technically speaking, it's not "radio waves", it's "electro-magnetic" waves. Every type of energy that travels in waves is a part of the electro-magnetic spectrum, including visible light. Microwaves, and x-rays, for example, are in the high frequency end of the spectrum. IR light, radio, and radar, are in the low frequency end.
Re:radio by blixel · 2003-01-19 15:40 · Score: 2, Funny

correct me if im wrong

Don't worry, they will. This is Slashdot after all.
Re:radio by sholden · 2003-01-19 15:55 · Score: 0

They are "radio waves", a more precise term that "electromagnetic waves", since the later includes microwaves, visible light, x-rays and others, while the former only includes wavelengths of over about a meter.

Unless you also believe that "technically speaking" this message was posted on "a web site" is more correct than on "slashdot".
Re:radio by Waffle+Iron · 2003-01-19 16:25 · Score: 1

correct me if im wrong, but xm isnt radio waves, its a digital signal. radio is analog, is it not? and free?
To be precise, XM is a system comprised of a digital signal modulated onto analog radio waves.
FM is a system where an analog signal is modulated onto analog radio waves. And it's only free you can withstand the withering barrage of idiot DJs, screaming car salesmen and suffocatingly repetitive playlists.
Re:radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:38 · Score: 0

And technically speaking, it's "you're", not "your".

-- THE WIDENING GAP
Re:radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:53 · Score: 0

you moron, "several gigahertz" puts this in the microwave spectrum, not RF
Re:radio by frovingslosh · 2003-01-19 17:02 · Score: 4, Informative

And technically speaking, it's not "radio waves", it's "electro-magnetic" waves.
As sholden also said, radio waves is not only correct, but it more precise than electromagnetic (no hyphen) waves. I might have a directional point-to-point link between two locations and someone could tell you it was done with electromagnetic waves, but you still wouldn't know if it was done with light waves or radio waves (or some other part of the spectrum). On the other hand, if you're told that it's radio waves you also know that it's part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Every type of energy that travels in waves is a part of the electro-magnetic spectrum, including visible light
Technically speaking, every type of energy that travels by waves is not a part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Some are, but not all. Sound waves (to give just one example) are not part of the electromagnetic spectrum, but do transfer energy and do travel by waves.
And yes, I did misuse your and you're and am ashamed of myself.

--
I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
Re:radio by frovingslosh · 2003-01-19 17:05 · Score: 1

I would question your choice of "over about a meter", which works out to about 300 mhz top end, but otherwise I concur.

--
I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
Re:radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 17:23 · Score: 0

Heh, "digital" is the buzzword du jour, and many people think it means "magic".
Re:radio by dnoyeb · 2003-01-19 17:24 · Score: 2, Funny

Sonar, Sound, and Seismic waves, are a bit below the elecrtomagnetic spectrum.
Re:radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 17:45 · Score: 0

People are also often corrected even when they're not wrong.
Re:radio by enigma32 · 2003-01-19 18:47 · Score: 1

Now, what makes me curious is the fact that I've stood next to a Sirius (which claims also to broadcast from satellites) transmitter atop a building downtown...
In fact, I've been worried going nearby their "Warning: High Energy Radio Radation" signs while working on the transmitter I'm responsible for.

So, as I'm pretty sure there is no broadcast studio in my city, what purpose are these transmitters serving for a satellite-based broadcast company?
Re:radio by mr.+methane · 2003-01-19 18:50 · Score: 1

XM does use a satellite-based RF signal, as well as ground-based repeaters in metro areas. They have two birds up, which seems to keep the signal pretty solid (I never lose it when driving through heavily wooded areas, but if I get stuck under an overpass for more than about 5 seconds it blanks out) I'm not sure what about the satellite feed, but I think the ground repeaters are in the 2.5ghz area.

Radio is analog, but the signal in this case is digital. A receiver strips off the analog carrier and feeds the remaining digital stream to the tuner (which is probably not an appropriate name any more!)

Not free, I think it's $10 a month. I've had it since about dec. of 2001, and I really like it.
Re:radio by unitron · 2003-01-19 19:05 · Score: 1

"Sonar, Sound, and Seismic waves, are a bit below the elecrtomagnetic spectrum."
They aren't part of the electromagnetic spectrum because they aren't electromagnetic, but the frequencies at which they occur are frequencies which are also found in the electromagnetic spectrum because it basically starts at "zero plus one divided by infinity" (the smallest positive number possible) cycles per second.

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I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
Re:radio by Stween · 2003-01-19 22:49 · Score: 1

And it's only free you can withstand the withering barrage of idiot DJs, screaming car salesmen and suffocatingly repetitive playlists.
So if you don't enjoy any of them, you have to pay?? That sounds like a pretty wierd way of working to me. ;)
Re:radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 00:29 · Score: 0

I'd stuff your jewels into a led sack when i went near that.

providing you're a male, that is.
Re:radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 00:33 · Score: 0

you pay with your sanity - or lack thereof after listening to mindless babble of moronic DJs and their callers... "ohmygod, I LUV XL106.7!"
Re:radio by r_naked · 2003-01-20 01:13 · Score: 1

Those transmitters fill in the areas that are "shadowed" by tall buildings.

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Re:radio by enigma32 · 2003-01-20 05:39 · Score: 1

haha, good.

Now I can know that, while I'm dying of cancer, everybody below me in the city can receive their digital radio without a problem.

=)

Outside of radio markets by BrianGa · 2003-01-19 14:38 · Score: 4, Informative

You in the big cities and even you in the more heavily populated rural areas may not realize what this means. But ask anyone who has driven across Montana, Wyoming, and one or both of the Dakotas: There are literally miles and miles where you cannot get any radio at all. I'm not saying "nothing but talk" or "nothing but Hat Act music". I'm saying literally NOTHING.

For this reason, I'm guessing that satellite radio receivers would be a big hit in Ryder/UHaul trucks. It would also keep them from having to reprogram the radio settings at every location.

Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 14:40 · Score: 0

Hehe, all you need is your pics of cowboy neal by your side.
Re:Outside of radio markets by jb_02_98 · 2003-01-19 14:40 · Score: 2

I personally think that all "radio" as we know it is doomed. I don't listen to the radio. I would rather listen to something i know. Like a cd I own. It would best if they just put cd players in UHaul Trucks.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Jardine · 2003-01-19 14:49 · Score: 1

You mean you can't even get AM stations in? Even at night? I'm in SW Ontario and I get at least one station from South Carolina with just a cheap radio. I find it hard to believe that no stations at all come in.
Re:Outside of radio markets by 401k · 2003-01-19 14:50 · Score: 0

What inspired you to craft such a timeless example of Slashdot wit? Run out of Monty Python lines to parrot? Unlike most of you, I'm actually reading the article. XM is cool, and if I was a trucker or a cabbie or had a longer commute, it'd be worth a try. But it's kind of worrisome when you read the article and they described their meetings: everyone wears shorts and a Hawaiian shirt and is a loudmouthed jerk, led by the inhuman monsters who invented cloning station and demo profiling. Those are not the kind of people who aare going to launch a "revolution." A better solution would be wireless broadband Internet radio, but of course, the music industry fascists and their cops in congress won't have it.
Re:Outside of radio markets by goatasaur · 2003-01-19 14:52 · Score: 5, Interesting

Don't be so pessimistic. There are still a lot of stations that play quality music. The problem is a dearth of good (and diverse) bands/groups.

Here in St. Louis, there's a great alternative station, KPNT 105.7. They regularly play good music I haven't heard before. On my drive home from work, a program called "The Pit" is on, that reminds me of Headbanger's Ball on MTV. True catharsis is blasting Static-X after dealing with ignorant jerks all day.

Like the state of popular music, radio is just starting to wake up after being knocked out by a blow to the head in the late 90s.

--
~D:
Re:Outside of radio markets by glubbs · 2003-01-19 14:57 · Score: 1

How do you find new music, then? I get mine here: 90.1 WRUV FM Burlington
Re:Outside of radio markets by sporty · 2003-01-19 15:00 · Score: 4, Interesting

Let me represent a small bit of NYC. We have a handful of stations. This is all we have on the FM band off the top of my head.

107.5 - r&b
103.5 - "dance"
101.something - jazz
100.3 - "current pop" music, what kids like
98.1 - new skool r&b
97.1 - old skool r&b
96.3 - classical music
95.5 - adult contemprary
92.3 - "current rock"

There are also about 3 or 4 latin stations. 0 competition. It really sucks. Hopefully, XM will be able to kill off FM completely and switch to a cheaper than cheap brand of "good" music stations. Or at least plentiful ones. Our statiosn don't even compete against each other. *puke*

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ping -f 255.255.255.255 # if only
Re:Outside of radio markets by div_2n · 2003-01-19 15:05 · Score: 1

Radio has taken assaults before by thing much bigger than satellite radio.

8 tracks/cassettes/cds/mp3s -- being able to record your own media made radio look obsolete. Has it died? Not even close.

Television -- Although most reading this website (if not all) may not know it, people used to tune in to radio broadcasts much like people do prime time tv. For reference, research the performance of "War of the Worlds."

Internet broadcasts -- The above two coupled with this surely meant doom for radio. Nope.

So let me get this straight. If all of the above couldn't do it, you are telling me that a subscription only service is going to kill free radio? By free I mean listeners don't have to pay.

Radio is the number one media period. More people are listening to radio at any given moment than all other media combined. You will be hard pressed to explain the doom of that type of consumer base.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Slurpee · 2003-01-19 15:21 · Score: 1

For this reason, I'm guessing that satellite radio receivers would be a big hit in Ryder/UHaul trucks.

would satellite receivers work on a moving vehicle?

(I'm thinking along the lines of pay TV satellite receivers, which need to be aimed fairly well).
Re:Outside of radio markets by jandrese · 2003-01-19 15:28 · Score: 1

Since the primary market for these things is cars, yes. They don't use directional antennas because of that.

--

I read the internet for the articles.
Re:Outside of radio markets by foo12 · 2003-01-19 15:29 · Score: 1
Errr... sitting in the middle of nowhere in North Dakota at the moment and I can get:
- At least two Public Radio stations (FM)
- At least four local/regional FM stations
- A slew of local/regional AM stations
- A few AM stations from Denver, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Omaha, Edmonton, Winnipeg, etc.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:33 · Score: 0

Out in the boroughs (queens & brooklyn), anyway, you can pick up NYU's station -- supposed to be excellent and award winning indie college radio. Unfortunately, you can't listen to NYU's radio station from NYU's campus downtown.

There's something sort of coming together to get some antenna space on the Empire State Building, which would fix that in a jiffy, but don't hold your breath.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:34 · Score: 1, Insightful

Radio is the number one media period. More people are listening to radio at any given moment than all other media combined.

How do you back up a statement like that?

Noone I know listens to radio unless there's no other option... radio has been fully relegated to cars, and even then it's usually for playing CDs or cassettes, rather than listening to the shite that gets broadcast.

So, are you wrong, or am I wrong, and how exactly do you KNOW?
Re:Outside of radio markets by Slurpee · 2003-01-19 15:46 · Score: 1

/slaps myself in head.

I just re-read the last paragraph of the article. The author drives around listening to it.

I still don't know *why* it works, but thats due to my misunderstanding of satellite technology.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Moofie · 2003-01-19 16:07 · Score: 1

I don't understand.

The same guy who crashed FM into the ground is now driving XM. Only now, you get to pay an exorbitant fee every month to listen to what he wants you to listen to.

Why is this good?

Me, I'm taking my $10 and change a month, and going to Good Records, which if you live in Dallas is an oasis of non-shitty music.

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re:Outside of radio markets by ReaperOfSouls · 2003-01-19 16:10 · Score: 5, Interesting

Well in general XM would never be poised to kill radio. The basic fact of the matter is that radio is the way radio is, because most of the general public are lemmings. As the article states, the genres have gone to the crucible and spewing forth came 6-7 distinct flavors. These are there because the market for the programimg is.

For those that actually, fall in to those 6-7 categories of listeners, FM is just fine. They would have no need or desire to pay $10 a month for 100 stations of which 90%-95% fall out of their listening tastes.

XM really will find a niche in listeners who are disenfranchised by FM. I am sorry I cannot take another Creed song, less I go postal and slay all that I work with. My tastes sway a great deal and hardly ever fall in to a marketable segment. For me listening to FM is an utter waste of time. Just more time for the corporate masters to try and feed me marketing and lemming food.

The point of XM is to do something that could never be done on a local level, putting together niche entertainment for a small segment of consumers. The idea is that you reap in all the small segment audiences an in theory they will add up to a profitable number total listeners. This will in no way affect the general public's radio consumption, since they can get their fill on FM. It is a direct analogy to cable television. Cable was in no way a threat to free television. If all you wanted was CBS, NBC or ABC and you could already receive it; there would be no reason to get cable. Though if you wanted say an all science fiction channel, tough luck, because it would be impossible for a local television station, to produce a niche channel for such a small audience. With the advent of cable, you could have your cake and eat it too. You could get your CBS, NBC, and your all science fiction channel. Cable's succes is due to not its ablity to reach people that you could via the free method on a local level, it is about creating a large enough audience pool that you can support creating programming to reach the other people that are removed from the 6-7 most marketable genres. All in all, Cable has augmented television, even more so in the age of digital cable. XM has an equal capacity to augment and improve radio in general.

Local FM radio will always have its place. It most likely will change and adjust, but will never go away. What XM does have to compete with though is DMX and internet radio. Essentially FM is completely unphased by niche genre content provided for the reasons above, but XM is already competing with these other mediums.

The only, yet marketable component of XM when compared with the other two, is that it is portable (only in cars and hefty "boom boxes"). If they really want to have any chance at winning the niche genre market they need to produce a "walkman" sized receiver.

DMX is now provided by most digital cable providers as part of their basic service, so they may have a tough time dislodging them. Their best bet in the home market is to strike deals with cable providers to replace DMX with XM. With a deal such as that they could easily become a true household name and have a chance at getting the subscribership that they need to stay in business. All in all, FM is in no danger from XM, simply because they are pointing at completely different market segments.

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Shameless self promotion : The Misadvetures of the in
Re:Outside of radio markets by The+FooMiester · 2003-01-19 16:19 · Score: 1, Informative

You forgot:

98.3 - Easy Listening
101.5 - big mix
99.9 - Moldy oldies #I think, not exactly sure.
101.1 - Doo-wop

There's a few others also, I don't remember where they fit in or what their freq is. FM radio today is turning into what cable television was in the 80s and 90s. Lots of the same crap with very little difference between. Too much overlap.

--
The previous has been a secret message to my comrades.
Re:Outside of radio markets by njchick · 2003-01-19 16:24 · Score: 1

Can anybody explain me why all radio stations in New York and New Jersey begin with "W"? Are they all owned by Warner Brothers or what? Anybody knows why WQXR (96.3) is called WQXR? It isn't an abbreviation, is it?
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:27 · Score: 2, Informative

Because everything east of of the Mississippi starts with a W and everything West of it starts with a K.
Re:Outside of radio markets by sporty · 2003-01-19 16:31 · Score: 1

101.1 is jazz :)

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ping -f 255.255.255.255 # if only
Re:Outside of radio markets by NeMon'ess · 2003-01-19 16:39 · Score: 2, Interesting

You don't understand because you didn't read the article or grep what it said. Very few people listened to FM before Abrams came along. He got people to listen to FM, but now FM exists primarily to make money for the station owners. FM is no longer about making the listeners happy, but getting enough targeted groups to listen to advertizing.

What Abrams is trying to do with XM is make the listeners happy so they won't mind paying for XM. Imagine driving and never wanting to change the station because you're sick to death of an overplayed song.

I wouldn't mind if XM killed the commercialization of FM and brought it back to what it used to be, deejays playing what they think listeners would like to hear. Not bloody likely though.

You go take your ten bucks and while you're at it, make copies of all your CD's or rip them all to .ogg or .mp3 and buy a mp3-HD unit for your car. Not everyone in America knows how to do this, or has the inclination though.
Re:Outside of radio markets by richieb · 2003-01-19 16:40 · Score: 1

Don't forget WBGO 88.3 - which a public station which plays mostly jazz and blues. Plus several NPR programs.

--
...richie - It is a good day to code.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Spectra72 · 2003-01-19 16:47 · Score: 1

Hell, at night, when 850 KOA out of Denver gets to jack up their signal, we could get it in north-central North Dakota on the Canadian border (Bottineau to be exact).
Ah..late nights with George Webber on KOA, those were the days.
Also, when you get that far north, you start getting all sorts of other FM stations out of Canada.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Moofie · 2003-01-19 16:50 · Score: 2, Interesting

The article derided early FM early adopters as "stoners and hippies". What happens when XM early adopters get the same treatment?

More to the point, why should I give him the chance to charge me lots of money for the privilege?

Sure, maybe XM will enable people to be broken up into smaller niches. Maybe it'll even have broader playlists. Maybe I can get through 24 hours without hearing the same song twice.

But I, for one, am not going to be paying anybody to find out.

One guy's opinion, that's all. Fortunately, my opinion about how radio should be is going to be far less damaging than this Abrams guy's is.

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re:Outside of radio markets by cscx · 2003-01-19 16:50 · Score: 3, Insightful

Hopefully, XM will be able to kill off FM completely and switch to a cheaper than cheap brand of "good" music stations.

Uh, no.

Let's take a few of your examples:

103.5 - "dance"

That's WKTU. The US's #1 dance station. This is where all new dance music that comes over from Europe premiers. No kidding. If it's hot in the UK, you'll hear it first. Best rhythm-format station in the country, period.

97.1 - old skool r&b

That's Hot 97. Hot 97 is the premier Hip Hop radio station in America. It's where most of the hot new hip-hop artists today got their first airplay.

92.3 - "current rock"

WXRK - K-Rock. Used to be classic rock, back in the day. What makes this station special? The home of Howard Stern. Overall #1 morning show in the country, and still #1 in NY for the middle age male demographic, period.

When "XM kills off" (as you say) Howard Stern completely in the morning drive, I'll personally be happy to drop a 50 pound brick onto my genitals. Why? Cause I'm 100% sure that'll never happen.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Spam+Bandito · 2003-01-19 17:02 · Score: 2, Informative

Even better is KNSX 93.3 (in St. Louis), an independent rock/alternative station. Good music (with slots for low-profile local bands from 9pm-3am) and never more than 4 (!) minutes of commercials per hour. Plus, any commercials they do have are either station info or music-related (such as local concerts, etc.).

--
Krama: Exlnelect (msltoy affteced by rreesceahrs at Elgisnh uetnirisvys)
Re:Outside of radio markets by Wyatt+Earp · 2003-01-19 17:11 · Score: 3, Interesting

You get out in Idaho on Highway 12 between Walla Walla and Missoula, and theres NOTHING day or night on FM/AM for 95% of the 200 mile trip.

I suppose if you went crazy with whips on the truck/car you could pull something down, but most mortals will hear nothing.

You get out in in Crow/Cheynne country between Hardin MT and Belle Fourche SD and you'll hear nothing on FM, and might if the atmo is right pick up KSL on AM an hour after dark, and might catch a skip from Oklahoma or Mexico for a few miles.

North out of Pierre on Highway 63 in SD and you might get lucky and hear some skips from Dallas or SLC.

Get out in Montana/Wyoming, eastern Oregon, south Utah, north Nevada and you'll be out of luck for much of anything.

One time I was driving I-90 from South Dakota west and in Montana I set the radio on AM to seek. It went for 2 hours without finding a signal to lock on.
Re:Outside of radio markets by FuzzyBad-Mofo · 2003-01-19 17:22 · Score: 2, Funny
Here in Chicago, I'm noticing a trend with FM radio. If I like a station, within a year they switch the format to Mexican radio. Let me count the ways:
1. 107.9 - 70's music
2. 103.1 - 80's music
3. 92.7 - dance
The one that really upsets me is the loss of Energy 92.7&5. That was the only Chicago area station that played decent dance music. Did we really need *another* Mexican station?
Re:Outside of radio markets by sporty · 2003-01-19 17:35 · Score: 1

That's WKTU. The US's #1 dance station. This is where all new dance music that comes over from Europe premiers. No kidding. If it's hot in the UK, you'll hear it first. Best rhythm-format station in the country, period.

No you don't. Try digitallyimported.com or 92.3 at around midnite on sundays (or was that saturdays). You'll hear better stuff.

As for K-rock and hot 97, they just play only the new music. You hardly hear metallica, pantera, alice in chains, ozzy, black sabbath, bush, tool or other good bands on k-rock. Last thing I wanna hear in the morning, is another puffy p-diddy rendition of another bad song, more nelly (women and sex sells dude) or one more creed/limpbizkit spin off.

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ping -f 255.255.255.255 # if only
Re:Outside of radio markets by fiftyfly · 2003-01-19 17:37 · Score: 1

Oh. My. God.
This is a problem? Perhpas you'd like to come up for a vist. I live in a city (no snickers please ;p) og ~75,000 in a trading area of ~250,000 sandwiched between Edmonton & Calgary (combined pop ~ 1.5mil). The radio here in my cavement gets 3 country stations & 2 pop rock. Just what do you have to complain about?

--
"Sanity is not statistical", George Orwell, "1984"
Re:Outside of radio markets by cscx · 2003-01-19 17:47 · Score: 1

Try digitallyimported.com

Talking FM here.

or 92.3 at around midnite on sundays (or was that saturdays).

You're probably thinking of more of an alternative club / straight electronica format. KTU is straight dance/rhythm. Think "20 year old girls grind ass to this music."

You hardly hear metallica, pantera, alice in chains, ozzy, black sabbath, bush, tool or other good bands on k-rock

That's cause they switched format years ago. It's an alternative station - they don't play old school hard rock anymore.
Re:Outside of radio markets by sporty · 2003-01-19 17:48 · Score: 1

That I am in the same situation as you. I'd argue that less people to run the stations in your area, the less stations you'l have. NYC has over 10 million peple. wtf??

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ping -f 255.255.255.255 # if only
Re:Outside of radio markets by jonathanbearak · 2003-01-19 17:51 · Score: 1

just to complain sometimes i tune the radio to z100 and say listen it's z100, tune it to ktu and say listen it's ktu. they say: "but it's the same song."

seriously, sometimes songs are played within a second or two of one another.

and holidays oh my god fucking holidays the same 5 songs on every station in cycle.

you want creative random music, but think playlists can't offer it? get a life and ask your friends about any oggs they recommend. (okay, probably mp3s, but this is /. so there have to be people like me who delete their mp3s and go searching around for the old scratched CDs i should have put back in the goddamn cases). plugins, p2p, launchcast, why not just go and ask to borrow someone's cd and see if you like it? then add it to your playlist. every couple cds, you'll get that wonderful new good song, and you'll have control of it, unlike radio or "music" television. (and btw, this is legal. though i wonder how they're gonna react to me encoding 500+ LPs my dad has, even though i can't bear 490 of them, just because i can)
Re:Outside of radio markets by nbvb · 2003-01-19 17:52 · Score: 1

No, 101.1 is WCBS-FM. "Oldies"
http://www.wcbsfm.com/

You forgot 104.3, "Classic Rock" (A decent radio station, IMO ...)
http://www.q1043.com
Re:Outside of radio markets by DennyK · 2003-01-19 18:10 · Score: 4, Informative

I believe it's an FCC requirement. Radio and television stations in the east have four-letter call signs beginning with "W", in the west, they begin with "K". See: http://www.oldradio.com/current/bc_k&w.htm for more details...

DennyK
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 18:23 · Score: 0

There are some stations west of the mississippi that start with W and there are some stations scattered all over the country that only have 3 call letters. There are old stations that chose their call letters before the FCC made up the rules.
Re:Outside of radio markets by ncc74656 · 2003-01-19 18:28 · Score: 1

Because everything east of of the Mississippi starts with a W and everything West of it starts with a K.

There are a handful of exceptions here and there...KDKA (Pittsburgh, IIRC) is probably the oldest counterexample. For the most part, though, what you said is true enough.

--
20 January 2017: the End of an Error.
Re:Outside of radio markets by goatasaur · 2003-01-19 18:34 · Score: 1

93.3 is RIGHT ON THE EDGE of my general travel area... it comes in clear maybe the last five minutes of my commute to work. It's realy frustrating!

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~D:
Re:Outside of radio markets by abischof · 2003-01-19 18:46 · Score: 1

If you're in Dallas, you're welcome to join us for the Slashdot Meetups (the next one is on Thursday).

--
Alex Bischoff
HTML/CSS coder for hire
Re:Outside of radio markets by Moofie · 2003-01-19 18:58 · Score: 1

Thanks for the heads-up, but I've got class Thurs night. Much obliged!

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re:Outside of radio markets by sysiphus · 2003-01-19 19:50 · Score: 1

Quoth the poster...
The problem is a dearth of good (and diverse) bands/groups...

True catharsis is blasting Static-X...
Anyone else out there find this to be an amusing juxtaposition?
Sysiphus

--
been out for 5 years, time to comment again...
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 19:51 · Score: 0

You left off 102.7 WNEW which, for a while, was the highest rated station in NYC when they had Opie and Anthony.

Fucking Catholics!!!
Re:Outside of radio markets by mrscorpio · 2003-01-19 20:04 · Score: 1

Yeah, Static-X blows goats.

The only innovative heavy band in the mainstream right now is System of a Down. (note my qualifier: MAINSTREAM.)

Chris
Re:Outside of radio markets by derF024 · 2003-01-19 20:06 · Score: 1

I personally think that all "radio" as we know it is doomed. I don't listen to the radio. I would rather listen to something i know. Like a cd I own.

personally, i _hate_ listening to CDs in the car. unless someone wants to buy me a 300 CD changer that will fit in my trunk, i'm never going to hear something that i couldn't already play back in my head. boring. i can listen to a cd maybe once a year, because it takes me about that long to forget what order the songs are in from the last time i heard it. if i wait about 3 or 4 years, i might actually forget some of the songs themselves, but only the less memorable ones. radio keeps me somewhat interested because i don't know what's going to come on next. and, since i don't listen to the main stream radio, i occasionally hear songs that i haven't heard before or haven't heard in 3 or 4 years.

this is also the main reason that I like to listen to recordings of live music when i can. with good bands, you'll never hear the same thing twice.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 20:07 · Score: 0

Tool is good and I'd say they're fairly mainstream.
Re:Outside of radio markets by mrscorpio · 2003-01-19 20:07 · Score: 1

Are you a truck driver, or do you just have a strange attraction to the desolate areas of the USA? :)

Chris
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 20:16 · Score: 0

You forgot 99.5 WBAI Listener-Sponsored Community Radio.
Re:Outside of radio markets by mrscorpio · 2003-01-19 20:18 · Score: 1

Indeed, I did leave out Tool, and I feel bad now :)

Though I don't feel that they're THAT heavy, they're more "progressive", have a pop twinge (on their latest album), with a slice of heavy.

But yeah, they're great.

Chris
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 20:21 · Score: 0

not that you'll see this but you're so completely full of shit. there are still lots of good bands they just don't get played on the radio cause the corperations can't make millions of dollars off them. so pull your fucking head out of your ass and go look for some good bands on the net you moron.
Re:Outside of radio markets by profet · 2003-01-19 20:47 · Score: 1

hey hey...

89.5 WSOU Seton Hall Pirate Radio

Makes KROCK look like cbsfm
Re:Outside of radio markets by hobbit · 2003-01-19 22:50 · Score: 1

I live in the UK, and I can assure you that 'hot' dance music is not the same as mainstream dance music. You hear it in the clubs months, sometimes years, before it gets a release.

--
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something" - Plato
Re:Outside of radio markets by Corporate+Troll · 2003-01-19 23:19 · Score: 1

I do... So does my dad. The radio is the one thing that is *always* "on" in the house. Not the TV, like in American families. (Yup, Eurotrash talking here)
I wake up with the radio (I hate Beep-beep alarms), I listen to the news over breakfast, and in the car I listen to a morning show on ARA-City-Radio (great job guys!).
Unfortunately at work radio's are forbidden, but at other clients it wasn't, so when I can and the coworkers agree I listen to the radio during work.
In the evening a good classic-radio station and my day is over... With tons of radio a day.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Surak · 2003-01-20 00:16 · Score: 1

When "XM kills off" (as you say) Howard Stern completely in the morning drive, I'll personally be happy to drop a 50 pound brick onto my genitals. Why? Cause I'm 100% sure that'll never happen.

They said the same thing about AM radio. FM never killed it off completely, but you can hardly find a music station on AM radio anymore, it's all talk now.

--
My journal has hot /. gossip.
Re:Outside of radio markets by mark_lybarger · 2003-01-20 01:09 · Score: 1

you're not trying to say that cable TV has changed for the better in this decade are you?
Re:Outside of radio markets by EvilAlien · 2003-01-20 01:28 · Score: 1

Lucky you. The city I live in has the worst radio stations ever. A media company with a sickening fondness for country bumpkin tunes now owns one of the two (formerly) decent rock stations in the city and has turned it into a bastardized mix of Top 40 swill, Nickelback/Kruger gruel, and country pop crap. Its not unusual to have them play the latest U2 soundtrack contribution, followed by whatever Pink has at the top of the charts, a Lonestar, Lea-anne Rimes or other country song, with a little Santana and random guest to finish the set. Then its commercial time, wherein we get some insight into their target audience and what it is they want us to buy today. Then they choke up the airwaves with a couple other country-only stations and talk/news stations.
You'd think there would be some decent rock or at least classic rock in a city that leans towards country, wouldn't you? Hell no, we've got one decent rock station that tends to cater to the fart joke crowd and two, count them, two hip hop stations. Meanwhile, another city a 3rd the size has the most amazing collection of new music stations, rock, "alternative" and whatnot.
Radio sucks. That is why I have a CD changer in my vehicle, and listen to MP3s at work.

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perl -e 'print $i=pack(c5, (41*2), sqrt(7056), (unpack(c,H)-2), oct(115), 10)'
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 02:25 · Score: 0

While not in NYC (It's in Long Island), I still get it in NJ.. 92.7 WLIR it's a rock station, but they mix it up a bit.
Re:Outside of radio markets by mveloso · 2003-01-20 02:42 · Score: 1

What are you, deaf? On the bands in NYC there's a station almost every odd frequency or four.
Re:Outside of radio markets by TXG1112 · 2003-01-20 03:51 · Score: 1

You are missing one important NY station.

104.3 - "Classic Rock"

While it's owned by clearchannel (I think, could be the other company, but I don't think it matters) It (usually) plays a decent cross section of rock. After listening for a couple of weeks, it will seem to get repetitive, however they change the playlists every month or so, so it doesent get too stale. Interestingly enough, many of the DJ's are from the old WNEW 102.7 (Including Scott Muni)

On a side note, for an interesting look at the history of FM radio in NY check out Richard Neer's book, FM: The Rise and Fall of FM Radio.

--
I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered. My life is my own.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Daniel_Staal · 2003-01-20 04:11 · Score: 1

The one that really upsets me is the loss of Energy 92.7&5. That was the only Chicago area station that played decent dance music. Did we really need *another* Mexican station?

They killed Energy 92.7!? I live in Minneapolis and put that on my presets for when I visited my relatives! (It was better than anything I've found up here, so the preset was no loss.)

The time has come my friends; there is nothing left. I say we leave to someplace we can get Radio Jordan.

--
'Sensible' is a curse word.
Re:Outside of radio markets by CaseyB · 2003-01-20 04:24 · Score: 1

You're probably thinking of more of [a progressive and interesting] format. KTU is straight [cookie cutter top 40 Hip Hop].
Yes, exactly.
Re:Outside of radio markets by festers · 2003-01-20 04:48 · Score: 1

I'm still grieving the loss of 92.7&5. It's pissed me off enough that I'm seriously considering sat. radio.

--

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"Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief."
Re:Outside of radio markets by smithmc · 2003-01-20 04:49 · Score: 1

You mean that's all that's on the air that you care about. There's *much* more on the dial in the NYC area than that. Where's WBAI? or WLIR? or WNEW? Or any of a dozen or more other stations you left out?

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Downmodding is the refuge of the weak. Don't downmod, make a better argument!
Re:Outside of radio markets by poot_rootbeer · 2003-01-20 04:49 · Score: 1

Where's Q104.3? Where's the NPR stations? Where's 102.7 WNEW, former home of Opie & Anthony? Where are the NJ stations like NJ101.5 and 89.5 WSOU?

Your list is incomplete. I get more stations along the FM dial in the NYC area than any other place I've been.
Re:Outside of radio markets by doubtless · 2003-01-20 04:50 · Score: 1

You are partly right, however, stations are able to sell their call sign to any region in the country. Hence there are some odd ball stations with the 'wrong' call signs with regard to their physical location.

For example, KISS FM 108 is in Boston.

--
geek page at KY speaks
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 05:27 · Score: 0

How does that work--isn't the call sign part of the license, which only applies to a particular area?
Re:Outside of radio markets by sdcharle · 2003-01-20 05:30 · Score: 1

When "XM kills off" (as you say) Howard Stern completely in the morning drive, I'll personally be happy to drop a 50 pound brick onto my genitals. Why? Cause I'm 100% sure that'll never happen.
It's an interesting paradox you present. If Howard Stern goes off the air, he won't be able to have you on the show to drop a 50 lb brick on your genitals.
Re:Outside of radio markets by renecarlos · 2003-01-20 05:37 · Score: 1

If I like a station, within a year they switch the format to Mexican radio.

Standard conglomerate-radio tactic. Enter a market, buy up as many stations as possible, then concentrate each into whatever pigeonhole the marketing department says. If you still have excess stations, spin them off into non-competing formats (sports, news, Spanish). If another conglomerate has split the prime spectrum, skew formats to prevent overlap.

This is not so that you, the listener, have a nice choice of presets. This is to become one-stop shopping to advertizing agencies. You want to plug Cadillac? Try our Oldies station. You've got Nissan XTerras? Dude, Xtreme 101!!! Radio is about delivering "eardrums," just as the web was about delivering eyeballs a few years ago.

I'm guessing that you liked the independent radio stations, and some conglomerate was just taking its time buying or converting them.
Re:Outside of radio markets by sporty · 2003-01-20 05:44 · Score: 1

I can't pick up WLIR or WBAI at my house.

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ping -f 255.255.255.255 # if only
Re:Outside of radio markets by sahala · 2003-01-20 06:09 · Score: 1

Re:Outside of radio markets (Score:1) by sdcharle (631718) on Mon Jan 20, '03 11:30 AM (#5119477) When "XM kills off" (as you say) Howard Stern completely in the morning drive, I'll personally be happy to drop a 50 pound brick onto my genitals. Why? Cause I'm 100% sure that'll never happen. It's an interesting paradox you present. If Howard Stern goes off the air, he won't be able to have you on the show to drop a 50 lb brick on your genitals.
Wrong show...in fact wrong medium. That's what Jackass is for.
Re:Outside of radio markets by goatasaur · 2003-01-20 06:33 · Score: 1

Seen Tool live, twice... don't pass it up. My example of Static-X was just a random rage-band I picked out. Their first album was good...

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~D:
Re:Outside of radio markets by Chris+Hiner · 2003-01-20 06:46 · Score: 1

Actually, KISS is kind of a station brand, like a "theme" package. If you look closer, you'll find that KISS FM 108 in Boston, is actually licensed by the FCC as WXKS. (In the fine print on their contact page.)

The station with the actual KISS callsign, is in San Antonio, Texas, on 99.5.

One example of a before the rules station, is KDKA-AM (and TV) in Pittsburgh. They predate the rule.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Wyatt+Earp · 2003-01-20 06:48 · Score: 1

I live in Portland OR but own property in central South Dakota.

I've driven Portland or Eugene to South Dakota about everywhichway one can.

I've driven Portland-Denver about 16 different ways and once I drove from west Kansas to Pensacola Florida in a day, a 23 hour day.

I attended the University of South Dakota and did a 820 mile round trip every weekend to go home. In 1992-93 there wasn't a whole lot on the radio along I-90 in South Dakota, theres more now.

In Feb/March of 2002 I drove from Portland-Rapid City-Eagle Butte SD 5 times.

I do it for fun.
Re:Outside of radio markets by DThorne · 2003-01-20 06:57 · Score: 1

You're simply wrong. I envy you your station that actually does something new, but here in Toronto, you hear the same 20 frickin' songs over. and over. and over. Sure, you can change to another channel, and you get *another* 20 songs - some overlap. Over. and over. and over.
There's plenty of good music out there. There's no venue for them on the airwaves, that's all. My favourite oxymoronic classification is "Alternative". Alternative? To What? Britney Spears, I guess. Same garbage, incessently repeated.
I personally don't think this will threaten radio - too many lemmings out there that can't conceive of pay radio and too much power that would be given up - but it's the *sort*of thing that I hope, one day, will start to creep into radio. I remember in the "old days" that I would be shocked to occasionally hear Penguin Cafe Orchestra creep into the mix. The only place I can hear stuff like that now is on our late night, government funded CBC network.

DT
Re:Outside of radio markets by FuzzyBad-Mofo · 2003-01-20 07:29 · Score: 1

I think you hit the nail on the head, so to speak. While I admit to enjoying some of the programming from the corporate stations, the playlists quickly become stale and overplayed. I prefer the independant stations because their content seems less canned, and they are more free to play whatever they desire. It's a shame what has happened to FM radio. :(
Re:Outside of radio markets by banzai51 · 2003-01-20 09:27 · Score: 1

Kill free radio? No. Kill Clear Channel/Infinity control of free radio? Yes. XM radio not only gives you the same 'hits' that your local stations play, it will also give you niche stations that are not commercially viable. Jazz, Blues, Classical, etc. If XM gets popular in your area, the only way for FM to compete is to start clueing in locally and getting clued-in DJs and let them set the plate rather than amass a coporate playlist. Hopefully, XM will force local FM stations to play local music.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 10:11 · Score: 0

KPNT is an Emmis station which is almost as bad an being owned by CheepChannel.

My bet is they just don't know what to do with the signal right now.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 10:39 · Score: 0

Per their program director (or should I say-possibly "former" PD), 9275 was bought by Spanish Broadcasting (IIRC).

Sadly, though, 9275 seemed to have a limited playlist of about 30 songs, some of which were played almost every 45 minutes, which gets boring on long commutes to/from work (I never want to hear "Teenage Wasteland", "Bania U Cygana", or "Las Ketchup" ever, ever, ever again...), some of which were the same songs being played on Top 40 stations (e.g. "Play," "Family Affair,", or that horrid Madonna/James Bond song...).

Then, they would break up the 30 or so songs with a handful of "80's dance" tracks overplayed on most of the rest of the "Top 40" stations. These musical sets would be broken up (like clockwork) with 5 minutes of commercials at roughly :20 and :50 (depending upon song ordering) and a cheesey "I am Energy" spot. Sadly, though, other stations typically played their commercials at this time, so one could not easily eascpe the commercial onslaught (without turning on NPR or turning off the radio for 5 minutes).

I do miss the occasional dance gem that they would play in the evenings (when they had a slightly-harder dance format than during the daytime) and their "no host" morning show-I hated their morning guy's show and was glad that he was moved to evenings (why waste my time with his banter-I wanted to hear __music__, not recaps of Top-10 lists taken off of MSN's front page).

Nowadays, I just got a CD player for my car and will be using it instead of playing the radio. Even though the station _was_ repetitive, I still miss it. (I also miss how easy it was to win their prizes/telephone contests!!!!)

BTW-my favorite bit of humour was having Eddie & JoBo from B-96 advertising on 9275 before the format change, claiming that B-96 plays "dance music..." I also miss all of the "enhancement" commercials as well (heh heh heh).
Re:Outside of radio markets by The+FooMiester · 2003-01-20 10:59 · Score: 1

It hasn't gotten a whole lot better, but I think you're more likely to find specalized programming now rather than the 2 sports channels, 3 pay movie channels, 2 shopping channels, and the 30-some channels of reruns of Lucy, Gilligan's Island, MASH, Newhart, Cheers and other assorted washed up shows.

Kind of like FM radio being 90% the same 50 songs by 40 artists.

--
The previous has been a secret message to my comrades.
Re:Outside of radio markets by hyperturbopete · 2003-01-20 11:13 · Score: 1

Um, Actually New York is the exception. There's classical music. Theres jazzy stuff on 80-something Mhz. THeres a Columbia U's radio station (Hi Eugene!) There's that radio station that has the 2600 show.

Theres Z100 which is crap for little kids. But then KTU's ok, and so is hot 97.

So there! Of course college radio stations, esp in small towns are always 1000000 times better. But hey.

--
SUV's support terrorism !
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 12:21 · Score: 0

San Diego just got a new radio station at 94.9 FM, run by the guy who used to run 91X, a station that used to be almost as influential as KROQ in Los Angeles was in those days. Sadly, 91X has been bought up by ClearChannel, but this new one is pretty slick.

I listed to it last night on the way back to Los Angeles and heard very few commercials, but did hear Fugazi, the Pixies, G. Love and Special Sauce, Soul Coughing, and a couple other really good songs. I'm thoroughly impressed with the station, so if you're in earshot (I can pick it up in West Los Angeles clearly), listen to it and help keep it alive against the ClearChannel juggernaut!
Re:Outside of radio markets by lostguy · 2003-01-20 13:07 · Score: 1

Try growing up outside Walla Walla and looking forward to driving to town so you can get the good station(s). I was always trying to get another mile of reception out of KWCW when driving on HWY 12.

WTF are you from, anyway?
Re:Outside of radio markets by uspsguy · 2003-01-20 20:42 · Score: 1

IIRC, KOA doesn't jack up their signal at night, they are 50,000 watts all the time. Signal propigation changes a lot for AM between day and night. KOA is local to me so I get it all the time, sometimes in things like electric tooth brushes. They are, I believe, one of a small number of "clear channel" (no, not the company)stations. They are the only one allowed to use that specific frequency anywhere in the country. Most of them have the 3 letter call signs indicating they have been around forever. Way back when, I used to listed to KOB (Albuquerque) in Denver at night. I was told these were set up to be able to blanket the whole country with radio, whether or not there were any nearby local stations.

--
Profanity - The sign of a small mind trying to express itself.
Re:Outside of radio markets by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-21 03:11 · Score: 0

Lest you all become terribly jealous of St. Louis' cultural opportunities, I think another resident of the area needs to weigh in. This comment actually made me laugh out loud.. KPNT is terribly corporate and basically everything that's wrong with FM radio that's being discussed here. The only time any music that's not Linkin Park or Limp Bizkit is played is like the last half hour before they go off the air, and it's still shit. Like Static-X. The problem is not the lack of good new bands. It's people that listen to corporate radio, think it's playing all the music that exists and then assuming it's the artists fault for not making good music. What about Tomahawk, Dillinger Escape Plan, Fantomas, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Mogwai, Hatebreed, Hopesfall, Isis, Lamb of God, Meshuggah, Neurosis, Poison the Well, Red Harvest, Techno Animal, El-P, Cannibal Ox, etc. etc. etc... oh wait, none of these bands make it on KPNT 105.7, do they? Grr.

the trick is in the X... by QEDog · 2003-01-19 14:39 · Score: 5, Funny

Everyone knows that to make something sound cool you just put an X somewhere -X-Box -Xtreme Games -XXX (the action movie, not the rating, triple x triple the fun!) -XXX (the rating) -Windows XP -Ximian

--
"There is no teacher but the enemy."-Mazer Rackham

Re:the trick is in the X... by Hektor_Troy · 2003-01-19 14:49 · Score: 4, Funny

X-wife ... 'nuff said!

--
We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
Re:the trick is in the X... by rampant+mac · 2003-01-19 14:50 · Score: 2

I vote this thread suX0r. Is that good enough?

--
I like big butts and I cannot lie.
Re:the trick is in the X... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:06 · Score: 0

Linux?
Re:the trick is in the X... by WetCat · 2003-01-19 15:10 · Score: 1

X-wife?
X-champion, X-president...
Re:the trick is in the X... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:17 · Score: 0

XML, Mac OS X, XHTML, BMX XXX, X-Men, x (multiplying is at an all time high!), X-Windows, X11, Mutant X, Megaman X, ...
Re:the trick is in the X... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:39 · Score: 1, Funny

X-president

But unfortunately, the USA got an early beta version with many of the speech synthesis bugs not yet worked out - the W-president.
Re:the trick is in the X... by john_is_war · 2003-01-19 15:39 · Score: 1

Excellent idea

--
Live life to the fullest. It's not that life is short, but that you are dead for so long.
Re:the trick is in the X... by XJoshX · 2003-01-19 15:41 · Score: 1

This man has a point.

(look at my username if you're not getting the joke)

(although mine come from being Straight Edge)

--
Click here to read too much about my personal life
Re:the trick is in the X... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 17:18 · Score: 0

What's really extreme is getting really drunk, hanging out in oi bars, and then putting out my cigarettes on straight edger's foreheads.
Re:the trick is in the X... by phalse+phace · 2003-01-19 17:21 · Score: 1

You forgot about Mac OS X
Re:the trick is in the X... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 23:35 · Score: 0

XFL?

What is this.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 14:39 · Score: 0

What is this XM/FM radio you are talking about? my dial is always on AM.

Re:What is this.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 14:58 · Score: 0

AM radio. Now THAT'S free of propoganda all right. G. Gordon Liddy that all the Liddiots listen to.. and Rush Limbaugh, for all the Limbots...

Re:FP by bbiseda · 2003-01-19 14:43 · Score: 0, Offtopic

Video did kill the radio star after all...

Here in Albany NY, two words... by Savatte · 2003-01-19 14:43 · Score: 5, Funny

are all that's needed to show how bad FM radio sucks: Creed marathons.

Re:Here in Albany NY, two words... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:30 · Score: 0

haha listen to WCDB funny man
Re:Here in Albany NY, two words... by Savatte · 2003-01-19 16:15 · Score: 1

I do, as a matter of fact. Talkshow 91 I even do guest voices for the show. You can ask DJ Insomniac.
Re:Here in Albany NY, two words... by Bald+Wookie · 2003-01-19 16:26 · Score: 2, Funny

Creed marathons.

They have more than one song?
Re:Here in Albany NY, two words... by captaincucumber · 2003-01-19 16:40 · Score: 1

Oh Lord! Take me now, I don't want to live any more!
Re:Here in Albany NY, two words... by Monkey-Man2000 · 2003-01-19 16:43 · Score: 2, Funny

Creed marathons.

They have more than one song?

Maybe that's the point.

--
This post was generated by a Cadre of Uber Monkeys for Monkey-Man2000 (603495).
Re:Here in Albany NY, two words... by Powercntrl · 2003-01-19 17:08 · Score: 1

Only creed? What a sheltered life you must live. You could make terrorists surrender with a Justin Timberlake marathon.

--

---
DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
Re:Here in Albany NY, two words... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 19:33 · Score: 0

Applauds another NY'er fed up with Fly 92 and WVCR...
Re:Here in Albany NY, two words... by Happy+go+Lucky · 2003-01-19 20:49 · Score: 1

Creed marathons.
They have more than one song?
Yes, but they're really just two different interpretations of The Calling's only song, which is actually a cover of Pearl Jam's one song.
Re:Here in Albany NY, two words... by phelddagrif · 2003-01-20 06:11 · Score: 1

yeah nothing is worse than marathons. Especially when it's creed. I'm actually quite happy with the state of radio in toronto after reading a bit about the clear channel empire. As no one company owns all the stations, and there is actually a fair bit of competition and diversity in the FM spectrum.
Re:Here in Albany NY, two words... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 07:30 · Score: 0

And you really want to kill yourself when The Edge (103.9), PYX 106 (106.5), and Channel 103.1 ALL PLAY CREED AT THE SAME TIME!
Re:Here in Albany NY, two words... by hyperturbopete · 2003-01-20 11:16 · Score: 1

Yup. I have to agree. Creed sucks.

The only time I've ever hit another human being in anger is when my roommate walked into my room, the Ramones was on, and he said "is this creed?".

--
SUV's support terrorism !

Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by matth · 2003-01-19 14:44 · Score: 4, Insightful

I don't know.... it just doesn't work to have one station that you can listen to all the time. You miss locality... and people like that. ClearChannel is trying to do an XM like setup but with FM. They own tons of radio stations which they run all under one roof.. and they are all computer run. But, while the music may be there the localities.. and personalities are not. In addition, with XM you don't have the localness that you do with DJ Bob and the morning show talking about something that happened 1 town over the previous evening.

Sooner or later ClearM (Clear Channel Radio) is going to fail as well... due to the fact that they are not marketing to the locals but the masses... they have tons of stations that all play the same ads.. and different music... just doesn't work that way.

Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by f97tosc · 2003-01-19 15:03 · Score: 2, Informative

I don't know.... it just doesn't work to have one station that you can listen to all the time. You miss locality... and people like that.

Well, the customer who wants local stuff will clearly not be statisfied by XM. But I think that there is a significant customer segment, myself included, that does not care about local stuff. Personally I don't want to hear people talking, (be it local or not) and I think that the selection of music I get on FM is very limited.

With XM I could get a much better selection of different music types, not to mention clearer sound and no commercials. I'll wait for the prices to fall a little further though...

Tor
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by matth · 2003-01-19 15:06 · Score: 1

You are very correct. Commercial free... and if you don't care about listening to the morning Bob & Tom show.. then XM would be good. Personally, I kinda like hearing the local personalities.
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by afidel · 2003-01-19 15:12 · Score: 3, Insightful

Clearchannel is not going to fail unless goverment decides to break it back up. Their radio stations are just a small part of the picture, they are trying and to a great degree suceeding in owning almost everything in music. Clearchannel wants to own the venues, the ticketing, the radio etc. This way they can "make" a band, then once they have created this group with their marketing machine they book them at their venues and using their ticketing system (tickmaster). From a profit standpoint they make a heck of a lot more than the bands they create.

--
There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by Raiford · 2003-01-19 15:24 · Score: 1

you don't have the localness that you do with DJ Bob and the morning show talking about something that happened 1 town over the previous evening.
... and this is the very reason I would want XM radio to avoid having to listen to the troll-like morning windbags that think they are God's gift to entertainment. Just give me the music. I listen to a lot of CDs but I like to listen for new stuff once in a while without the ridiculous commentary.

--
"player 4 hit player 1 with 0 stroms"
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by RocketScientist · 2003-01-19 15:29 · Score: 4, Informative

I have XM.

I really do miss the local stuff. Let's see...moron morning DJ's doing prank calls, commercials for local exterminators, commercials for local car dealers, commercials for local plumbers. Then the afternoon drive home, featuring the EXACT SAME SONGS played the previous day's drive home. Then there's our AM radio lineup. The only thing more boring than AM radio is baseball, and now that football season's about over we get to look forward to either baseball games or old geezers talking about baseball. Oh, and I also miss the talk show hosts that fall into either the poor Rush Limbaugh imitator category or poor Dr Laura imitator category. Gee...yeah, I really do miss that local content.

OK, the only thing I miss is the weather. Traffic reports here are a joke anyway. Of course, I've got the ham radio (2M FM for storm spotting mostly) in my vehicle so I can just turn on 162.550 Mhz and listen to our local robot reading the weather forecast.

At any rate, local content here sucks. Bigtime. I had totally given up on any local station except for NPR, and the extreme liberal bias of the commentators was annoying the heck out of me. And guess what, the NPR station here just had the national content, delivered via satellite. So, yeah, even the local station I listened to just rebroadcast satellite programming.

I think the thing that gives XM it's edge is that they have 100 channels. You get 20 Mhz of bandwidth (a little less, actually) so you can fit in, what, a dozen, maybe a dozen and a half or so stations? So you get the variety of content. you get both a bluegrass and a folk station. You get a college and an alternative rock station (2 actually). Hip hop, rap, electronic. Whatever you want, they've got it somewhere.
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by bicho · 2003-01-19 15:58 · Score: 1

With the advenment of the Internet, that locality is losing its meaning and its appeal.

And I think its a good thing.

--

errera hunamum ets
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by Stonent1 · 2003-01-19 15:58 · Score: 1

While we're on the subject of ClearChannel. I noticed that DFW Airport says ClearChannel all of over the place. Is CC in the airport business too? Don't believe me? Google
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:23 · Score: 0

Is CC in the airport business too?
I guess, they sell advertising. Google
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by DirtMcGirt · 2003-01-19 17:44 · Score: 2, Insightful

[i]I had totally given up on any local station except for NPR, and the extreme liberal bias of the commentators was annoying the heck out of me.[/i]

You need to get out into the world more. I find the national NPR shows to have a very strong conservative bias. Not as in-your-face as CNN, but quite strong nonetheless.
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 18:07 · Score: 0

NPR has been long attacked by both right-wing and left-wing groups for being too liberal and too conservative, respectively. They've done surveys on this, and found that about as many people think they are biased conservatives as think they are biased liberals.

Oh, the "you need to get out into the world more" line is as pointless, childish, and tiresome as the ranting about the 2000 election that I had to endure yesterday. Go sit in the corner for five minutes.
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by zenyu · 2003-01-19 23:24 · Score: 1

NPR has been long attacked by both right-wing and left-wing groups for being too liberal and too conservative, respectively. They've done surveys on this, and found that about as many people think they are biased conservatives as think they are biased liberals

The programs also vary. Most of their news programs are right in the middle. Though some of their reporters have done stints in the Bush whitehouse. Here in New York there are some apolitical* shows in the morning and early afternoon, followed by some liberal shows out of boston, followed by the news again, and a slightly conservative financial news program, and then some stuff I never listen to and finaly the conservative NewsHour. (I'm ignoring the weekend programming, mostly national entertainment programs.)

I do notice there are a lot fewer ads. Maybe 5-10 minutes out of the hour. WNYC is on XM. Though I don't know if it is the AM or FM station, I don't think I've touched the FM dial in like 3 years. There is just nothing but crap on all the station. I don't think XM will be much better. Like, umm, one corp programming 70 stations. Where the programmers meet in one room in one city? No thanks.

(*one of the 'apolitical' shows is actually a current events program that interviews politicians, but they are very C-Span about it, you know the mary-jane candidate follows the right to lifer. The other show interviews authors on book tours and anyone else interesting they can get their hands on, usually very good.)
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by slide-rule · 2003-01-20 01:48 · Score: 1

...you don't have the localness that you do with DJ Bob and the morning show talking about something that happened 1 town over the previous evening.

...which is exactly why I personally gave up on radio in my area. Between 7:00 and 8:00 am (going-to-work hour) the "DJ"s do some morning show which seems to involve a lot of flatulence jokes. Funny when I was five. Less funny now. Between 5:00 and 6:00 (going-home hour) it is even worse since the "DJ"s drone on ad nauseum about some inane bit of minutiae of their life that isn't interesting, informative, or funny. These two "hours" play maybe 15-20 minutes of music a-piece, and there really isn't another station in the area that plays similar stuff to my liking.
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by Sacarino · 2003-01-20 01:56 · Score: 1

hehe.

The Bob & Tom Show is hardly local.... unless you live in Indy.

Yeah Toast!

--
-- El Sacarino tiene gusto de la chocha
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by tbone1 · 2003-01-20 04:29 · Score: 1
- hehe.
  The Bob & Tom [bobandtom.com] Show is hardly local.... unless you live in Indy.
  Yeah Toast!
And I do! I've been listenining to Bob and Tom so long I remember when Kristi left & came back, when Heywood Banks first showed up, and when Chick was doing afternoon drive with Dog. I also have their lp releases.
And maybe it's just me, but their jokes making local references are the funniest. I remember Herm Johnson rambling on about trees and saying 'Back in Toledo there was this fella named Dick Crumble who knew all about trees ...'. I nearly drove into the ditch. (Dick Crum was the inspiration for Mr. Obvious, in case you didn't make the connection.)
While I like my XM radio and I like hearing great national shows (and I would include Bob and Tom in that), it's those inside jokes that I miss with national and homogenized radio. That's why I listen to WIBC on the drive home, because Dave Wilson's show is funny and Indy-oriented. YMMV, of course.
--

The Independent: Reverend Spooner Arrested in Friar Tuck Incident - ISIHAC, Historical Headlines
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 05:49 · Score: 0

So as a ham why dont you have a HF reciever in your car s oyou can listen to real radio?

Radio free america and radio free europe is better than any crap you have here in the 88-108Mhz band.

It kills me how people look for entertainment and yet refuse to use their brain or look for entertainment that at least enhances life.. Instead you look for a copy of your CD rack but pay $9.95 a month for it...

silly.
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by renecarlos · 2003-01-20 05:54 · Score: 1

You miss locality... and people like that. ClearChannel is trying to do an XM like setup but with FM. They own tons of radio stations which they run all under one roof.. and they are all computer run Aside from being contradictory, this is not strictly true. Morning DJs are of course syndicated nationwide; many others are multi-market; and pick up a newspaper or two to scan for local content. Some listeners have noticed DJs mispronouncing local names and making other geographic errors; in all likelihood the DJ is not even in the same time zone. Even non-morning DJs don't have to be local. With enough cash and stations, you get a "reverse time-shift" console, and record a whole aftenoon's worth of song names, segueways, and patter in an hour. Once, a West Virginia corporate station was scrambling to recover from a fault. They operate by streaming a feed from some national office, and there were like two people in the station's building.
Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by Mattsson · 2003-01-20 09:43 · Score: 1

But it would be great to have a "saver" station to switch to when the regular stations get too lousy, wouldn't it? =)

Where I live I've got two such stations. (Actually, I rarely switch *from* them at all, unless I'm listening to my mp3player.)
One is a station funded by the state and covers the entire country. No commercials and therefore not *only* lousy programs playing *only* list music.
The other is a student radiochannel, funded with commercials and sponsoring from local companies or companies who wants to hire the students once they become engineers, sent from the university in the neighbouring city.
It's *very* rare for all of them to suck at the same time, which I can't say for the big commercial "music" channels that exist here.

But I guess things like a student-run radiostation would have a hard time getting air time on a countrywide broadcastsystem with only 100 channels in a country the size of the us. :-/
Especially since most of the students who go on the radio, at least here, are people with alternative tastes that hate the stupid commercial stations. Like people listening to goth, black rock, synth, ebm, trance, hardcore, etc. =)
I don't really care about locality, even though it *is* nice to get tips about conserts and such.
I want a station that plays mostly good music and small unknown bands that I'd never hear about otherwise, instead of just playing what's high on the charts right now.

--
/.Mattsson - My native language is not English, so please don't whine over linguistic errors. (That's lame anyway...)

silence vs. bad non-silence by timothy · 2003-01-19 14:47 · Score: 5, Funny

It's almost worse when you can get *some* radio, but it's annoying radio. Driving in West Texas is like that. (Not all the time, but ... with enough time, "not all" can still mean quite a bit ;))

Cracker Barrel (which is of course not in plentiful supply in the utter boonies, yet) has an insidious, effective plan to make sure you consume their maple syrup: rent (actually, sell but with an easy sell-back plan) audio books.I think it's about $2.50, if you return a tape within one week. It's worse than the addictive chemical in the Colonel's chicken.

timothy

--
jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5

Re:silence vs. bad non-silence by JoshRoss · 2003-01-19 17:23 · Score: 1

In northern michigan we get country, western, country-western. It all sucks. My biggest grip with XM is most of the tunners suck. I have a pioneer and the buttons are hard and there is a pause between seeking stations. and it only displays the first few chars of the artist / title. I want to get the delphi skyfi. I just dont want to mount it on my arm rest :P

well by Joe+the+Lesser · 2003-01-19 14:47 · Score: 1

I'll stick with my free, mediocre music. Thank you.

Or better yet, my discman...

--
"I only speak the truth"
Karma: null(Mostly affected by an unassigned variable)

Re:well by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 18:45 · Score: 0

I bet you use Linux, too. The typical linux user has no problem settling for a mediocre OS because it is free.
Re:well by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 19:18 · Score: 0

Where does 'college radio' and 'alternative radio'
live in the XM spectrum?

I won't buy XM. I get great exposure to new music
from UPenn and Rutgers radio stations.

Given the mass-marketing, I would never have heard
of: Joan Osbourne, Lucinda Williams, Bob Mould, Elliot Smith, Steve Earle, Gorillaz -- well, the
list goes on and on.

XM == RIAA, in my view....
Re:well by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 00:46 · Score: 0

I know I do. Haven't been hit with a virus since I started using it either; Linux that is. So in my case I can A) Pay for an MS product that provides no protection and then pay for some form of "virus protection" where they release the protection after the virus is out, OR B) Run Linux. BTW, I paid for that two. I now have stability, ease of use and security. And when I want to play games, I head over to the MS box. Right product for the right job. MS - play games. Linux - Everything else.

As for the whole XM radio deal. Let review history. Everyone had rabbit ears = TV bad. Only
4 channels...too many commercials. Cable comes out. For a small price you can have commercial free TV with loads of quality programming. FF to present. "57 channels and nothing on." Oh and BTW, you now have just as many commercials as we did back in the rabbit ears days, AND that small monthly fee is now 40 or more dollars.

Sound familier?? I'll pass.
Re:well by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 13:16 · Score: 0

Where does 'college radio' and 'alternative radio' live in the XM spectrum?

Channels 43 (New Music), 44 (80's alternative), 47 (current alternative), and 52 (unsigned bands), among others.

I don't have 50 kilodollars by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 14:48 · Score: 0

How do citizens get to voice their opinion?
(with more than 10 milliwatts)

ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by green+pizza · 2003-01-19 14:48 · Score: 5, Interesting

ClearChannel killed the radio fan.

In my neck of the woods (northern Texas) it's almost impossible to find an FM station that isn't part of clearchannel's network. Lots of ads, nation-wide contests, clearchannel-approved news/propaganda. Et cetra.

Yuck.

Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by ChillinTheMost · 2003-01-19 15:15 · Score: 1

It's the same here in Houston. ClearChannel owns most of the stations and they all suck. I don't even bother with it anymore. I put an MP3 player in my car and I listen to music not commercials and not to crap I don't want to hear.
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by plague3106 · 2003-01-19 15:18 · Score: 1

When i was in college, the best radio station i ever heard was The Nerve in rochester ny. They played music i liked (as well as the other college kids) and most of their commercials were done by teh station (or so it seemed...usually it was the same 2 guys doing them). That station had a great personality. Then clear channel bought them out. Now its the same crappy station that gets played here in SE PA. You know, play 1 good song, 1 song yhou really don't want to hear, one you don't care about, and then about 25 mins of commercials. Ugh.
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by LostCluster · 2003-01-19 15:19 · Score: 5, Informative

XM isn't gonna save you... ClearChannel invested in the company, and carries much of ClearChannel's network programming.
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:20 · Score: 0

Okay, this is getting weird. Near as I can tell Clear Channel is everywhere but of five or so comments on clear channel so far mentioning a specific location and the crappiness which is ClearChannel, four of them have been in regard to North Texas! Are we at groundzero of ClearChannel dominance or what?

On that note, a positive local thing. KERA (local NPR station) has a few actual local program mixed in with all the NPR stuff. In particular, Lonestar Saturday Nights (oddly enough, on Saturday night, 7:00 if I recall) with actual Texas bands and actual Texas musicians on the program. There is still hope, even if its NPR.

Have also found a few other tiny local radio stations (Dallas now), that specialize in local bands and some of them are pretty good. Look around, if you're near one of the bigger cities, there may be a few gems tucked in between all the ClearChannel crap.

Other favorites worth mentioning (non-Dallas)
WPKN - Bridgeport Connecticut, esp the Halloween Zappa marathon
Monkeywrench radio in the SFBayarea
KCRW - NPR, but good
Anyone with the guts to put together a low power local station in this day and age.
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by modecx · 2003-01-19 15:25 · Score: 5, Interesting

The situation is the same in Colorado. What's worse than ClearChannel owning everything is the apparent commercial synchronization they pull off. More often than not, all of ClearChannel's stations seem* to play commercials at the same time. You go looking for some decent radio, and get an earful of TacoBell and car dealership commercials no matter where you turn the dial.

*Just an observation of my own. I might be a paranoid freak, though.

--
Constitutional rights may be respected, repealed, or modified; but they must never be ignored.
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by peculiarmethod · 2003-01-19 15:32 · Score: 1

Same in Oklahoma City where I grew up, and Austin Tx, where I was for four years.. they had a tiny hold in New ORleans, and have a pretty good grip here in San Diego. Scary as hell.

pm

--
** "It's not my job to stand between the people talking to me, and the ones listening to me." -- Pego the Jerk
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by PipianJ · 2003-01-19 15:34 · Score: 1

Well, there is ONE non Clear Channel station that halfway decent around here: 92.5 KZPS.

One of the reasons we've got so much Clear Channel here? Chancellor Broadcasting was based in Dallas. And they were subsequently bought out by, yes, Clear Channel.
Oh yeas, and Jammin' Oldies suck.

*sigh* Why can't we North Texans get a half-decent alternative station? We only have one! and that's Clear Channel (thus it sucks)
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by PipianJ · 2003-01-19 15:41 · Score: 1

My bad, apparently KZPS *IS* Clear Channel (Why do they say "Proud not to be a Clear Channel Station" then?)
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by AndroSyn · 2003-01-19 16:01 · Score: 1

You didn't listen to WBER when you were in Rochester?
I lived up that way for a while and they certainly played a lot better stuff than the Never did. Of course if you were listening in the morning, you'd have to listen to Joey babble on about pancakes or toast or something inane like that, but anyways..
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by |absolut| · 2003-01-19 16:09 · Score: 1

the best station in rochester is 90.5 WBER.

the commercials are either local concert announcements or PSA's.
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by Peeing+Calvin · 2003-01-19 16:21 · Score: 1

They own 8 of the 10-or-so Madison, WI area stations:

101.5 WIBA FM
1310 WIBA AM
Star 96.3
ESPN 1070 AM
92.1 WMAD

(can't remember the others)
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by mrbrown1602 · 2003-01-19 16:26 · Score: 3, Informative

It relays a few ClearChannel networks, but not too many (in the neighborhood of 3-5). In addition, CC doesnt own enough stock in XMSR to affect any major business decisions.
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by Caraig · 2003-01-19 17:13 · Score: 2, Interesting

It relays a few ClearChannel networks, but not too many (in the neighborhood of 3-5). In addition, CC doesnt own enough stock in XMSR to affect any major business decisions.

For now, at least. If it's one thing we've been forced to learn, time and time again, is that the media conglomerates will never leave any stone unturned in trying to get a line into the consumer's head. They will subvert, suborn, and steal any medium that they need to in order to ram through their popularized tripe that is a type of media DNSO, carrying with it advertising designed to make us feel utterly empty and not-whole without their products.
ClearChannel is only one of the investors in XM. There are others, including some of the biggest names in the media industry. There may be niche channels, but make no mistake: every last channel will be used for one purpose in the conglomerates' eyes: to sell you onto products that you don't really need. That is the ONLY service these companies provide.
Maybe I'm a bit cynical about it, but when you get right down to it, these are corporations whose goals are to make money for their stockholders, and nothing else. Mind you, this is neither a particularly dubious nor especially 'evil' goal, it's just what corporations DO. Just don't let anyone tell you that a corporation is trying to do an altruistic service.

--
"I am an Adept of Tantric VAX."
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by some+guy+I+know · 2003-01-19 18:29 · Score: 1

Another great station in Rochester is "North Coast Radio", WJZR, 105.9.
Nice jazz, very rare these days.

--
Those who sacrifice security to condemn liberty deserve to repeat history or something. - Benjamin Santayana
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by GizmoToy · 2003-01-20 06:52 · Score: 1

You are, actually, a bit cynical. Since XM was started, they have actually taken away more and more control from CC. CC used to have upwards of 5 channels. Now they are only in control of a single channel, a rebroadcast of KissFM from LA. In fact, there are calls from the XM community to ditch that channel as well. And you know what? They listen...
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by Caraig · 2003-01-20 07:42 · Score: 1

Really? That's actually pretty heartening. The experience I was quoting from was from how cable TV used to be pretty much commercial-free, then commercials started appearing. Movie theaters used to be commercial-free.... then commercials started appearing. Hell, DVDs and video tapes used to be commercial-free, then commercials started appearing on them!

But if the media conglomerates are actually being marginalized out of the XM programming, in favor of commercial-free broadcast of specific genres of music that you just don't find on the FM dial... that's really pretty good. In that case, I really do hope that XM can keep out from the heel of the conglomerates. (I took a class recently on media and society, and some of the sheer *sizes* of these conglomerates are really pretty damn scary! Hence my unease with anything that any of them are getting their mitts into.)

It might actually be something to look into....

--
"I am an Adept of Tantric VAX."
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 08:54 · Score: 0

But if you subscribe to XM, then don't you indirectly support Clear Channel, whether or not you listen to CC content?
Re:ClearChannel killed the radio fan. by plague3106 · 2003-01-20 15:32 · Score: 1

I probably did, but not often. I think it was too spoty on the music i liked for me to remember it. I'm pretty intolerant when it comes to songs i don't like...usually if i hear one, i immediatly switch to cd...where it stays for the rest of the drive.

The nerve (before the buyout) consistantly played music i liked or was indifferent too. Plus if i remember correctly, e-man was pretty funny to listen to also.

Easy! by WetCat · 2003-01-19 14:49 · Score: 1

Forbid ALL advertisements on FM - and FM will be much much better.
A lot of FM stations die - but others will be public only.

Re:Easy! by Jardine · 2003-01-19 14:53 · Score: 1

Are you sure you want that? We have those stations in Canada. They're called the CBC. Listen to them for a while, sometimes they're good, other times you wonder "Why are my tax dollars paying for this?"
Re:Easy! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:05 · Score: 1, Interesting

CBC probably offers the best radio out there. As you said sometimes it's bad (which of course is all a matter of taste) but other times it is the best music going. The only other stations that can match the quality programming are College/Univ. stations and they aren't commercial either.

In conclusion: Commercial radio sucks.
Re:Easy! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:27 · Score: 0

The only other stations that can match the quality programming are College/Univ. stations and they aren't commercial either.
University stations CAN be good if they aren't programmed by stupid student twits who have no taste in music and decide to play Latino music one hour and go into African bongo drum marathons the next. One hour can be death metal and the next is a talk show on violent feminists and then vegetarians. If you get a GOOD program director who imposes a format on the station then they can do well. Alternative/modern rock is the best format for a college station and Providence has an excellent college station like that. As for the CBC, my only experience has been when listening to American public broadcasting stations where they syndicate some of their Canadian programming. Frankly, I'd rather almost have commercials than those god damn subscription drives for public radio. Plus public radio is ALWAYS very liberal and it makes me sick. They're just a bunch of freeloading fucking twats.
Re:Easy! by DirtMcGirt · 2003-01-19 17:49 · Score: 1

Plus public radio is ALWAYS very liberal and it makes me sick. This is about the Nth reply that's said this. What makes NPR so liberal, that they're ever-so-slightly less rabidly conservative than CNN?
Re:Easy! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 00:51 · Score: 0

You think they run those FM stations just for you? If you forbid ads, how will they make money? Public radio is relatively well funded by donations but I doubt we'll be keeping every FM station afloat without advertising - that is what radio is all about.

I disagree with the author by ajuda · 2003-01-19 14:49 · Score: 5, Insightful

We saw something similar happen with cable stations. As channels begin to mature, they will try to go to the widest possible audience. Remember TNN? (The Nashville Network)? it used to have country stuff, now it's all wrestling and star trek. Remember Sci Fi? it used to be THE PLACE for geeks like us. Now their canceling Farscape and such. All niche markets will go mainstream for money. It will only take a few years until the people at XM decide to axe the stations with less popularity... after all they bring in far less profit than the average Brittany Spears station. Why oh Why won't she die? (or at least do some real porn?)

Re:I disagree with the author by a7244270 · 2003-01-19 15:10 · Score: 1

Not true.

The main difference is that all those channels you mentioned are independently owned, and are trying to gain advertising revenue, which is why they "go mainstream" to attract viewers.

In contrast, XM owns all 100 stations, so the individual stations have nothing to gain by going mainstream.

I think its a good idea, god knows FM sucks ass theses days.
Re:I disagree with the author by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:35 · Score: 0

She'll probably turn to porn or something more racey when her music career dies out. After all, there's already a sizeable market for -fake- britney porn just because every male from the age of 11 to 80 want a piece of her. Should her career as a 'musician' not yield enough money to pay for her expensive lifestyle, getting into porn (at least softcore, like posing nude in Playboy) would make her millions.
Re:I disagree with the author by puppet10 · 2003-01-19 16:07 · Score: 2, Informative

Independently owned is streching it a bit, they aren't owned by the same media conglomerate, but they aren't owned as an independent entity either,

TNN is owned by Viacom - Other Viacom interests
Scifi is owned by Vivendi (USA Networks) - Other Vivendi interests

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Re:I disagree with the author by silentbozo · 2003-01-19 16:18 · Score: 1

I listen to classical american music - jazz, big band, and musicals, from 1910 - 1959, with some musical selections after that. I also buy soundtracks, a little contemporary R&B and jazz on the side, and a smattering of celtic and folk music.

I don't listen to "pop" music at all. You can't get Frank Sinatra on FM where I am, unless it's on a Public Radio station, and only rarely these days (they've all become NPR talk-radio clones.)

It seems as though all forms of "free" media have been subsumed by corporations with something to sell, and instead of offering interesting content in exchange for our eyeballs or ears, they've decided it's cheaper to dictate our tastes instead. Is it any wonder we're no longer interested in watching the crap on TV, or listening to the droning, repetitve, fad-driven monoculture of the radio?

Every one of those broadcasters (the ones that are nothing more than corporate advertising mouthpieces) should have their licenses revoked for failing to serve public interest - remember, they're using a public resource, under license from the government (or rather, the people.) Any citizen can contest their fitness, and have that license for spectrum revoked, and given the RIAA payola, and their efforts at sabotaging competition (streaming radio), we should do just that.
Re:I disagree with the author by White_Lightning · 2003-01-19 16:53 · Score: 1

Do you remember AMC before it had commercials?
It used to be you paid for premium channels, without commercials. What's it like now? Analog cable (single coax) can carry 50 channels. It's been a year since I had cable. But my cable provider provided the Trinity Broadcast Network on 4 channels, Nebreska public tv on 2 channels, and Iowa public tv on 2 channels. So, there's 8 channels showing 3 different programs.
It'll be a cold day in hell before I "buy" any broadcast again.
Re:I disagree with the author by Coward,+Anonymous · 2003-01-19 18:51 · Score: 1

We saw something similar happen with cable stations. As channels begin to mature, they will try to go to the widest possible audience.

It's not just the cable stations. Fox, UPN, and the WB all began with a lot of Black shows. I think UPN is still in that phase but Fox and WB gradually moved on to the larger White audience. (I hope that didn't sound racist, that's just way new networks operate)

Remember TNN?

I think that's different. I think they went from being The Nashville Network and airing country shows to being The National Network and airing TNG overnight. It wasn't really a case of them maturing or gradually moving in one direction, they basically just shut down one business and started another but still used the name TNN because of the name recognition.

Remember Sci Fi? it used to be THE PLACE for geeks like us. Now their canceling Farscape and such.

I haven't seen scifi since AT&T made it digital cable only, glad to hear I'm not missing much anymore. When Scifi first started it was mostly Star Trek the original series and a bunch of really really really shitty movies, is it reverting back to that or has it found a whole new way to suck?
Re:I disagree with the author by Sabalon · 2003-01-21 06:23 · Score: 1

To quote myself last night talking to my wife:
"Holy shit...sci-fi channel is actually showing some sci-fi".

Yes...it really blows. They are either showing twilight zone/outer limits, Stargate SG-1, some cheezy "horror" stuff, or some thing like "Crossing over" or other semi-paranormal based talk show.

I can understand that producing something like Farscape takes a lot of money and they may not be able to sustain that. But why is it that they aren't running Star Trek:TNG, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, etc... stuff that would be cheap for them to get ahold of, and from comments I read all over the net, people pissed at sci-fi wish they'd run.

I will say that since TNN switched to TNN, I have watched it a LOT more (as in more than 0%). When nothing else is on and I want background noise, TNG works for me. Of course, turning the thing off works too.

The big question: Will people pay for radio? by Slurpee · 2003-01-19 14:52 · Score: 4, Interesting

Is a question that is raised in the article.

At first glance I thought "no way!". But then again, I thought the same way about pay-TV.

What do others think?

Re:The big question: Will people pay for radio? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 14:56 · Score: 0

A big fat no. Simply because every song by any band is much more redily avaliable on the internet than are entire catalogues of TV shows. Considering the amount of people who use P2P programs and have large mp3 collections, i cant personally see a 'pay-radio' scheme ever working.
Re:The big question: Will people pay for radio? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:31 · Score: 0

At first glance I thought "no way!". But then again, I thought the same way about pay-TV.
I'm afraid to break this to you, but no, nobody is going to pay for radio. The ONLY market for this are cross-country drivers who want a consistent radio selection. Everyone else is more than willing to deal with commercial stations or just flip in a CD. Hell, I don't even know why I pay for cable TV and am forced to watch ads on top of it. Probably because the 5 broadcast television stations suck ass. I wish I could just order the 5 or 6 stations I like ala carte like Biography channel, discovery, Fox news, etc.
Re:The big question: Will people pay for radio? by Triv · 2003-01-19 15:34 · Score: 4, Interesting

I DO pay for radio, specifically I pay for NPR. They provide conent I'm willing to throw down a couple of bucks for and I'd o insane if they weren't around to remind me that not all media sucks. :)

Triv
Re:The big question: Will people pay for radio? by Slashdot+Junky · 2003-01-19 15:38 · Score: 1

Dear World,

I drive a lot for work and listen to the radio or CDs a lot as a result. Even though radio sucks because of how short their play lists are, paying $10 bucks for satelite radio is still not worth it as long as I can surf stations. The hassle of hearing "Hero" from the Spiderman soundtrack yet again is less of a problem than satelite radio is a good deal. And I actually like it and the bands Saliva and Nickelback.

I'd like to hear more local and regional bands. In my market, those radio stations that actually have locals-only segments broadcast it when I am not as well as very few other people are listening. I would also like to hear more variety from the bands they do feature. If I like a song, I tend to buy the band's CD. I'd like to hear more of what's on the CD.

Later,
-Slashdot Junky

--
.
Landfill Mining Co.
Managing the (Un)natural Resources of Tomorrow
Re:The big question: Will people pay for radio? by AntiNorm · 2003-01-19 16:01 · Score: 2, Insightful

Hell, I don't even know why I pay for cable TV and am forced to watch ads on top of it

You're paying for the delivery mechanism (the cable company's network and associated resources). Your bill does not pay for the actual content; this is obtained free through the use of advertising. It's like paying for an internet connection and having to view ads on a web site; you're paying for the delivery mechanism, but since you aren't paying for the actual content, you get to see some ads instead.

--

I pledge allegiance to the flag...
of the Corporate States of America...
Re:The big question: Will people pay for radio? by Skjellifetti · 2003-01-19 16:01 · Score: 1

I think that NPR and PBS should be paid for with a mild sales tax on radios, stereos, and TVs. It might add $10 (OK, that is a complete guess) to the cost of a TV set, would end the 3 times a year beg-a-thon, and it would be fair since nearly everyone listens to or watches $10 worth of NPR/PBS during the lifetime of the set.

--
FreeSpeech.org
Re:The big question: Will people pay for radio? by John+Murray · 2003-01-19 16:04 · Score: 1

While every song might be available for download, and your willing to wait in long queues for downloads. But most people only download what they know, which gets boring after a while. But listening to a good radio station(such as XM's) you get introduced to new music, and new bands. Heck $10/month is worth it so I don't have to listen to crappy morning DJ's and all the ads on broadcast radio.
Re:The big question: Will people pay for radio? by wik · 2003-01-19 16:26 · Score: 2, Informative

Cable companies do pay the content producers for their channels. You watch ads on top of this, because the few cents per that you pay through your cable bill every month isn't enough to keep the producers alive.

--
/ \
\ / ASCII ribbon campaign for peace
x
/ \
Re:The big question: Will people pay for radio? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:41 · Score: 0

I think car washes should be paid for with a mild sales tax on automobiles, trucks, and SUVs. It might add $10 (OK, that is a complete guess) to the cost of a car, but it would be fair since nearly everyone uses $10 worth of car washes during the lifetime of the car.
Re:The big question: Will people pay for radio? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 02:36 · Score: 0

Haha. What the fsck ever.

I can honestly say I have never listened to or watched $10 worth of NPR/PBS during the lifetime of, well, my life.
Re:The big question: Will people pay for radio? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 06:38 · Score: 0

Car washes are not a public good. They are a private good. Now if you want to argue that NPR and PBS should be privatized, there are pros and cons that can be discussed. But your analogy comparing car washes to NPR is meaningless.
Re:The big question: Will people pay for radio? by FroMan · 2003-01-20 09:53 · Score: 1

Right, and nearly everyone who uses P2P is going to download stuff they are pirating anyways, we should just put a tax on the ports used by P2P apps.

And anyone who buys CDRs also needs to pay the pirating costs, cause you know everyone who buys those at some point will hear pirated music.

Everyone has their own little pet project that seems totally reasonable to tax. They are wrong for the most part. All except my little pet project.

--
Norris/Palin 2012
Fact: We deserve leaders who can kick your ass and field dress your carcass.
Re:The big question: Will people pay for radio? by Skjellifetti · 2003-01-20 10:20 · Score: 1

Your examples are all private goods that should paid for with private individual means. NPR and PBS are public goods so it seems quite reasonable to pay for them with public means. Unless, of course, you are advocating a public takeover of the RIAA and p2p networks and the use of a gov't tax on p2p to pay the artists for all of their work which is shared on the publicly owned p2p networks. Or alternatively you are advocating the privatization of NPR and PBS and only letting doners view the signals.

--
FreeSpeech.org

radio is dead by Ferro_Man · 2003-01-19 14:56 · Score: 5, Insightful

Reel Big Fish made a good point in their song "sellout"

the radio plays what they want you to hear...
they tell me its cool...
i just don't believe it...

FM radio is horrible. Around here, DJs have stopped taking request (probably because they are owned by clear channel). Music selection is poor, and they over play the good song to the point that you would rather go deaf than hear that song again. I can just burn a cd with the songs i want to hear as opposed to sitting through a crappy creed song in hopes that the next song will be one that i want to listen to

Hopefully XM can save radio, before it is gone for good

--
[echelon]

Re:radio is dead by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:02 · Score: 0

radio won't die, what will you listen to in your car? Or, at work.

You need a DJ to play new songs for you, you need a dial to switch between genres to suit your mood.

Radio will survive, in some form.
Re:radio is dead by beaverfever · 2003-01-19 17:05 · Score: 3, Insightful

even if a station takes requests, your song won't be played if it's not in their playlist. Requests aren't an opportunity for fans to make suggestions to station management, it's an opportunity for management to provide a false sense of involvement to the listener. When it comes to Clearchannel and their ilk, even faking requests would be too much work on such a large and heavily automated system.

that's just the way it is.

radio is dead. get used to it already.

--
RTFM; please, I beg you.
Re:radio is dead by xombo · 2003-01-19 18:02 · Score: 1

I think the reason radio is doing horribly because it is such a closed market. I was about to start my own radio station, I looked up the cost of equiptment/etc, and it would have been achieveable to broadcast just to this town, and create a sucessfull radio station. Then I run into the FCC, They want $5000!! for a liscence, and it has to be renewed, and they take YEARS to accept your radio station, it is crazy. And now internet radio is dieing, because the RIAA wants money, but FM radio doesn't have to pay roytalies, how can they go on with this? The radio market is becoming closed to only congolmorates, if it were open, it would be much better, allow competition, so that things would improve.
Re:radio is dead by Guppy06 · 2003-01-19 18:13 · Score: 1

"DJs have stopped taking request (probably because they are owned by clear channel)."

The RIAA doesn't want you to know when you'll be able to record a particular song off the radio.
Re:radio is dead by saihung · 2003-01-19 18:35 · Score: 1

I remember I was listening to the local crap-alt-rock station and some poor sap called and requested a song by the Rolling Stones. The DJ laughed at him and hung up. And then played Creed.

Hip hop and hard rock both have a long history, but you'd never know it from listening to the radio. You'd also never know that there are more than 5 or 6 new records out at any one time. I like Missy Eliot, but WTF are you doing playing "Work It" TWICE an hour? Or the latest steaming turd by Ja Rule? Give us a break, please.

I'm hoping that these things work in waves. Eventually someone will realise that there's a huge group of people who aren't being served by this stuff and take advantage of the market with new stations. Radio execs want high listenership numbers, so hopefully someone will get their head out of their ass and figure out that there are many people who aren't being served by the K-Rocks or the Z100's of the world.
Re:radio is dead by idiotnot · 2003-01-20 02:54 · Score: 1

I work in news/talk. Nice, clear, AM. :-) Occasionally people will call up the studio line, having looked up the wrong number and ask to hear #include .

My response?

"Yeah, I'll get that on for ya."

Meh. Listeners are more clueless than most program directors when it comes to choosing music anyway.

All-request shows sound, well, like college radio -- without form or focus -- Public Enemy into a Glenn Campbell record. I happen to like both of them, but they don't go together.

FM is the future, it just needs to be fixed by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 14:58 · Score: 0

I hope XM's selections are a lot better that Sirius's (sp?). I found a site a while back that had links to streams of all sirius's channels. The crap they were playing was sooooo horrible. I can't believe people pay subscriptions for that shit. I'm thinking it'll go the way of the minidisc. It will stay on the market, but it won't become very popular or profitable.

What we really need is the government to step in and break up the FM radio monopolies (Infinity Broadcasting comes to mind). They own at least 3 of the biggest stations in my area alone. That's why we have road rage. We're forced to listen to crap like creed, staind, and pop-punk 789.

The day I'm longing for is, when I just pick up my own shoutcast server via satelite broadband while driving. That would kick ass.

Re:FM is the future, it just needs to be fixed by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:08 · Score: 0

The day I'm longing for is, when I just pick up my own shoutcast server via satelite broadband while driving. That would kick ass.

This is where TV and radio need to go. Why bother having a over the air broadcast when you could just use the internet which can go over wires or the air? That would free up the spectrum for internet use as well.

this could go either way - but probably downhill by Suchetha · 2003-01-19 15:00 · Score: 5, Interesting

i used to be a radio DJ in Sri Lanka (TNL Radio) and i think that XM MAY be a good idea IF they can please people.. by offering 100 channels (like on cable) they are trying to hit the niche markets.. and i think that the niche markets may buy into it.. if only for a while.. people started to buy cable so that they could get stuff they couldn't get in the "regular" channels and now cable has a niche channel for everyone.. but radio is a little different.. like they say in the article "the commercial FM dial has been essentially reduced to six musical formats: Pop/rock, hip-hop, country, classical, Spanish-language and variations on the theme of "adult contemporary," "... lets face it the channels have been split into that because that is what's popular.. sure XM may allow people to listen to Inuit whaling songs or Apache chants.. but will there be a market for them? or will they just all deteriorate into variations on the 6 standard themes?.. with the RIAA not giving publicity to "non standard" artists and also will they actually have a chance to show up on these channels? i am not sure how good this guy panero is.. but i have had to geal with his fallout.. even here in Sri Lanka we had TNL, a station with a great reputation as a rock station, go downhill into britney spears-esque pop.. the owner decided there was more of a market for it.. (what could we do.. his car, his petrol)... but we lost a lot of fans.. and a lot of us (me included) walked off.. now i listen to stuff i download off the net..

i guess the point i am trying to make is this.. human nature being what it is.. XM will start off with a bang.. but soon deteriorate into yet another generic music station.. sure they won't have any advertising.. and maybe the choice will be marginally better.. but do you REALLY want to pay $150 + $9.99 per month to hear the Butts Treat Boys?.. remember MTV? and how they had to launch M2 so that people would play them for what they WERE supposed to deliver.. namely music?

--

learn from yesterday, plan for tomorrow, party tonight
or one out of three ain't bad

I find my music by.... by jb_02_98 · 2003-01-19 15:00 · Score: 1

word of mouth. My friends know me well enough that they know what type of music I like. They tell me a group, I listen to it (if they have it downloaded or own a disc) and if I like it, I buy it. Radio just has too much "junk" music to make it worth it. I hope I didnt sound rude... Hmmm...

Why not fix FM while we are at it? by PotatoHead · 2003-01-19 15:03 · Score: 5, Insightful

We have already trashed one commercial band, namely, AM, when we could have easily fixed and extended it with AM stereo. (Which has some very nice qualities BTW.)

Now are we going to give up on FM as well?

I can see a lot of advantages to the satellite radio systems particularly in rural areas where you find little or no radio. So these systems have their place. However we still need local radio. Not the clear channel kind, but real local radio.

Here in the Portland area we had a nice station in the early 80's called KSKD. They were innovative. Dolby FM (Which we all should be using today.), very low key DJ's, well defined commercial blocks, and an interesting playlist were all part of this local station. Many of my early musical tastes were formed while listening to the music played on KSKD and when they went off the air, I missed them.

Listening to the radio while on trips used to be pretty interesting. As you went from place to place, the music was different. Each city seemed to have a station or two, like KSKD, that played what they thought was cool. Their listeners became loyal because the combination of music and its presentation was not to be found elsewhere.

Companies like Clear Channel have done the public a dis-service in that they have ruined local programming in all station except community and educational ones.

So for now, satellite radio is a new medium that shines right now. But will it go the way AM and FM did?

--
Blogging because I can...

Re:Why not fix FM while we are at it? by Thatmushroom · 2003-01-19 15:25 · Score: 2, Interesting

Luckily here in central Indiana we have a few radio stations left like that. Unfortunately, Clear Channel got the biggest fish in the water, and doesn't seem to worry about the others much.

Q95 used to be the best rock radio station in the country. They have all kinds of awards from back in the glory days because of a great format, funny morning show hosts (Bob and Tom, who were funny back then), a local focus, and a dedication not to screw over their listeners. Well, they started slipping once Bob and Tom got syndicated. "It's ok, though, they still are pretty funny, even if they aren't really local anymore, and there are the 20 hours of the day when they aren't on nationwide."

Clear Channel killed those other 20 hours. No one really listens to them anymore, because it's a waste of time. No longer are they the best radio station in the country, they're as bad as most of the other Clear Channel stations.

Just wanted to share my local tragedy.

--
You zap the moderators with a wand of humor! The moderators resist!
Re:Why not fix FM while we are at it? by Wobbly+Bob · 2003-01-19 16:26 · Score: 1

We have already trashed one commercial band, namely, AM, when we could have easily fixed and extended it with AM stereo. (Which has some very nice qualities BTW.)
That would be hard to do. The AM radio stations in Canada and the US are 10 kHz apart. This means that AM radio stations have to filter their output through a 5 kHz lowpass filter to avoid interfering with other stations. The most effective way to improve the sound quality of AM radio would be to allocate a wider spectrum to each station, but these days that's not an easy thing to do.
Besides, what does AM stereo have to offer over FM stereo?
Re:Why not fix FM while we are at it? by ljfrench · 2003-01-19 16:50 · Score: 2, Interesting

I don't want to sound all 'against the flow' here, but I've been turning to public radio more and more to get away from the constant commercial bombardment of ClearChannel.
I actually became a member of my local public radio station, which plays music by independent and classical artists most of the time, and in the morning and evening rush hours, plays news content from the local area as well as great Nation Public Radio (NPR) broadcasts.
All of us here on Slashdot say we want to get rid of the RIAA's stranglehold on music. Here's one way to help!
Check out http://www.npr.org! ljfrench
Re:Why not fix FM while we are at it? by PotatoHead · 2003-01-19 17:31 · Score: 1

I have been doing this too. There is a lot of interesting programming --once you figure out when to listen.

In Portland, we have the various OPB stations that carry NPR programming plus a little local stuff and we have KBOO community radio and KBPS the local AM college station.

I have found talk radio to be interesting at times when the subject matter and host are good.

OT question: Why are there so few geek oriented talk radio programs? The younger geek will not have the time, but all of us get older. As we do, talk radio becomes more of an option. Seems that 30 or so years of geeks would produce a couple shows at least...

--
Blogging because I can...
Re:Why not fix FM while we are at it? by PotatoHead · 2003-01-19 18:20 · Score: 1

I own a radio that has a bandwidth control on it. Many stations broadcast outside the 5Khz range. Not sure if they are supposed to, but they do anyway. Hmmm..

For interesting evidence of this, get a radio that has a true analog tuner on it. Find the very center of the station, then mis-tune just a bit one way or the other. You will hear things that should not be there given a sharp 5Khz clip. I think this is more of a rolloff than anything else.

Am stereo has qualities that FM stereo does not. I am not saying it is better, just different. FM sound is either good or it is not. Fuzz, and sharp bursts of noise are common when listening to FM in many areas.

With AM you get different tradeoffs. There is never fuzz. You do get crackles and pops, more so at night. Fringe area reception just brings up the noise floor until the programming is gone. Multi-Station reception is a problem at night, but rare during the day.

Again, not better just different. Another way to explain this is to compare vinyl with cassette. Tapes will drop out or degrade, but almost never pop or crackle. Am Stereo is like this in some ways. Am is like tape where FM is more like vinyl.

Am radios today are horrible. They do not have the correct response curve. This is likely because the programming no longer demands it and this is a shame really.

If you ever get the chance to listen to an actual AM radio like the old stand up tube ones, do it. You will be surprised when all the elements that make for good AM reproduction come together.

AM sounds bad today because we do not have any audio equipement that can actually do the band justice.

We had an AM station here in Portland called 970 The Beat. They broadcast a great mix of 80's and 90's techno and alternative. Lots of people listened even though most of them heard a mono signal. (I managed to find an AM Stereo radio for my car just for this station.) They were on the radio for about 4 years. They had a lot of young listeners. On AM!

Sombody found out these folks actually were getting some numbers in terms of audience. Guess what? They were moved to FM and promptly flopped after the programming was changed to your typical FM fare. Sombody thought the listeners would just move to FM because of the name.

They should have realized the programming was the attraction. The DJ's basically got to play what they wanted. People liked that.

Today, AM Stereo is all but dead. It was killed by those who thought that people would not bother to listen, that FM was too attractive.

They are wrong. If you put good programming on the AM band, people will listen --if you add stereo, more of them will listen.

The problem with AM is programming and the silly dual AM Stereo battle that made recievers expensive, not the limits of the medium.

Moot point today anyway, AM is doomed to talk and minor ethnic and worship type programming. Too bad really, I see lots of cheap bandwidth that could be filled with more original type programming instead of a dying medium...

--
Blogging because I can...
Re:Why not fix FM while we are at it? by PotatoHead · 2003-01-19 18:32 · Score: 1

That sucks doesn't it?

KSKD and KINK fm here both used to do some pretty nice things.

KSKD had regular taglines such as: "Adult programming for adults, no clipped songs, no talk over, and Dolby FM for the best listening experience" --I really miss that. They would play 4 songs with nice 2 second gaps between them, then a short DJ piece with song title and artist along with short bits of commentary, then commercials.

Once a day, they would broadcast the Dolby Alignment signal for two minutes. They actually assumed that people enjoyed their radio and would be willing to make some use of it. Hmmph!

Kink used to do late evening recording sessions. Every once in a while, they would play something imported or rare and count down the record button. 4, 3, 2, 1... Then stay quiet for 3 to 5 tracks.

Damn Clear Channel... Making a nation of morons one listener at a time.

--
Blogging because I can...
Re:Why not fix FM while we are at it? by Detritus · 2003-01-19 19:01 · Score: 1

AM channel spacing in North America is 10 kHz. That does not mean that AM broadcast stations are limited to 5 kHz of audio bandwidth. An AM broadcast station can use as much of their power as they want in the carrier +/- 10 kHz region. Above 10 kHz, there are rules that require that the power taper off as the distance from the carrier frequency increases. See Part 73.44 of the FCC regulations. The problem isn't with the broadcasters, it's with the crappy AM receivers that are in most cars and homes. Rather than have selectable IF bandwidth, they take the worst-case approach and chop off everything above 3 kHz.

--
Mea navis aericumbens anguillis abundat
Re:Why not fix FM while we are at it? by PotatoHead · 2003-01-20 04:58 · Score: 1

I have always wondered about this, but never bothered enough to look it up.

I own a radio with a bandwidth adjustment and another that is stereo. When there was programming that was worth listening to, it was very listenable.

So it is a rolloff then. Too bad about the recievers today. With all the advances, you would think giving AM just a bit of attention would not cost very much at all...

--
Blogging because I can...

XM Sux, Siriusly by Beebos · 2003-01-19 15:08 · Score: 1, Informative

Sirius got a later start and has fewer subscribers, but it has a few advantages.

Its finances are in better shape. XM has heavy debt.

It has much better news and talk stations. In addition to what XM has, Sirius has 2 NPR stations, PRI International, and the World Radio Network. You can get news reporting from all over the world. Oh wait... Americans don't care about the rest of the world. Dang.

I've read that Sirius has three satelites, where XM has two. Additionally Sirius' satelites are in higher orbits. The result is that Sirius has a more reliable signal and fewer loses of signal.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, NONE of Sirius' channels have commercials, where some of XM's do.

Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by /dev/trash · 2003-01-19 15:21 · Score: 1

MOST IMPORTANTLY, NONE of Sirius' channels have commercials, where some of XM's do
Wouldn't having some commercials be better in the long run? It at least adds another revenue stream.
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by geek · 2003-01-19 15:24 · Score: 0, Funny

"Americans don't care about the rest of the world. Dang."

Cry me a river you fucking victim. When the rest of the world does something worth caring about, wake me up.
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by Beebos · 2003-01-19 15:28 · Score: 1

Um... Maybe for Sirius it would be better.

But as a listener, NO WAY. I can't tell you how nice it is not listening to commercials. Its like you've died and gone to heaven. Why should I pay money to listen to commercials. ARE YOU LISTENING DISH NETWORK???

IMHO, marketing and advertising are evil. If I ran the world, anyone in marketing or advertising would be thrown down a volcano.

Be very glad I don't run the world!!!
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by Beebos · 2003-01-19 15:31 · Score: 1

>>Cry me a river you fucking victim. When the rest of the world does something worth caring about, wake me up.

Obviously you've never heard of a little thing called civilization!!!
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by Jade+E.+2 · 2003-01-19 15:37 · Score: 2, Funny

>>Cry me a river you fucking victim. When the rest of the world does something worth caring about, wake me up.
Obviously you've never heard of a little thing called civilization!!!

Actually, Sid Meier is American...
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by spoonyfork · 2003-01-19 15:41 · Score: 3, Insightful

I've read that Sirius has three satellites, where XM has two. Additionally Sirius' satellites are in higher orbits. The result is that Sirius has a more reliable signal and fewer loses of signal.

I'd like to add another point that is probably splitting hairs. Most of the subscribers of these satellite radio services aren't even going to hear it from a direct satellite source. XM and the like had to erect antennas in the major cities to get around that whole skyscraper problem of blocking the signal.

Technology aside, how long do you think it is going to take to introduce 24 minutes of commercials every hour into this format once stockholders realize how much more money they can make? Not long. In fact, they've probably already started boiling the frog.

The only people I can see getting excited about this product are those that live beyond the broadcast range of FM stations. If lived at such a location and had an interest in radio as a medium I'd be all over it. However, I don't and I would imagine that the majority of the millions of subscribers they need to be profitable do live in FM range.

Let's see, crappy reception for commercial filled pop channels with no local news/content for $10/month plus >$200 entry fee versus crappy reception for commercial filled pop channels with local news/content for free. If I had to turn on a radio, I think I'd use FM way before XM. Then again, I don't listen to radio or watch TV so I don't have this dilemma.

--
Speak truth to power.
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by /dev/trash · 2003-01-19 15:44 · Score: 1

Well yeah that was what I meant. And in the long run it's better for the customer too, unless you like paying more and more and more every year.

I love having no commercial interruptions, but I'm realistic too, I know I couldn't afford to pay for all the channels ( TV and radio) that I'd want to stay free of ads.

Marketing is evil, advertising, can be at times okay.
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by murphj · 2003-01-19 15:45 · Score: 0

Cry me a river you fucking victim. When the rest of the world does something worth caring about, wake me up.
If September 11 didn't wake you up, nothing will. It's time we Americans pulled our head out of the sand. There's lots going on in the world - most of it affects us, one way or another.

--
SONY. Because caucasians are just too damn tall.
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by Beebos · 2003-01-19 15:55 · Score: 1

You are wrong pretty much on all counts.

Since Sirius uses the fact it is commercial free as their number one selling point, I seriously doubt they are going to introduce commercials.
I haven't seen anything to make me believe they would do this.

By the way the reception is excellent, not crappy and the overwhelming majority of people will be receiving the broadcast directly from the satelites. Most of the population do not live in major cities. Only in places like midtown Manhatten and Chicago are extra antennas necessary.

Also, you've obviously haven't heard Sirius because you think they filled all sixty music channels with pop music. If you had actually experienced the incredible variety of Sirius, or XM for that matter, you would understand the appeal.
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by f97tosc · 2003-01-19 15:55 · Score: 1

If we compare the two it should probably be mentioned that they have different audio encoding technology. XM claims that their is superior. This would not be noteworthy except for the fact that they can quote a few independent tests.

Tor
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by Beebos · 2003-01-19 16:54 · Score: 1

Uh, the independant tests quote are actually the opinions of three people. Hardly conclusive "testing".
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by Therlin · 2003-01-19 16:57 · Score: 3, Informative

MOST IMPORTANTLY, NONE of Sirius' channels have commercials, where some of XM's do
Not true. Sirius' music channels do not have commercials, all the other channels (talk, news, sports, etc) do have commercials.
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 18:16 · Score: 1, Insightful

It's time you learned that the USA supports just about every country in the world. We pay for food, roads, schools, nuclear waste clean-up for others all over the world.

Remember, everyone runs to the USA whenever a earthquake, hurricane or dicator causes problems.

Most of the countries that "hate" us, also speak English, use American electronics or hardware, drive on the right-side of the road, drink Starbucks coffee or Coke and would probably imigrate here in a heartbeat.
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by johny_qst · 2003-01-19 18:53 · Score: 1

Can someone please mod this parent down... though i agree sirius is better than XM and that having principles rather than advertising is important, they are both pay-to-play services that aren't the answer to the posters question.... and can anyone answer why i waste the time typing these things?

--
Fnord.sig
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by olddoc · 2003-01-20 00:36 · Score: 2, Interesting

For an extra $1 a month the choice is clear: Sirius and NO commercials.
With satelite radio there are 4 killer apps:
1- Display of artist and title
2- Variety and availability of niche channels
3- You can listen to your favorite station in Montana
4- No commercials!

I love my Sirius radio. I learn a lot from the display and I never have to hear a commercial during my commute.

--
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Re:XM Sux, Siriusly by sdcharle · 2003-01-20 02:55 · Score: 1

BTW, some of the stations on XM have commercials b/c essentially they're broadcasting CNN or some other station's content. But there's always BBCNews for commercial free news.

And lo... by Kipper+the+Llama · 2003-01-19 15:08 · Score: 1

Man made the CD player, looked at it and said "It is good."

And millions were freed from having to wait for the radio to play the song they wanted, and the fuzzy sounds of tapes all at the same time.

Yet, the same people who can't keep their headphones off were the same who complained about the corruption of radio.

WOXY is a good FM station that plays independent music in the Oxford, OH area. And they webcast. If only every area had a station something like it (because, I'll admit, I'd STILL rather use the CD player).

the answer is by beaverfever · 2003-01-19 15:11 · Score: 5, Interesting

in a word... no.

unfortunately, U.S. radio is dead, and XM is essentially U.S. Radio. Even if it doesn't suck now, it will soon enough. Program lists are chosen by consumer data, fed into computers and printed on 20lb white. Actually, they probably don't have to bother printing anything - feed the data and the machines will play it - humans just have to drop in the scripted patter from the cloned DJs every station manages to find. Anyways, record companies lean on the broadcasters for support, the broadcasters lean on the record companies for support, and they both end up not moving anywhere worthwhile, and besides they both like to play it safe. The result is playlists that have the same songs played day after day, month after month, from one city to the next. With very few exceptions there is nobody out there willing to take a leadership role, to break new ground, or *gasp* take any chances (chances are bad for business, after all) and not just take what the labels hand-feed them.

If you're interested, you can listen in online at CBC Radio (Radio One or Radio Two) or BBC (1,2,3,4, etc., etc.) and find out what radio that isn't tied by umbilical cord to Big Business can be.

--
RTFM; please, I beg you.

Re:the answer is by AKnightCowboy · 2003-01-19 15:33 · Score: 0, Flamebait

If you're interested, you can listen in online at CBC Radio [www.cbc.ca] (Radio One or Radio Two) or BBC [bbc.co.uk] (1,2,3,4, etc., etc.) and find out what radio that isn't tied by umbilical cord to Big Business can be.
Monty Python and Benny Hill reruns? Oh, let's not forget that unbiased British news (wink wink). If it's anti-American, you'll find it on the BBC. hehe. No thanks, if I'm going to listen to propaganda I'll stick with Fox News.
Re:the answer is by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 12:22 · Score: 0

Your example of the CBC is particularly unfortunate. The CBC is shit. I gave up on it many years ago and begrudge every cent I am forced to pay in taxes to prop it up.

Nope by autopr0n · 2003-01-19 15:12 · Score: 1

Please, they are run by the same damn people. XM is part owned by Clear Channel for god's sake.

Hopefully in the future the Cellular/wi-fi networks will keep us connected to the internet all the time and we'll be able to listen to streaming radio in our cars.

(btw, does anyone ever listen to the radio while they're not driving around? It's kind of weird. Oh well)

--
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.

Re:Nope by martissimo · 2003-01-19 15:43 · Score: 2, Informative

No frigging kidding, the downfall of public radio has been the deregulation that has led to the dominance of the pay for play conglomerates like Clear Channel... and they want to suggest that a new pay for radio satellite network partially owned by this same conglomerate will be radio's saviour?

Get a grip!

XM is backed by a group of industry-leading strategic investors, including General Motors and Clear Channel Communications and DIRECTV, the leading radio and satellite companies in the United States

Yay, Clear Channel to the rescue :P

AM radio sucks now as well. by Nikkos · 2003-01-19 15:13 · Score: 1

Have you listened to Art Bell? Bruce Williams? Paul Harvey? All of their shows are polluted with more advertisements than ever before. In fact, I believe there's more advertising time than "show" time in these programs. Listen to Paul Harvey's "Rest of the Story" tomorrow, he'll talk a full minute about Gold Bond, another about some bed, and spend another minute during an advertising break, and the show is only 5 minutes long!

I'd love to get a TIVO for radio.

Nikkos

Re:AM radio sucks now as well. by good-n-nappy · 2003-01-20 06:37 · Score: 1

Well, I don't listen to Paul Harvey, but I hear you on the Tivo for radio. I don't have a Tivo because I don't want to encourage myself to watch TV. However I am forced to be in the car for 40 minutes each day, so I am willing to spend that time listening to radio.

I wouldn't really need much sophistication in a radio Tivo. Just a calendar to tell it when to record. I don't really need a program guide because most stuff I want is on the same time every week. Really, how hard can it be to make one of these things? Tons of cheap digital audio recorders are already on the market. Why hasn't someone done this yet? If nothing else, I would pay for at least some simple time shifting. Anyone got any how-tos for building something like this?

I think the fact that radio Tivos are so close is more of a bad omen for FM radio than XM radio. FM radio (as we know it) won't last long once people are skipping the commercials.

--
Never underestimate the power of fiber.

Easier way to save FM radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:13 · Score: 1, Insightful

I was called by a ratings service over the Xmas holidays to track my (and my mythical family's) listening habits.

Lie.

Find out the progressive rock stations (not the phony ones that say "leading edge" and then end up playing M&M). Find out the classical stations, the jazz stations, the ones that have oddball formats, bluegrass.

And swear you listen to them. That's what I did.

And in the comments section at the end of the week write "I hate most of FM...it all sounds alike".

And keep doing it, urge your family and friends to to the same.

Take the ratings out of the loser stations.

I finally heard M&M today, BTW. He sounds like he would be popular with 14 year old girls.

Thank God for CD101 by southpolesammy · 2003-01-19 15:15 · Score: 1

Still the best FM radio station on the planet. Check them out here.

--
Rule #1 -- Politics always trumps technology.

Re:Thank God for CD101 by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-22 09:04 · Score: 0

101 got weak back in the early/mid 90's
dure they are better then 90% of the clear channel stations, but they are not what they once were.

XM is a monopoly, isn't it? by tinrobot · 2003-01-19 15:16 · Score: 1

All this talk about Clear Channel owning way too many radio stations (which I agree) makes me think.

Isn't XM owned by one company? I know they have a broader range of programming, but the potential for abuse is so ripe. If they got incredibly popular, they could pull all the same stunts that Clear Channel pulls today. Beware...

Re:XM is a monopoly, isn't it? by Beebos · 2003-01-19 15:20 · Score: 1

There is competition for XM. Sirius satelitte radio.

Monopolies are not illegal. Using your power as a monopoly in unfair ways is what is illegal.

If XM were to keep Sirius from entering the market, that would be illegal.
Re:XM is a monopoly, isn't it? by mbredden · 2003-01-19 15:35 · Score: 2, Insightful

AFAIK, there are many, many different people in charge of the various formats available on XM radio. I'm a subscriber, and the true joy of it is the variety you can find in the channels, you can find some of the most obscure pre-grunge alternative on stations like Fred, to bluegrass, and of course they've gotta have a Top 20 station to keep the kiddies happy. Basically, they'd be shooting themselves in the foot by trying to homogenize their programming, because there's no incentive for any one station to have the largest listener share.

Your Favorite Pop Artists by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:18 · Score: 0

I love Avril Lavigne!!!!

One time I heard Journey's "Wheel in the Sky" when I fell asleep and then when I woke up in the morning it was playing on the radio again. Weird, eh?

JJJ TripleJ by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:18 · Score: 0

Australia's TripleJ is a non commercial, national radio station that supports local, international, youth, unsigned, and non mainstream music. Amazingly, it's also government owned.

Check it out at www.triplej.net.au

Re:JJJ TripleJ by Anonymous+Hack · 2003-01-19 16:33 · Score: 1

The problem with government-owned/funded stations like this is they become as much a clique as the commercial ones. Triple-J isn't too bad, but the local "community" stations are a joke - if you're not part of the in-crowd your stuff doesn't get played. This is one of the reasons i dislike college radio, community radio, etc etc. They're just as bad as commercial radio, but in reverse. Once you lose your "indie cred" (or if you aren't pretentious enough to build it up in the first place) you miss out.

--
I got a sig so you would remember me.
Re:JJJ TripleJ by Lysander+Luddite · 2003-01-19 18:00 · Score: 1

I listened to TripleJ while in Oz in 2001. It was pretty cool to hear US artists that I couldn't hear on the radio in the US.

OTOH, their feed quality really sucks. Nice place to find good music, but Interet radio does a better job for me.

Peercast and Ogg Vorbis (again!) by SirDaShadow · 2003-01-19 15:19 · Score: 3, Interesting

XM uses 96kbit and a propiertary codec to send programming to the XM receivers...why can't they or someone else use something like ogg vorbis (very acceptable stereo sound at ~45kbps) and peercast combined with 802.11x(b,g,whatever)/CDMA/WISPs?

Re:Peercast and Ogg Vorbis (again!) by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:39 · Score: 0

Uh, because they don't want any competition of any kind?
Re:Peercast and Ogg Vorbis (again!) by damiam · 2003-01-19 15:44 · Score: 1

Because 802.11x is overkill for radio, about 1000 times too weak to work from a satellite, and their proprietary codec probably sounds better than Ogg (Ogg is good, but it's not the Ultimate Codec).

--
It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
Re:Peercast and Ogg Vorbis (again!) by Eric+Smith · 2003-01-19 16:58 · Score: 1

Because they don't want you to be able to hack your receiver to save the compressed stream.
Re:Peercast and Ogg Vorbis (again!) by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 17:46 · Score: 0

OMFG ME R PUT TEH GIANT FUCKING 802.11 CELL OVER THE ENTIRE FUCKING COUNTRY
get a fucking clue, asswipe. ogg vorbis sounds like crap at 45k(~?? what you mean average? oh yeah VBR WORKS REALLY FUCKING GREAT OVER A FIXED-BANDWIDTH BROADCAST MEDIUM)
Re:Peercast and Ogg Vorbis (again!) by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 04:31 · Score: 0

Posting as coward for a reason. The parent is simply wrong. How XM and the Dog puts their signal together is a *very* closely held secret. No open source system would work given the bandwidth that they have - 12.5mHz total for each. Each chops that bandwidth into three pieces - two space based and one terrestrial. Only one signal is required to play all 100 channels. So all of it must fit into less than 4mHz of bandwidth.

Thus encoding must be very efficent, and the compression high. Both use a form of perceptual codec's - XM uses Neural and Serius uses Lucent's PAC. This is on top of ACCplus for XM. XM uses TDM, the Dog uses SDM - either is acceptable, but both are pushed to their limits. The only thing that saves them is that thier bit energy is extremely high - XM uses the biggest satellites available, the Dog uses a Tundra orbit. Again, either method works, although the Tundra orbit has hurt Serius in delivering an inexpensive chipset to this point. And while STMicro built the chipset for XM, all of the chips have been designed by a inhouse unit located in Boca Raton, FL. This has turned out to be an advantage for XM.
Re:Peercast and Ogg Vorbis (again!) by poot_rootbeer · 2003-01-20 04:55 · Score: 2, Funny

Because Slashdot's favorite buzzwords are not the solutions to all the world's problems.

If only we could install Linux on this ear of corn, we could end world hunger forever! Unfortunately Monsanto already installed a proprietary kernel in it.

P2P Fishing by goatasaur · 2003-01-19 15:20 · Score: 1

A good way to find decent bands is (using a P2P app), browsing by username the people you download from.

It's an easy way to find some listenable material, and maybe even a new favorite band.

--
~D:

book recommendation by ohlieoh · 2003-01-19 15:20 · Score: 1

A good book in this area is 'Rebels on the Air' by Jesse Walker. The book covers in-depth the struggles and minor triumphs of non-mainstream radio programming. I found the history of the assimilation, regulation, and commercialization of broadcast media to have a direct comparison to what is happening to various internet technologies today. The book takes you from the 'hobbyists' of the early 1900s, through the military's acceptance and then the creeping regulation up to the banal programming that is with us today.

CD Player by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:20 · Score: 1, Interesting

FM is the reason I got a CD Player. I was tired of hearing the same crap on area radio stations, with their seemingly-synchronized commercial breaks.

As for the spontaneity factor the article talks about, that really doesn't effect me as much. I've had that same "feeling" burning some new tracks from artists I'd discovered through Audiogalaxy (when it was alive).

Re:CD Player by ejaw5 · 2003-01-19 15:32 · Score: 1

syncronized commercial breaks aren't as bad as syncronized crap music. You know..when you change the station because they're playing a song that's not your taste only to find the EXACT SAME FSCKING song playing on the next station. Often, it's less than 30 seconds off.

--

$cat /dev/random > Sig

Play the Clear Channel Radio Game! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:24 · Score: 0

Just tune into one of their classic rock stations and wait for one of these 4 bands to play within a 15 minute time span...

1. Led Zeppelin
2. Pink Floyd
3. Boston
4. ZZ Top

Bonus points are awarded if you can find them playing the same artist on different stations at the same time.

Generic rock....whoopee!!!

ObVice City by Kyeo · 2003-01-19 15:24 · Score: 1

Flash FM: We tell you what's good. Then we play it 'til you like it.

Payola by int69h · 2003-01-19 15:25 · Score: 2, Insightful

From the linked article:

He tells the programmers they need to break the FM lock on record labels and band managers. "Get to know them," he says. "Get the guy some free tickets to the circus for his kids. Or get him some blow."

That's a good way to get nailed by the FCC. Assuming the programmer gets to know the guy, and he does the programmer a similar favor, they've just engaged in a practice known as "payola." The FCC isn't too keen on it.

Re:Payola by int69h · 2003-01-19 17:23 · Score: 1

and he does the programmer a similar favor
What part of that did you fail to understand?
Re:Payola by carlos_avdas · 2003-01-19 18:00 · Score: 1

Payola already is common (how do you think MTV TRL works? I'll give you a clue: those ain't requests) - and unless it's well hidden, nobody's getting nailed by the FCC for it (perhaps the FCC is getting paid off too?)
Re:Payola by Stitchley · 2003-01-19 18:22 · Score: 2, Interesting

If payola was a crime, then Dick Clark would have gotten arrested long ago.
The crime was not sucking up properly. Maybe that's not what's on the books, but that's the way it is. That's why Dick Clark is the legend he is today, and why Alan Freed got blacklisted. they did the same damn thing, but Clark turned in Freed, to rid himself of some pesky competition. He's like the Pat Boone of programming. You wanna read about the death of Rock 'n Roll radio? Look up Alan Freed.
Re:Payola by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 22:29 · Score: 0

You've got it backwards...
He's saying the programmers need to get to know the band managers. The programers need to give the managers and record lable ppl "tickets and coke"...

Payola is the term used when a record company pays the *programmer* to play a song...

What this means is XM program directors should try and get the record company mooks *away* from the FM ppl they've been sleeping with for years... How is that payola?

me thinks XM just wants to sweet-talk the mooks at the record lables into shunning FM... I doubt it will work

Article Goes On and On..... by nuintari · 2003-01-19 15:26 · Score: 1, Redundant

This article is a bit long winded, and for someone who hates radio as much as I do, its inanely boring. But, I read most of it anyways.

here's what the article says in so few words:
1. FM tries to fit people into one of 6 categories.
2. We will try to fit people into 2 or 3 of 100 categories.
3. Hopefully, we won't end up sounding like Sterns and Bob and Tom in the morning.

I have one station that I listen to, its 91.3, NPR, northwest ohio. If I can, I'd rather have a cd in most of the day, because as much as I love classical and Jazz, even NPR doesn't speak to me, but their talk stuff is good.

I feel that I fit the mold of, Radio is for filler background noise in the car when, on a long trip, we have listened to every cd we have three times over. Sorry, but I refuse to pay for what is essentially high quality elevator music.

I'll discover my music the cool way, download mp3's, buy the cd's if I like them. And I have friends, we all share our musical tastes. Radio has never done a thing for me, XM is gonna flop.

Spell and Grammer check is for people with spare time.....

--

--Nuintari

slashdot : where an opinion can be wrong.

Re:Article Goes On and On..... by NeMon'ess · 2003-01-19 16:55 · Score: 2, Interesting

Radio has never done a thing for me, XM is gonna flop.

Aren't you insightful? The world must revolve around you because you think it does. Please, you don't like XM because you don't pay attention to what you're hearing, well plenty of other people do. I listen to what I like on the radio and turn it off when there's nothing I want to hear.
Re:Article Goes On and On..... by kilonad · 2003-01-19 17:16 · Score: 1

Spell and Grammer check is for people with spare time.....
And posting on slashdot isn't?
Re:Article Goes On and On..... by nuintari · 2003-01-19 21:48 · Score: 1

Glad soemone caught that.

--
--Nuintari

slashdot : where an opinion can be wrong.
Re:Article Goes On and On..... by nuintari · 2003-01-19 21:54 · Score: 1

My, aren't you reading between lines that aren't meant to read between, I just said I outright hate radio. maybe I like to be in total control fo what I will hear next, or maybe that whole, let's play the same 25 songs all day long gets a bit too repetative for me to handle, but I do listen to my stereo quite often, or I tune it out and jab with the person int he car with me, whatever the time warrents.

My point was, XM is going to fall into the same trap FM does, and variety is going to go out the door in favor of the maximising profits. No, if I want variety, I'll burn a pile of mix cd's, as I do very often.

And no, the world does not revolve around me, the universe revolves around me.

--
--Nuintari

slashdot : where an opinion can be wrong.

Radio dies at the hands of MP3 by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:26 · Score: 0

Radio is dead because I can rip all my CDs and store them on my MP3 player of choice. All my songs. I can put it on random and how is that different from commerical free, babble free, excellent reception radio?

But there's been no uproar from the RIAA because this is legal. It's just like bringing your entire CD collection in the car, or at home. Who cares? Radio is dead.

TV, we have TiVo and show DVDs. Soon, soon.

Who wants to be TOLD what to watch or listen to, and when?

Re:Radio dies at the hands of MP3 by blixel · 2003-01-19 15:49 · Score: 1

Who wants to be TOLD what to watch or listen to, and when?

Me. I watch whatever my dominatrix tells me to watch.
Re:Radio dies at the hands of MP3 by John+Murray · 2003-01-19 16:12 · Score: 2, Insightful

Who wants to be TOLD what to watch or listen to, and when?
Radio's nice for finding out new about bands, and music. Plus XM transmits the title and artist information, so I know what the heck I'm listening to, and some recivers will even let you save the information for later. Must get boring listening to the same albums over and over agian.
Re:Radio dies at the hands of MP3 by Anonvmous+Coward · 2003-01-19 16:16 · Score: 3, Insightful

"Radio is dead because I can rip all my CDs and store them on my MP3 player of choice. All my songs. I can put it on random and how is that different from commerical free, babble free, excellent reception radio?"

So.. how do you find new music?

"Who wants to be TOLD what to watch or listen to, and when?"

I'm not a big fan of radio, but I find that comment misleading. Radio's something you monitor. You don't get blasted with info about what time a song will play like TV does. And since everything on the radio's purchasable at some point (unlike TV), then this particular argument fades away.

It works great for TV, but I'm not sure you're doing much more than oversimplifying and twisting details around.
Re:Radio dies at the hands of MP3 by Spoticus · 2003-01-19 16:54 · Score: 1

Radio's nice for finding out new about bands, and music.

I have to completely disagree with you there. Maybe where you are that's true, but in upstate NY it's not - not even close. Unless... you consider hearing 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' on K-ROCK ever other hour new.
The only time I listened to the radio was in my car. The FM receiver in my car went kaput almost 2 years ago, so all I have now is AM, which is fine since I can get NPR. I haven't missed FM radio in the least. Growing up in upstate NY, FM radio was, and still is complete crap - unless you _like_ being bombarded with the same three Boston, Journey, and Rush songs hour after hour after hour after hour on any of the four AOR stations in the area. It's gotten no better. Hell, even the Syracuse University college channel was the first college radio to go top 40 (in 1988 I think?) :-(
My buddy down the street showing me King Crimson and Fishbone for the 1st time was one of the most amazing things my ears had ever experienced, and I've never heard them on the radio around here - ever.
It hasn't gotten any better either. Aside from those 4 age old AOR channels, a country channel or 2, and a couple of religious programming stations, you can actually pick up K-ROCK on THREE different locations on the FM dial around here, it's awful.
Re:Radio dies at the hands of MP3 by John+Murray · 2003-01-19 17:16 · Score: 1

I was refering to XM radio.. not FM..

Re:this could go either way - but probably downhil by ejaw5 · 2003-01-19 15:26 · Score: 1

the commercial FM dial has been essentially reduced to six musical formats: Pop/rock, hip-hop, country, classical, Spanish-language and variations on the theme of "adult contemporary," ".

What ever happened to jazz music? Here in Jacksonville FL I used to be able to enjoy smooth jazz on the FM...until it was bought out by f*&$ing KissFM a few years ago. ..and KissFM got crappy fast, and brought down the local top40 station to their low level.

Just my rant.(dont mod me). Now I depend on live365.

--

$cat /dev/random > Sig

funny how you didn't mention by SHEENmaster · 2003-01-19 15:30 · Score: 2, Funny

X11 aka X Windows, what started this whole trend and what all the hippest /.ers are using. Rather than just sounding cool, it is cool.

If you think "extreme games" are lame, check out my parody. It features Tux, Ellen Feiss, Beasty(Chuck), Bill Gates, and more.

--
You can't judge a book by the way it wears its hair.

Well kinda by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:31 · Score: 0

I have the pleasure of getting ClearChannel shoved in my ears at the gym, unless I bring a headset.

At home, if its radio, I either go with NPR or stream something via DSL from one of the last remaining good radio stations. That said, the internet truly is a wonderful thing. Found a 300K audio/video stream from some club in Australia (I'm in the US) doing good blues music 24-7. Awesome. Bands I'd never heard of, good quality, free. Video quality was good too. Near as I could tell it was mostly to advertise the club (the Basement, IIRC) and the ISP providing the stream.

Hell, ClearChannel may be making the radio the obnoxious thing it is, but the internet may well kill the actual use of radio waves. I hope. Stupid RIAA... keep webradio alive!!! Sorry, was getting into rant mode there... Grrr...

God Bless WFMU by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:31 · Score: 0

I know you can't get it everywhere, but WFMU, http://www.wfmu.org is the antithesis of Clearchannel Crap. It's one of the last truly independent radio stations left, and, so far, one of the few good things I can say about living in New Jersey. As long as it's on the air, I don't need satellite. Once it's gone, sign me up!

WKRP by Dr.+Cody · 2003-01-19 15:32 · Score: 3, Funny

What ever happenned to the days of good, honest record labels sending good, honest dj's good, honest album covers filled with cocaine.

We don't need no corporation...

FM/XM or streaming radio... by BrookHarty · 2003-01-19 15:37 · Score: 1

I use to listen to Howard Stern on streaming radio, but Howard shut it down. It was a pirate stream, we got the commericals with it, but howard still shut it down.

So now, I listen to it on FM radio in the morning, but at work all the computers cause too much RF interferance. So I listen to some techno streams from the UK.

So, now I am supposed to drop my happy way of doing things, and pay 10 bux a month for XM radio. I just do see it happening.

Re:FM/XM or streaming radio... by shaklee · 2003-01-19 16:14 · Score: 1

alt.binaries.howard-stern moron.
Re:FM/XM or streaming radio... by BrookHarty · 2003-01-19 17:24 · Score: 1

alt.binaries.howard-stern moron

Hey troll, try to read before you post. I see your trying to raise your karma, good luck, you need it.

BTW, I know there are newsgroups, and p2p, and websites I can download from. They are not easy to download, time consuming, and not worth it. You missed the point.

Please consider Sirus... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 15:44 · Score: 0

This is just to piggyback off the previous post which mentioned some of the virtues of Sirus Satteliate Radio, as opposed to XM. I used to own XM radio, however after being exposed to Sirus on a 6 hour road trip (in a friends car) I was converted. Sirus has a stronger future and present. I also agee that XMs current situation appears to be far more condusive to the type of corruption/diregard for listeners/ etc. that is currently running rampid in the world of FM. There are actually many other factual reasons why I prefer Sirus over XM. I was googling the topic and came across a side by side comparison on a blog (of someone who has owned both if seems) right here. Much more information then I have the time or knowledge to provide. :)

Lee Abrams did NOT invent FM rock radio! by Newer+Guy · 2003-01-19 15:50 · Score: 1

Ron Jacobs did...at KGB AM&FM in San Diego. Lee Abrams ripped him off! Proof of this is at www.reelradio.com. Do a serch for KGB. You'll quickly find the: "Ron Jacobs 1972 KGB recycle documentary", which ran on KGB 24/7 for an entire week before he introduced HIS new rock radio format..the one Abrams stoe from him. Actually, the documentary is quite interesting to listen to, as is this entire site.

Re:Lee Abrams did NOT invent FM rock radio! by Newer+Guy · 2003-01-19 15:54 · Score: 2, Interesting

The irony is that KGB is now owned by Clear Channel. When I was there one summer day in 2001, the station was on autopilot, with an empty studio and the Prophet (aka: "Profit") system playing the generic classic rock tha station now plays (over and over and over). ~sigh~ Ron Jacobs is now retired and lives in Honolulu where he quite vocally trashes 2000 era radio every chance he gets!
Re:Lee Abrams did NOT invent FM rock radio! by kcbrown · 2003-01-19 20:22 · Score: 1

The irony is that KGB is now owned by Clear Channel.

In Soviet Russia, Clear Channel is owned by KGB??
(Ducks)

--
Use 'slashdot stuff' in the subject line in any email you send me if you want to get past the spam filter.

Wait. by PaddyM · 2003-01-19 15:51 · Score: 2, Interesting

Didn't video kill the radio star a long time ago?

Seriously, what's the big disappointment in radio disappearing. I should listen to what IIII want to hear. Content on demand is the future. I don't need all these RADIO WAVES sending UNSOLICITED INFORMATION. If you think about it, the Radio Stations have been spamming our radios for years. And yet despite all this general dissatisfaction with spam, we don't see the disadvantage in that.

But NPR is still important. That station can stay. Sending the NEWS over the radio is still important.

Not likely to be any better by djupedal · 2003-01-19 15:51 · Score: 1

With the advent (free vs. fee) of PSAs between every song on Live365 (same basic business model as traditional radio), I hold little hope of anyone coming up with an alternate plan that will ever move away from the thinking that's affected FM.

Live365 makes the free version so annoying, they drive you to either pay the monthly fee, or look elsewhere for entertainment. What is XM proposing that will do any better?

Re:Not likely to be any better by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 21:54 · Score: 0

I think Live 365 has something right, if you dont want to pay then let the sponsors pay (FM model) hey no change but if you can afford a few$ a month for add free radio then go for it because the selection on live 365 is awsome.

Personally I pay and I have about 4 favorit channels full of fres original music the traditional radios wont play.

Screw FM...
Re:Not likely to be any better by djupedal · 2003-01-19 23:21 · Score: 1

I might consider paying...if I knew it would still function from within iTunes.

I have XM by md27 · 2003-01-19 15:53 · Score: 2, Interesting

And I use it all the time. No commercials is really, really nice, anyone who's ever had to commute can attest to this. (All the stations I listen to don't have commercials) The other nice feature is a display of what's currently playing, which is much better than listening to a station for another hour trying to figure out what the song was. The reception is fine (NYC Metro Area, sat. not repeater) and it's definitely worth the 10 bucks a month for service. Just NEVER having to channel surf makes it worth it.

Amazing... by aussersterne · 2003-01-19 15:54 · Score: 1

No one has ever made it to my foes list so incredibly quickly as you!

--
STOP . AMERICA . NOW

XM Rocks, Sirius blows by scooby2 · 2003-01-19 15:54 · Score: 1

Exactly. This is why XM will suceed and Sirius will continue to fail. Either way almost all the rock/techno/alternative channels on XM do not have commercials and do not plan on it.

Beeboop has not kept up with the times. XM recently raised $475 mil in new funds and GM (the worlds largest automaker) has committed to include XM compatible receivers in 75 percent of all new vehicles. The cash with combined with their current 360k subs gives them enough cash to sit pretty for years to come.

How many subs does Sirius have again?

XM could have pussed out and done a recap like Sirius but why when they have the superior product and superior market share to back it up?

Re:XM Rocks, Sirius blows by Beebos · 2003-01-19 15:59 · Score: 1

I guess we will have to wait and see which one survives.
Re:XM Rocks, Sirius blows by Wyatt+Earp · 2003-01-19 17:31 · Score: 1

XM now has Honda and 360,000 subscribers.

Sirus is getting ready to sell it's birds.

"Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. has received approval from the Federal Communications Commission to transfer control of its operating licenses in connection with its recapitalization."

Sirus has 1.26 billion dollars of debt.
XM has 500 million dollars of debt.

frequency bands by bicho · 2003-01-19 15:55 · Score: 1

Does FM has open frequency bands there (US)?
will XM?
My guess is just not about anybody will be able to build up a station.

(and it should be obvious about my post that I havent read the article yet :P )

--

errera hunamum ets

One good ClearChannel Station by crossconnects · 2003-01-19 15:56 · Score: 1

I have heard several ClearChannel Radio stations in this area (Central and Eastern PA). most of them are terrible. Same old trash every hour.

One, however, is still using the same format they used before ClearChannel bought them. The River out of Harrisburg plays a variety of Rock without Britney's BS, and still keeps the local stuff going. Same DJs they've had right along. Wish ClearChannel would get a clue from them.

--
no big sig

Re:One good ClearChannel Station by PotatoHead · 2003-01-19 17:35 · Score: 1

You are either lucky because that station contained 'syndicatable' talent, or the station just happened to tow the line close enough to not get changed.

Either way good for you. The cynic in me says it will happen, it is only a matter of time though.

--
Blogging because I can...
Re:One good ClearChannel Station by SamMichaels · 2003-01-19 20:06 · Score: 1

The River has the WORST playlist in Harrisburg. I like their jocks, but the programming sucks.

I used to work for Wink. Finally got sick of the radio politics and nonsense. FM is dead. Don't beat a dead horse.
Re:One good ClearChannel Station by PotatoHead · 2003-01-20 04:53 · Score: 1

Funny you mention that. In Portland one station was just changed to 'the river' format. Ewwww...

--
Blogging because I can...
Re:One good ClearChannel Station by crossconnects · 2003-01-20 10:23 · Score: 1

Maybe it's me, but I like the playlist. lot's of the classic rock all the way up to current rock. And no Britney BS or hiphop.

--
no big sig

What Do You Mean FM Sucks?? by zentec · 2003-01-19 15:56 · Score: 5, Insightful

That is preposterous. The FCC has determined that your tastes are better served by the media cartel of ClearChannel, CBS/Infinity and Viacom. If you're an urban radio fan, you have Radio One.

You're simply un-American and a terrorist sympathizer if all you want is information about your local community, or music that isn't getting airplay because of elaborate plug-n-play schemes or being pulled from the dusty archives because the station ownership is promoting the concert in the next town.

The FCC has your interests at heart. They realize that more common ownership is a good thing and is willing to take this a step further by again reducing ownership rules and even permitting television stations to own radio and newspapers.

Think of the bargains that advertisers will see when they have a one-stop-shop for all of their advertising. Imagine the benefits of unbiased uniformed reporting that you'll get from radio, TV and newsprint. Why, there won't be nary any discrepancies to the news since it'll come from the same copy writer no matter the source of your news.

The FCC knows best, trust them and you will see.

Of course, the above is sarcasm. I spent over 13 years in the broadcasting industry. I'm still taking three showers a day in an attempt to get rid of the stench.

Re:What Do You Mean FM Sucks?? by Wind_Walker · 2003-01-19 16:53 · Score: 5, Funny

I'm still taking three showers a day in an attempt to get rid of the stench.
Well, you're ahead of the majority of the Slashdot crowd by, oh, 20 showers per week!
Re:What Do You Mean FM Sucks?? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 21:31 · Score: 0

hey... one shower a week is plenty. you laugh now. but when the water shortages start coming... you will be the one trying to live with your own stench while us "slashdot crowd" will be same as before.

we should all be showering with sand like in tank girl. water is a dissapearing resource (we dont get any from space! (one or two ice comets a year ;p) and we sure as hell drink more than we put back) plus we are using fresh water for waste too, and contaminating fresh water too cause people are stoopid :(
Re:What Do You Mean FM Sucks?? by awol · 2003-01-19 22:45 · Score: 1

I _really_ don't have a problem with media consolidation. My only gripe is the facelessness. Capital rarely finds its way into the media industry in order to get a good rate of return. It's because the "moguls" want to disseminate their opinions. I remember laughing outloud when one of the main media moguls in Australia said as much to a senate inquiry and the inquirers where "shocked". I have no issue with that goal, indeed I welcome it, but I want to know whose opinion it is being foisted upon me.

Now why do I welcome it? Well apart for the social policy issue that pissing all that good capital into shitty media organisations is just ineffecient, I think that the owners of capital should be allowed to invest their money where they like and that that policy issue is more important to me than the fact that they make shit radio/tv. I live in the UK, where pirate radio has a long tradition and I belive the pirates will return to save us all (eventually).

In truth, I never listen to the radio for music anymore, haven't in five years. But news, and spoken word (largely comedy) all the time. And when I miss it, I just get it from the net or DTV ah the joys of an independent public broadcaster.

And there my friends is an answer. Legislated funding, for those that don't know (bruhaha about current direction aside) the BBC here in the UK is funded by an annual GBP108.00 fee for the ownership of a Television (Colour, less for B&W, less for the disadvantaged and blind, yeah I know blind TV "watchers", go figure), this fee then funds the commissioning of content (TV and radio), operation of (essentially) 5 TV channels and _many_ radio channels (including the world service). The quality of which is variable, and the BBC sells product to gain more revenue (hence the bruhaha), but you get the idea. It may seem an anathema to the Americans amongst you, but it is "user" pays in that, if you don't watch (ie own) then you don't pay. Nice.

The true test of how valuable this resource, is that it is the politians who regularly threaten the removal of the legislative mandate for this funding. They must be doing something right :-) Classic example, they have a 24 hour news channel News24, hardly rates at all in the UK and so they, the polititicians mainly, say why bother. But recently someone pointed out that over 600 million people use it as their primary news service. That's a lot of people. Mandates come in many forms.

--
"The first thing to do when you find yourself in a hole is stop digging."
Re:What Do You Mean FM Sucks?? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 23:02 · Score: 0

Well, you're ahead of the majority of the Slashdot crowd by, oh, 20 showers per week!

well at least thats an improvement
Re:What Do You Mean FM Sucks?? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 06:59 · Score: 0

The licence is now £112, you know you pay over four times that amount for the commercial crap every time you buy something, sort of puts the tax into perspective.

Support Public Radio by mblase · 2003-01-19 15:59 · Score: 4, Insightful

NPR is the best thing in radio today, as far as I'm concerned. I know that most of the public radio stations in existence are classical programming, but out of Peoria and Bloomington, IL I can get a superb jazz station. Five days a week I get news during rush hour and jazz in the morning and most of the evenings, plus blues and a little more variety on the weekends. The classical NPR station nearby plays jazz programming on the weekends as well. And except during their biannual fundraising drives, they're commercial-free. It's not like XM where I have dozens of choices of formats, but at least it's the one format I enjoy the most. I'd much rather pay them my $10/month than XM, if only because they're that much more likely to be around three years from now.

Re:Support Public Radio by Shimmer · 2003-01-19 18:17 · Score: 3, Insightful

The NPR propoganda machine is enough to make me want to puke.

Yes, but their bias is no worse than other major outlets (Wash. Post, Fox News, etc.). If you set your mental filter accordingly, it's plain that the NPR news content is far superior to anything else on radio or TV (except maybe C-SPAN), if only for the single reason that they don't assume that their listeners are morons.

-- Brian

--
The most rabid believers in American Exceptionalism are the exact same people whose policies are destroying it.
Re:Support Public Radio by mosch · 2003-01-19 18:32 · Score: 5, Insightful

NPR gets about 2% of it's funding from tax payers. It's nearly completely listener funded.
As for the bias, it's there, but they do a relatively good job of presenting differing opinions, and finding people who can offer differing insights into various issues. Their "left-wing bias" managed to feel relatively neutral about president shrub's proposed tax cut, whereas before I listened to them, I was completely against it.
Perhaps you only think it's left-wing bias because you normally get your news from extreme right-wing organizations, such as Fox News?
Re:Support Public Radio by Crispin+Cowan · 2003-01-19 21:01 · Score: 4, Insightful

You are forgetting the never-ending stream of annoying, worthless, tax-payer funded, left-wing drivel.

Ah, yes, what I refer to as "the truth." That's my favorite part of NPR. Quite the refreshing change from all that right-wing propaganda about how we have to destroy "Saaddam Huusayn" before he destroys us.
NPR is the only thing worth listening to on radio. If I can't get NPR, I switch to "off." I sure as hell am not going to pay XM $10/month for muzak.
Crispin
----
Crispin Cowan, Ph.D.
Chief Scientist, WireX Communications, Inc.
Immunix: Security Hardened Linux Distribution
Available for purchase
Re:Support Public Radio by jejones · 2003-01-20 00:34 · Score: 0

Perhaps you only think it's left-wing bias because you normally get your news from extreme right-wing organizations, such as Fox News?

You mean the extreme right-wing organization that features Alan Colmes and that fellow from the extreme left-wing group, FAIR? (For that matter, Paula Zahn's show on Fox News had a definite tilt to the left...)
Re:Support Public Radio by TheSync · 2003-01-20 03:34 · Score: 0, Troll

NPR gets about 2% of it's funding from tax payers. It's nearly completely listener funded.

The 2% number is definately "fishy." NPR, a distributor of public radio content, receives only 2% of its funding directly from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) which gets money from the Federal Government.

But NPR is but a small part of public radio, and even it gets plenty of taxpayers funds indirectly that are "laundered" through other entities.

For example, NPR gets 30% of its revenue from programming fees from public radio stations. Those stations often receive Federal funding from the CPB (community service grants, for example) and also can receive funds from state governments directly, through educational institutions, from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) through the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP), and often from local governments as well. NPR's satellite distribution service, the PRSS, also receives Federal funding.

So if you "follow the money," you will see that far more than 2% of taxpayer funding ends up going to public radio.

The CPB says that membership accounts for only 25% of public broadcasting revenues. Businesses and foundations contribute 22.6%. Public and private educaitonal sources contribute 10.4%.

So at the end of the day, it is reasonable to say that around 50% of public broadcasting revenues come from taxpayer dollars. Due to the larger number of state supported public television networks, I suspect the number is slightly less for public radio (~40%).

But it isn't 2%...
Re:Support Public Radio by chorner · 2003-01-20 04:03 · Score: 2, Interesting

I would agree that some NPR stations have a (slight, IMO) liberal bias, but they bring something to the table that no one else on the radio dial has: Long form journalism. In the day of 3-5 second sound bite journalism, Headline News Network, and news tickers on the bottom of everyone's screen, I'm thankful for a source of news that doesn't stop with the headline. Anecdotally, I would say their average piece is about 20 seconds long, with their reporting pieces seem to be several minutes long. BTW, not all NPR stations are government funded. KCLU here in Ventura County, CA, receives $0 from the government. I'm sure that they are not the only ones, but right now, I don't have any solid facts or links for you. Someone please explain to me how a (overwhelmingly republican) government funded radio station would have a liberal bias? It seems to me that a propaganda organ of the state, as cheezedawg seems to think of NPR, would reflect the views of the current administration. Personnally, I think that NPR news has significantly less bias than other radio and TV stations I've listened to, or watched. Regardeless of type or quantity of bias, one can engage their brain and filter out propaganda and FUD from any source. Don't worry about liberal (or conservative) bias in media. Having a bias in media benefits us all, by presenting differing viewpoints on subjects. This allows us to make our own decisions on these subjects. If one doesn't want any other view point than that which is "correct" for them , I pity them for their close-mindedness. None of us deserves to be spoon fed! Some other advantages I've found: 1. Smaller more responsive radio stations - They are not hampered by programming director puppets from big media companies. If you don't like the programming (or alleged bias) call them! 2. Better music - If you like jazz or classical, that is. Does anyone know if any NPR stations play other than jazz or classical? 3. Better locality - The NPR stations I listen to have a great concept of how to serve the local community. 4. Good staff - When I call to report a traffic accident, or call to complain/compliment about something, I get to talk to people other than a front office staff. I've spoken directly with the anchors and reporters at KCLU when I've called in the past. Bottom line is that NPR stations have an important niche to fill, and they seem to be the last holdouts in the rolling tidal wave that is giant media companies. Treasure them, and if you don't like them, either change the channel, or work to change the station. -Chris Horner
Re:Support Public Radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 04:15 · Score: 0

> it is reasonable to say that around 50%

According to a study done by the GAO, "only" 75% of their funding came from taxpayers. The NY Times complained that "we" weren't doing enough to support public radio by only paying for about 75%. I wonder what the original poster's agenda was when it claimed only 2%.
Re:Support Public Radio by chorner · 2003-01-20 04:22 · Score: 1

hmm...reminder to self: Hit the damn preview button first!
Re:Support Public Radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 04:27 · Score: 0

if only for the single reason that they don't assume that their listeners are morons.

Then how are repulicans supposed to understand it?
Re:Support Public Radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 04:54 · Score: 0

extreme right-wing organization that features Alan Colmes and that fellow from the extreme left-wing group, FAIR?

Alan Colmes is the Token Liberal(tm) on Fox. Consider who owns the network (Mr. Murdoch), and the fact that Roger Ailes is still involved with it. Fair and balanced my ass.

My beef with CNN, MSNBC, and Fox in particular is that it's really just talk radio and caters to the lowest common denominator. Political discourse for the Springer generation, or for those who find "Hee-Haw" too challenging. I'd kill for a dedicated BBC News channel on my cable system.

Having said that, let's stop bitching and start the revolution. Don't like the "liberal bias" of NPR? Then write already; your letter will probably make it to the air (unless like most Fox News viewers, you use Crayolas).
Re:Support Public Radio by drooling-dog · 2003-01-20 05:31 · Score: 1

Couldn't agree more. Here in southeastern Michigan I can receive about half a dozen public stations - mostly NPR - that cover a broad range of formats including blues, jazz (and NOT the insipid "smooth" stuff), classical, worldbeat, alternative, etc. But I travel often and am constantly amazed at what a radio wasteland most of the country is, even many large and culturally hip cities where you'd expect much better. There's often nothing at all that I'd want to listen to anyplace but my car, where I can change stations on a dime.
So toss your favorite non-commercial station $50 or so every year. It's cheaper than the subscription services, and it'll help to keep good locally-originated programming in your community.
Re:Support Public Radio by DohDamit · 2003-01-20 08:01 · Score: 1

Don't you feel like you are overstating the case, even slightly? There is a definite push towards diversity and self-reflection on NPR. While this is a good thing in most circumstances, and I enjoy listening to it due to the long-form reporting the post beneath this refers to, the programming sometimes goes too far, to the point of sectarian dogma pushing a sense of shame on self-loathing liberals. It becomes grinding, and more than a little preachy. Please note that I said this only happens sometimes.
Re:Support Public Radio by fermion · 2003-01-20 08:24 · Score: 1

Public Radio brings up another issue not often discussed. While Clear Channel is a primary culprit in bad radio, the secondary culprit is right wing religious fanatics. While Clear Channel is trying to buy up most of the commercial FM band in a effort create local monopolies that will allow price fixing and promotion of corporate music, the religious right fanatics are trying to hijack or otherwise acquire most of the non-commercial FM band. They often have more money and their fanaticism often causes them to forget fair play or courtesy.
So why should anyone care? First, the non-commercial band is the only place one is likely to hear a range of non-corporate or local music. Most religious fanatics are not going to be dedicated to a wide range of music. Second, the airwaves are public property and should not be allowed to fall into the hands of the privileged few. The U.S. congress has consistently ignored this principle for the sake of personal profit. Third, a democracy only thrives if there is a broad dissemination of information. If the information sources are filtered, even by private or public NGO, that democracy will become an autocracy. For example, if all we hear is how the gays are evil, then, when we need a scapegoat for the bad economy, the gays will be ripe for the concentration camp.
So, even if you are happy with corporate music and corporate news, Rush, and honestly believe that an incarnate evil exists, there is still a need for diversity. If these public radio stations should not be supported, then at least perhaps they should not be actively destroyed.

--
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
Re:Support Public Radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 11:29 · Score: 0

Yesss. NPR is great. Car guys rule
Re:Support Public Radio by anarkhos · 2003-01-20 11:39 · Score: 1

So I guess those are the only two non-left leaning media outlets you could think of.

--
>80 column hard wrapped e-mail is not a sign of intelligent
>life
Re:Support Public Radio by Shimmer · 2003-01-20 11:50 · Score: 1

You're barking up the wrong tree. The Washington Post is notoriously liberal. I was just listing biased outlets, not liberal outlets.

-- Brian

--
The most rabid believers in American Exceptionalism are the exact same people whose policies are destroying it.
Re:Support Public Radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-21 16:46 · Score: 0

Regarding formats other than Classical and Jazz:

WAMU in Washington, DC plays quite a bit of bluegrass in the afternoons and on weekends. Less than they used to, but it's still there and as annoying as always. But god bless 'em for doing their own thing.
Re:Support Public Radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-22 08:59 · Score: 0

My local NPR station plays all kinds of music all day and onthe weekends.
http://www.wcbe.org/programs.html

A "local" station worth listening to. by Anitra · 2003-01-19 16:01 · Score: 1

Yup - I used to like the Nerve, too. (I grew up in Rochester.) But I was still in highschool when it got bought out - so I stopped listening to any radio for a while. Then someone introduced me to WBER. It's owned by Monroe BOCES, and most of their DJs are volunteers or part-time (underpaid) staff. It's got a great personality, and GREAT music - everything from Tool to U2 to Fatboy Slim to They Might Be Giants (probably not the best examples, but let's move on).

They also do (some) of their own research on what listeners want to hear: Every hour, there's a "test track" which is generally something you're not hearing anywhere else. Listeners can call in (or go to the website) and vote whether they want the song to get ditched, or get put into rotation.

Did I mention that, because they're owned by BOCES, they're non-profit, and don't have the normal ad structure? Instead, they have PBS-style sponsorship announcements every 45 minutes or so. The "ads" are either for local companies that fit the demographic (skate shops, etc), or for clubs & concerts, telling you who is going to perform and when. Way better than car salesmen or nation-wide-chain ads.

The best part? They broadcast online! (using RealPlayer, unfortunately, but I won't hold that against them.)

--

Have you read the Moderation Guidelines Addendum?

Re: blue screens of death on the air by King_TJ · 2003-01-19 16:03 · Score: 2, Funny

This reminds me of something funny I heard on a local FM "modern rock" station about a week ago.

They just started playing a song, when it suddenly stopped playing. After 15 seconds or so of dead air, the DJs came on, complaning about the computer crashing and screwing things up. They tried to get it to play again, without success. Then, one of the DJ's started complaining about a "PCI bus device failure error" on a blue and white screen, and asking what the heck that meant.

After another reboot, they seemed to get things going again - but wow, I didn't know they ran the whole music collection off a Windows NT/2000 box! Scary.

Flamebait? by Beebos · 2003-01-19 16:05 · Score: 0, Offtopic

Can anyone explain how my original post was moderated flamebait? Especially when two other people gave it and interesting and an imformative?

Re:Flamebait? by irc.goatse.cx+troll · 2003-01-19 16:26 · Score: 0, Troll

Because moderators are on crack. Glad I could help.

--
Pain lasts, kid. Its how you know you're alive. Sometimes I think this growing up thing is just pain management-TheMaxx

When do you listen to radio? by briancnorton · 2003-01-19 16:06 · Score: 1

I only listen during my commute. At this point, I want weather, traffic, and a few jokes to start my day. XM dosent give me any of this.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isnt XM under chapter 11 protection?

--

People who think they know everything really piss off those of us that actually do.

Re:When do you listen to radio? by slashdoter · 2003-01-19 16:12 · Score: 1

I have XM, and you willn't get local traffic but:
CH 125 The Weather Channel
6 TV news channels other than TWC that do weather and morrning show for your "jokes"
CH 150,151,152 Comedy, stand up for famly and uncensord dick and fart jokes

--
Does anyone actually have a Java program designed to control air traffic, or for the operation of a nuclear facility?
Re:When do you listen to radio? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:44 · Score: 0

What I want is for XM to broadcast the local FM/AM stations, so when I'm driving across the state, I can get the same station from my hometown. The quality will be there, and the content is local so there should be a lot of people interested that weren't before. Plus the local stations would get the ad money still, and maybe a little kickback from the people who pay in the local area.

Then there would be people like me who move all over the country, and would still rather listen to the mouring show at 3am on the west coast, then the stuff that we have out here at 6am.

internet radio suggestions? by violently_ill · 2003-01-19 16:14 · Score: 1

can anybody suggest some good internet radio stations for a guy who likes: rage against the machine incubus deftones pearl jam jamiroquai soundgarden red hot chili peppers smashing pumpkins ...and all of the rest of the 1991 bands?

Why Radio Sucks (Including XM) by CashCarSTAR · 2003-01-19 16:17 · Score: 2, Insightful

Radio tries to break things down into Genres. Which is fine and dandy I guess...but...but...lets face it..it just doesn't work for me. Whatever genre you like, you have favorites and not-so favorites. In fact, you more than likely have things you downright HATE. In even more detail, you may like some songs by an artist, but not others, even within the same album. The fact is the only programming that is truely satisfactory is that you do yourself. Furthermore, I want more than the singles. I want the album tracks, I want b-sides, I want LIVE music god damnit. That is what I want. The only way to get this is through doing it yourself. I use a MP3 CD player hooked up through one of those CD-Tape converters. With CDs filled with MP3s of my favorite acts divided into Eras with both b-sides and live songs, that is the way to ensure the programming I want.

XM Radio... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:19 · Score: 0

...is the greatest invention since beer. I'm listening to my Delphi SKYFi system right now...that's the one where you can get a boombox unit to attach the faceplate to.

I've got all the stations I could possibly want...and then some. $9.99 is more than fair for such variety.

Palestine by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:19 · Score: 0

Free Palestine!

Decentralize by NFW · 2003-01-19 16:19 · Score: 2, Insightful

I'm sitting here listing to a Shoutcast stream ofreally sweet music from bands I've never heard of and would never have found otherwise. I'm taking notes so I can buy their CDs and concert tickets. I'm thinking decentralization is what it takes to connect customers and musicians.

I'm thinking market forces won't ever provide that anywhere near as well as "stations" run by people who simply love music.

--
Build stuff. Stuff that walks, stuff that rolls, whatever.

Re:Decentralize by ddimas · 2003-01-20 01:52 · Score: 1

I think that you are right. Ultimatly all communities are local and are best served by a local broadcaster. These large corporate owned stations broadcasting "National" content may have little or no relevance to a community that has a band that they all like but never hear on the radio. I am quite sure that for every Brittany Spears pushed on us by the RIAA there are a thousand local bands of greater talent who just are not "National" material. All these large corporations really do is filter out everything that they "know" we don't want to hear. Personally I lsten to NPR for the news and buy or download my music.

I wouldn't mind FM so much... by Twintop · 2003-01-19 16:23 · Score: 1

...if "pirate" radio stations what didn't mess with paid signals and emergency/airport bands were allowed.

Re:I wouldn't mind FM so much... by renecarlos · 2003-01-20 06:18 · Score: 1

...if "pirate" radio stations what didn't mess with paid signals and emergency/airport bands were allowed.

They would have been, had micro-radio been approved by the FCC. But the big stations, of course, claimed micro-radio would interfere with their broadcasts despite being .4MHz away and under, like, five watts. And big stations can afford lobbyists.

Meanwhile, the FCC approves IBOC digital radio, approved as a blank check to the existing radio corporations that proposed it. IBOC is .2MHz away from existing stations.

For-profit stations have millions invested in licenses and transmitters. They don't want johnny pirate screwing up either their broadcast or their business model.

radio sucks by Master+Tofu · 2003-01-19 16:23 · Score: 1

too many commercials and gimmicks, kind of like the web. get an mp3 cd player in your car.

I never listen to commercial radio anymore by toddestan · 2003-01-19 16:27 · Score: 0

I don't listen to commercial radio anymore. It wasn't really a decision I made either, just one day I suddenly realized I hadn't turned on a radio in several months.

While I argue that MP3's aren't really hurting CD sales that much, I buy more CDs now than ever, from all the music I have discovered. But MP3's have killed radio for me. Why put up with all the stupid ads, same music played over and over, and annoying DJs when I can so easily load up a playlist of what I want to hear?

Combine MP3's on the computer with all the other gadgets like portable players, car players, etc. and radio has to be hurting. Big time. It's obvious where I live, where we now have like 1 pop station, 1 rap station, and about 8 classic rock/70's/80's/oldies stations. FM Radio has lost the younger generation with their MP3's and CD collections, and it won't be long before no one is tuning in.

I don't own a XM reciever, but have heard other's and it's pretty nice. But it is owned by Clear Channel, so that's one reason I haven't bit (another reason is all those MP3's...But maybe I haven't heard enough of it yet. Just like the classic rock stations here can be tolerated for a little while, until you realize they play the same ~50 songs over and over, despite having DECADES of music to choose from. I swear the radio stations here are run off of some computer with a mp3 player and a 2GB harddrive. Actually, that's probably not far from the truth either.

FM is free. XM isn't. End of story. by Powercntrl · 2003-01-19 16:35 · Score: 3, Insightful

The semantics of what consists of popular music aside*, my problem with satellite radio is the subscription model and the requirement of specific reception/decoding hardware that resides in a single vehicle (unless you purchase another receiver).

Satellite radio would be something I'd be interested in if it was more feature-rich and Internet enabled. Imagine a service with a Tivo-like reciever that is capable of storing songs, seeking new songs you might be interested in based on your past preferences and allowing you to build your own playlist.

Imagine you can also access this service through the Internet and stream your music on your computer so inside your home or at work you can enjoy your music as well.

Imagine the hardware isn't an in-dash reciever but a portable iPod-sized device. You can bring it with you if you happen to own more than one vehicle (which I do), or carry it with you like a Walkman(TM).

That is a product and service I'd be happy to pay money for.

* I enjoy a large percentage of current popular music. If you do not enjoy so-called mainstream radio, YMMV.

--

---
DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.

Please don't let radio die!!! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:36 · Score: 0

Pretty please.

Radio really does have a lot of benefits. With many paralells to the internet, it's still a great way to expose people to new ideas, new music, new whatever.

Support your local LPFM station (if you're lucky enough to have one...but they're there!)

Support your local community radio station. No, not public radio station. Community radio station. Yes, there is a difference.

Or hell, support your local pirate radio station. You probably have one, and just don't know about it yet. They're there. And they're not always busted within 2 weeks. The station in my town has been running for 2 years and is still going strong.

Or hell, realize that with a little bit of your supposed geekly ingenuity, you too can start up a radio station...safely! There are ways to illegal broadcast with minimal fears that the FCC will bust you. Try to figure these out!

But...music will lose so much if you just look at the Clear Channel/Infinity owned stations and say, "Hey! They suck! No more FM for me!"

Canadian Content by mauriceh · 2003-01-19 16:37 · Score: 1

Why is XM a good thing? Two words:
Canadian Content.
Imagine you lived in a fairly large US state, let's say California.
Imagine ( if you can) that the state government ruled that of the music and other content on all the stations, at least 40% of it must be by California artists, and published by California companies.
Up here north of the 49th, we NEED XM!

--
Maurice W. Hilarius Voice: (778) 347-9907

Re:Canadian Content by shepd · 2003-01-19 20:13 · Score: 1

Any suggestions on how to get XM the Canadian way? ;-)

--
If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC
Re:Canadian Content by gordguide · 2003-01-20 02:37 · Score: 1

Canada has had digital radio (via DBS) for about 5 years. Didn't notice? Nobody else did either. However, rest assured that Canadian radio stations, along with those used in Europe, have been broadcasting digitally to nobody for years.

The system used by Canada is incompatible* with the XM radio system approved by the FTC in the US, so your Canadian reciever (don't have one? Neither does anyone else) won't work in America. It will work everywhere else on Earth that has digital radio, however.

So let me get this straight by ljfrench · 2003-01-19 16:42 · Score: 0

FM Radio was fine until Abrams fscked it up, and now he's a director for XM?

I wonder if it went something like this:

1) Satellite radio needs investors
2) FM Radio is fine
3) Make FM Radio suck
4) Suddenly satellite radio is in!
6) ?????
7) Profit!

I smell conspiracy....

www.kcrw.com by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:44 · Score: 0

Want to listen to original music? Check out www.kcrw.com -- its an NPR station that broadcasts over the internet too and it rocks. it about all i listen to now.

fast tracker! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:45 · Score: 1, Funny

i never thought the fast tracker format would make such a comeback!

Now where did i put these schleudertrauma releases...

Doesn't really sound like competition to me... by linefeed0 · 2003-01-19 16:46 · Score: 3, Interesting

Clear Channel is called Cheap Channel for a reason -- they like to cut costs everywhere. No live DJ's at many times, supposedly "local" information piped in as sound bites from out of town -- not to mention that artists need lots of payola to get their stuff on the air. Oh, lots of ads, too, just to make sure there's lots of money coming in to balance out the trickle going out. Great way for a company to make big profits; not a great way to have good radio.

Why? In one word: monopoly. Not that they control everything, just enough to reduce the competition that federal laws about airwave allocation were supposed to provide. Their competitors are now desperate, not inventive. Used to be, not only could you not own 8 radio stations in a city, or 1000 across the country, you couldn't own any if the FCC determined your station was not fulfilling its public service obligation. You actually had to get your license renewed.

Now Clear Channel themselves have claimed that owning more radio stations can allow them to diversify the genres more -- but this hasn't produced any interesting results in FM radio. In fact, almost everyone agrees FM radio has gotten worse over the last 5 years or so. So how is XM going to help things? It's great as another option, for those times there isn't anything good on FM. But forgive me if I don't see this duopoly being so hugely advantageous over a monopoly. They'll give you the music you "want" -- and not a note more. A triumph of marketing, a long-term serious loss for the listener.

XM will never be able to make up for another potential casualty of Clear Channel (and fundi religious broadcasters, who are eligible for bottom-of-the-band licenses and silently eat away at the reception of struggling college stations) - regionalism in radio is good. Part of why travelling is fun in this country is local culture, even in this age of mcdonald's everywhere. XM can't give me the beach-blues station I heard in coastal South Carolina, the bluegrass segment on a (commercial!) country station in rural Virginia, or the variety of ethnic folk music and avant-garde rock on hundreds of college stations across the country. It's worth noting that of XM's 100 channels, the Post writer picked one with good, but very familiar music -- and that may be what XM is good for. The beauty of independent, college, and regional radio is discovery of new music. Not that this means XM is bad -- just that it won't save us from Clear Channel.

Problems with XM by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:50 · Score: 0

I have heard that even though it is "nationwide", signals can be weak in certain areas and in inclement weather.

I propose a system similar to cable, where I can plug an extended co-ax cable into my car. No more reception problem, although wire tangling may be an issue.

Slashdot troll, found dead at 54! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:51 · Score: 1, Funny

I just heard -- Slashdot troll was found dead in his parent's basement. There weren't any more details. I'm sure everyone in the Slashdot community will miss him - even if you didn't enjoy his work, there's no denying his contributions to popular culture. Truly an American icon.

I'm confused by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 16:56 · Score: 0

I thought it was on the radio that you had to listen to the same thing over & over.
Make up your minds.

If only... by Synn · 2003-01-19 16:59 · Score: 1

Wow, so we get to pay 200 bucks for equipment and 10 bucks a month to listen to radio that has more channels?

Too bad some bright guy can't think of a way to use the internet to do the same thing for free.

Re:If only... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 19:07 · Score: 0

Are you just going to complain or do you have an idea?
Re:If only... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 08:25 · Score: 0

You dumbass... He's talking about:

1) At home: Shoutcast.

2) On the road today: P2P + CDR + MP3-capable car stereo.

3) On the road tomorrow: Shoutcast and Wireless internet. Cellular is still expensive, and Wifi is still spotty, but eventually one or the other will suffice.

Maybe it would help if that post was modded to +3 funny? I laughed my ass off, even before I read the AC's reply.

I like FM by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 17:03 · Score: 0

About an hour's drive from here, WIXV (95.5 FM) brodcasts a stream of classic rock. Not rock that is old, just rock that sounds like rock back when some bands made rock sound the way it should. 10-song music marathons, John Boy & Billy in the morning, Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, AC/DC, Lynrd Skynrd (or however ya spell it) and an emphasis on local events and news. And the DJs are *always* taking requests.

I've been up and down Georgia and Florida, and no other station compares to 95.5 Savannah. I don't know if that's because CLearChannel got to everyone else, or if this station somehow miraculously got everything right, but I like it. And with a station this good, you'd have to have a pretty damn-good argument to get me to pay for commercial free non-local XM.

Two Words: by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 17:04 · Score: 0

Pirate Radio.

Any donkey in north america can build and USE a broadcast rig. Cripes. Mine from 10+ years ago is still in visible range.

Stop WHINING about what content you're being FED and CREATE it. DO IT. Sometimes I think you slashdotters are the most UNCREATIVE tools I've yet seen.

If you're *REALLY* upset about what you hear (caveat: you're in an urban area) - get your BUTT down to your local university/college. Chances are they have an Xmitter and will let you do whatever you want with it.

Commercial Radio and TV generally suck in North America. There are rare exceptions. Do yourself the favour - step outside of judging which commercial media is best. Realize that most suck. Deal with it.

You've got it backwards by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 17:06 · Score: 0

Payola is when music producers pay music distributors. You were discribing music distributors bribing music producers.

Conform! by Taos · 2003-01-19 17:09 · Score: 4, Insightful

During college, I spent two of my years as a minor DJ at the campus radio station, which was probably the most bizzare part of its history. College radio, as we all know, is the music snobs paradise. The students play off the wall bizzare shit, and the format is whatever the current DJ feels like playing. However, at KSU, right before I started, a graduate student took over control of the station and the first thing she did was organize it into a "modern rock" format station. For the most part, it was good. In the time I was there, the station became very highly regarded by the students, to the point that the old guard rock station in town changed formats to match us. They were stuck in the 80's rock (constant Poison!) and then suddenly started playing new bands to try and get some of their market back.

Ok, fine great. The problem was, in an effort to make the station more like a real station, the graduate student controlling this mess enforced a series of strict rules and a rigid playlist. The station is now no better than the Clear channel crap that dominates the airwaves.

Reading this article made me laugh because I witnessed this entire history of FM radio they describe over the course of my five years at school. It went from the playground of the stoners, to the perfect mix of a format guideline, but free dj's to the utter crap you hear on every station now.

Strictly formatted radio, mostly brought on by Clear channel type monoliths, is the evil that is ruining, not just radio, but all of music in america. Have a guideline for the DJ's, but let them expand out of it. Expose the listeners to something different. Play something that they haven't heard in a very long time. Throw on the Smiths just to play with someone's head.

The first thing I always did at the start of my shift was go down my playlist for the day and cross out everything by the Kottonmouth Kings. IMHO the worst thing to hit the radio in the last 5 years. I tried to fill in the crap I hated with listener requests, but on slow days, I had to fill in my own stuff.

On the off days, when students weren't around, the station would go to an automated playlist (a computer with a giant database of mp3s). Immediately, our listenership dropped like a rock. There was no life to the station, and this is why I don't see XM taking off.

Where am I going? DJ's are what's important. The listeners like having someone familiar on the air. Each DJ used to have their own flavor. Mine was a little broader, but my selection leaned to harder rocking songs. People liked the interaction with the DJ, and it got listeners. Calling in made them feel like part of it. Dj's are your friend who introduce you to this crazy new band who has a different sound. You should see them live!

I love music. I go see small live shows whenever I can (unemployment has killed this pastime unfortunately). Radio today has me very pissed off because nobody is introducing me to new stuff. I'm completely on my own.

And right now I'm listening to RL Burnside - Ass Pocket of Whiskey

Re:Conform! by Bishop · 2003-01-19 18:46 · Score: 1

DJ's are what's important.

This is often overlooked. Back when radio didn't suck as much there were a handfull of DJs that I would listen to regularly. On the flip side there were one or two DJs that prompted me to trun off the radio and go do something else. The good DJs introduced me to new music that I wanted to hear. Sadly I think all of those DJs have been replaced with robots that play the same songs everyday but in a slightly different order.
Re:Conform! by Simonetta · 2003-01-20 17:23 · Score: 1

I also just can't listen to radio anymore, except NPR (and even I hate the German lessons that aired 3am Sunday mornings!).

I go now to the local library and just grab a handfull or two of CD's off the shelf and rip them. Anything that I haven't heard of before, I will play first. Info on the musician is usually available on the web at their website or AllMusic.com.

P.S. If you're ripping a large number of CD's, get a DVD-ROM. I found to my surprise and delight that a DVD-ROM will rip CD's three to five times faster than a CD-ROM with far fewer errors.

Best radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 17:10 · Score: 0

Who cares about XM...I just bought me one of the best portable radios available in market -a Yacht Boy 400 Grundig Short-Wave/AM-FM Portable Radio. It costs $149.99 but worth the price. Its got a cool numeric keypad and excellent reception.
Takes me back to good old days of listening to worldwide shortwave in college dorm. Raio means the enjoyment of phasing sounds with ups and downs.
Here is the pic - Picture of radio
I love it !!

hmm, the distinctive odour of dated stereotypes by beaverfever · 2003-01-19 17:12 · Score: 1

there is a saying: it is better to remain quiet and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.

--
RTFM; please, I beg you.

Re:hmm, the distinctive odour of dated stereotypes by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 14:55 · Score: 0

there is a saying: it is better to remain quiet and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
Typical liberal response. Don't ever question us because we're smarter than you. Pffft.
Re:hmm, the distinctive odour of dated stereotypes by beaverfever · 2003-01-25 18:26 · Score: 1

Typical liberal response. Don't ever question us because we're smarter than you. Pffft.

what are you talking about? that doesn't make any sense. The point of the saying is to suggest not shooting your mouth off and sounding like an idiot; take a moment to think and then communicate your thoughts clearly. If you can't do that, then don't start blabbing for the sake of saying anything. Try it some time.

--
RTFM; please, I beg you.

Try live365.com by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 17:12 · Score: 0

They probably have what you want.

Hell I found the star wars radio oprah being played before.

We ALL (US, that is) pay for NPR by skyhawker · 2003-01-19 17:23 · Score: 1

They (the Corporation for Public Broadcasting) get a few hundred million per year from our government's revenue (taxes).

--

The best diplomat I know is a fully activated phaser bank.
-- Scotty.

Do YOU have XM? by mabu · 2003-01-19 17:23 · Score: 1

Who here actually is paying for XM or other Satellite radio (not counting the free stuff with digital cable/satellite tv service)?

I rest my case.

Re:Do YOU have XM? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 00:33 · Score: 0

I have XM. It is terrific! They have DJs (not very intrusive, but some do have personality), they take requests, they encourage interaction with their audience, and they play stuff I've never heard anywhere beyond college radio.

-Chuck

Re: blue screens of death on the air by askii64 · 2003-01-19 17:35 · Score: 0

A "PCI bus device failure error" would be a hardware problem, and probably wasn't NT's fault. Sounds like it must have been a driver bug or maybe the device was failing...

--

-This quite possibly mangled, stupid, demented comment was brought to you by Askii64.

Make the 70s go away, please... by aquarian · 2003-01-19 17:38 · Score: 1

Because people like Lee Abrams and his ilk are still in charge, we've been stuck in the 70s for thirty years. In the 80s we tried gallantly to make the 70s go away, with punk, "death to disco," disdain for anyone with long hair, or that listened to overproduced "progressive rock."

Well, it looks like we've lost the battle, and from about the late 80s onward, the 70s have been back, with Big Media constantly regurgitating and re-selling them to us. I'm beginning to think the 70s has become the permanent lowest common denominator of American culture. Yuck.

Re:Make the 70s go away, please... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 19:30 · Score: 0

>I'm beginning to think the 70s has become the permanent lowest common denominator of American culture

Hah! That's what my girlfriend calls "Normal Music"!

Whenever I'm listening to anything else, she says: "That's giving me a headache, put on some "Normal Music". (meanwile... I'm thinking "YOU give ME a headache")

Sheesh!

(OT) Cublicle busting - Re:It's too late.... by sleepycow · 2003-01-19 17:55 · Score: 1

... Blatantly OT but silencing your cubiclemate is pretty trivial. AM radio can be silenced (or at least squelched) by most kinds of rfi radiation. Taking the cover off your PC may be enough to kill his AM reception. Some old-skool florescent desk lamps have similar properties.

Re:(OT) Cublicle busting - Re:It's too late.... by EugeneK · 2003-01-19 21:33 · Score: 1

Uh, they said I could listen to the radio from nine to eleven at a reasonable volume...

Re:Try live365.com ...? by djupedal · 2003-01-19 17:57 · Score: 1

Live365 costs per month if you don't want to hear their ads between every song....it sucks.

Why XM sucks by Guppy06 · 2003-01-19 17:58 · Score: 2, Informative

With an AM/FM radio, you get spoon-fed your daily dose of Clear Channel for free. With XM, you pay for it.

I'm sorry, but with all things being equal, I'm not going to pay money to the provider that carries Clear Channel. They're why I'm trying to get away from terrestrial radio to begin with.

"Bringing you the hits you've heard too many times during the 80's, 90's and today!"

College radio! by idiot900 · 2003-01-19 18:02 · Score: 2, Insightful

Not necessarily *all* FM radio sucks. Let's not forget college radio! If you think it sucks, then at least it's something *different* that sucks, and you had the chance to hear something new.

And now, a shameless plug for the station I am involved with, where you don't often hear something that ClearChannel would play: KWUR 90.3FM. Since you probably aren't within our rather small broadcast radius (10 watt transmitter) you can listen to our MP3 streams.

Re:College radio! by keg · 2003-01-19 18:22 · Score: 1

I have to agree, the university I attend has a great station. Commercial-free radio that doesn't suck. Best part is that our radio is student funded (tuition fees) so we pick what plays.

XM is to FM what Cable was to TV by erroneus · 2003-01-19 18:03 · Score: 1

Cable promised "hey look! you pay and no commercials and perfect signal clarity!"

Cable failed on that and managed to get local broadcasters to lower signal strength. (That is except for the spanish channels... for some reason they come in just as clear as day... go figure) So now we pay for what was once free and didn't get a great deal more than we had before. We still suffer through commercials and we are now paying for the same TV we used to watch for free.

Enter XM.

Same promises as cable. It remains to be seen how the rest will play out, but my expectations are pretty clear. Once we're hooked (if they can manage to hook us) we're all paying for the air we breathe...the water we drink... the stuff we've got for free.

It'll be an interesting day when someone bottles "nothing" and sells it to you. Anyone interested in "Nike" brand bottle of nothing? Doesn't do anything, but looks GREAT on your shelf!! It will impress people too.

Re:XM is to FM what Cable was to TV by yy1 · 2003-01-20 05:56 · Score: 1

It'll be an interesting day when someone bottles "nothing" and sells it to you. Anyone interested in "Nike" brand bottle of nothing? Doesn't do anything, but looks GREAT on your shelf!! It will impress people too.
Isn't that the vacuum tube, I think nothing already became obsolete.

--
Because, sometimes they just have to touch the stove.
-YY1
Re:XM is to FM what Cable was to TV by Yuke!Yuke!Marina · 2003-01-20 07:15 · Score: 1

Yes - the poor network TV signals make me angry. The Spanish language channels look perfect - even the various Asian language channels look better than ABC, NBC, CBS. I thought there was some minimum broadcast strength that major network affiliates had to maintain. I never got around to getting cable connected (initally a runaround about availability of digital channels, etc.) so now I just don't watch major network TV because it is too much of a hassle to try to tune it in for the quality of shows they are offering. I think Telemundo and Azteca should have English second audio channels or closed-captions. I hope the same thing doesn't happen to radio next. It wouldn't be as big of a problem though, because pop songs with stupid lyrics are actually better in a language you don't understand as long as the music is OK. ABC, NBC, and CBS's commercials are not reaching me, but I do have to sit through a lot of commercials for phone cards.

I have XM and,...well, I'm wavering... by raam · 2003-01-19 18:05 · Score: 5, Informative

Okay, so I have an Alpine XM unit on a CDA-7878. First off, it is incredibly entertaining. You WON'T always find what you are looking for, but you will find something and it doesn't suck like FM programming. On the other hand, XM has a lot of problems. First off, the compression screws with the music a little; enough to be noticed, but probably not enough to matter to most. Second, there is a focus on music and not on content, necessariyl, which manifests itself in three ways: 1, the commercials for the stations are long and goofy/magoo/stupid; 2, the deejays are loud, obnoxious, and just as stupid as fm deejays most of the time; 3, the talk radio that is there is nice, but where is NPR/PRI that Sirius has? In reality, if you get this, you will probably listen to, maybe, five channels, regularly. I am starting to get fed up with the track that XM has taken. I see no more intelligence than the market research dictates there must be. Something for everyone it is not...quite. However, I like the idea of sat radio enough to, maybe, give Sirius a try if I ditch the XM. XM has certainly made the idea of no commercials worth the extra $3. I REALLY don't think they should have enlisted such an aged fellow to lead XM.

I have an XM, but by Veovis · 2003-01-19 18:05 · Score: 1

XM to me just opens up the door to play not only songs that are overplayed on normal radio, but XM just gives them more channels to do it on, I do not expect the same song to be played at the same time on 2 different channels

XM makes the hurting stop by Nemus · 2003-01-19 18:07 · Score: 3, Interesting

I live in the Nashville, TN area. For those of you who don't know what that means, let me explain:

countrycountrycountrycountry-pop/country-countryco untrycountrycountrycountrycountry-pop/countrycount rycountrycountrycountrycountrycountry-pop/country- countrycountry

We have three stations that play a different style of music:

102.9 the Buzz-Basically, pop-rock, emo, and eminem; like the article says, what all the teeny-boppers are listening to

105.9 the Rock: A pretty cool station. They play classic rock, and by that I mean ACDC, Guns n Roses, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, that kinda stuff. The kinda stuff that you and your parents can listen to together without embarrassment.

101.1 the Beat: They say they're a rap station, but mostly R & B or piss poor Djs trying to spin R & B.

All three of these are owned by ClearChannel btw

All in all, not a lot of selection. So most of my time is spent on webradio, like digitally imported, or the local Vandy station, which occasionally plays electronica. I play CDs in the car, but sometimes you really do wanna be surprised by whats played, so I like radio, but, sadly, there is no such thing a electronica radio.

Thats why the first thing I'm doing when I get a new job is getting an XM receiver. I wanna be doing 100 Mph down the interstate and hear techno I've never heard before. I wanna hear ICP and other psychopathic records artists, and I wanna hear badass, shoot ya just to watch you die old country and classic rock. Hell yeah people will pay. I will.

--
Mod Points: Helping you keep your opinion to yourself.

LA by ragnarok · 2003-01-19 18:09 · Score: 1

Clear Channel owns every english speaking music channel in the Los Angeles area, with the exception of a few college and NPR stations.

I think they already have a virtual monopoly on FM.

--
Search first, ask questions later.

it could be worse... by alizard · 2003-01-19 18:12 · Score: 1

I'm not one of XM's investors. :-) Of course, they are probably the people behind this change in the hopes of getting instant profit. Typical VCs, in other words. I think they've just shot themselves in the head.

What's a person who went to the trouble and expense of getting a satellite car receiver going to do when he finds out that XM plays the same crap he can get for free? I'd cancel subscription service immediately and try the competitor if they're still around, and I suspect the average customer for aftermarket car radio will do exactly the same thing. If not, I'd try to replace the receiver with something with MP3 capability.

--
Tech Public Policy stuff

fm can still be relevant. local programming ! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 18:13 · Score: 2, Interesting

i am a student dj at the university of michigan - ann arbor's radio station, WCBN. we are one of the few freeform stations left in the country, and i would like to think that we are an important part of radio. we play music of all styles, genres, and themes - at any time, any dj can play anything s/he wants (as long as it doesn't swear during the daytime). we strive to expose our audience to new music. i am also one of the music directors of our station, and i make our playlists to report to cmj. but they are playlists in a loose sense - no one is required to play anything on our list.

more importantly, we provide locally produced news, public affairs, and sports programming, something that is completely lost with XM radio and national/worldwide broadcasts. i think XM is almost as bad as starbucks - it could show up everywhere, putting the few good stations left (WFMU in new york/jersey, for example) in a tight spot.

on the bright side, if XM is "the wave of the future," perhaps more schools and local organizations can take over the FM airwaves and return them to the people.

The ads, the ads! by Stormie · 2003-01-19 18:23 · Score: 3, Informative

Damn.. do American FM stations really play 18-24 minutes of ads per hour, like that article says??

Why would anyone bother listening to the radio if it's like that? Wouldn't you rather have silence than 4 ads for every song??

college radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 18:24 · Score: 2, Insightful

Anyone ever listen to your local college radio station? I work/DJ for a central minnesota college station that plays everything nobody else will play. Underground techno, punk, prog/indie rock, classic rock (not hendrix), world music for the world fans out there, et al. College radio sometimes sucks (i personally hate indie rock) but there's some bands out there who wouldn't get dick for airplay if college radio didn't exist.

Food for thought, i talked to a local top40 station, and asked them how they pick their new hot artists, they said "we just look at the top ten college charts, and pick 3 off of there". Go figure...

NPR is "extreme liberal"?!?! Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by saihung · 2003-01-19 18:26 · Score: 4, Interesting

Interesting post, and I agree with almost all of it, but just one point: if you think that NPR is "extreme liberal", then you haven't been paying very close attention.

This is a big, big world with a huge spectrum of political thought, but it doesn't take much effort to be "left" of whatever the most popular view in the US is. Americans talked about how "liberal" Al Gore was, while the rest of the world shook their heads in disbelief. Heads up people: there are no nationally known politicians in the US who are on the "extreme left".

If you think NPR is "extreme left" then I advise that you never leave your home state or visit your local communist bookstore because, honestly, NPR ain't shit.

Re:NPR is "extreme liberal"?!?! Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by Culture · 2003-01-20 02:46 · Score: 3, Informative

Yes, if you want true liberal try pacifica radio. They are the left's answer to Rush Limbaugh. NPR is actually pretty mainstream, despite the cries of the right to the contrary.

--
----- There are two kinds of people in this world, my friend; those with loaded guns, and those who dig.
Re:NPR is "extreme liberal"?!?! Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 11:26 · Score: 0

agreed. Isn't pacific WBAI in new york? they carry the 2600 show :-)
Re:NPR is "extreme liberal"?!?! Re:Xm/Am/Fm/ClearM by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 15:19 · Score: 0

NPR does seem a little left leaning, but even more so than that, they seem obsessed with racial issues. They seem to have at least 1 race related story on each days "all things considered" show, and talked non-stop for days about the priest molestation and the trent lott stories.

Both are important stories, but i get tired of them going on about the same stories every day.

I'd consider it by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 18:31 · Score: 1, Interesting

If they had decent recievers. But as far as I can tell, 98% of them are for cars. I would want:

a) A PCI digital radio tuner card

or

b) A nice set-top receiver, ideally with a cheap
USB or serial interface for computer control,
and SPDIF to go to the rest of my high-fi setup.

I realize (a) might not be worth the cost of design, but (b) certainly is. My dad gets satellite TV mostly for the music stations. I'd get satellite radio myself, if I could listen to it painlessly out of the comfort of my home, and if I didn't have to shell out $250 for a piece of hardware that my last 1 year until the company goes out of business.

it will be nice to have actual variety by the_2nd_coming · 2003-01-19 18:37 · Score: 1

rather than every station playing britny's lattest

--

I am the Alpha and the Omega-3

Re:this could go either way - but probably downhil by mosch · 2003-01-19 18:38 · Score: 1

I used to be able to enjoy smooth jazz

You can still enjoy it, just get a couple bags of h, a set of works and a copy of the heroin times, and you'll be able to enjoy smooth jazz in no time.

Radio is not just about music by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 18:39 · Score: 0, Troll

Radio is about discussion, as well. About people talking, expanding on their viewpoints in a way that's impossible on television. Radio is about educating the public, providing background information, involve the public in the why and how of the decisionmaking process. Music is just entertainment. Is that the only concept you Americans have of media? That it provides entertainment while you digest your hamburger? Sad, man. Real sad.

Re:Radio is not just about music by belg4mit · 2003-01-19 18:50 · Score: 1

FM is for music.

AM is for talk and sports.
You don't need stereo to listen to
that shit. (Of course some would
argue that much of the stuff passing
for music isn't deserving of the
bandwidth wasted on FM stereo either)

--
Were that I say, pancakes?

Yes, please kill radio already! by Dr.+Spork · 2003-01-19 18:40 · Score: 4, Insightful

I think that the death of AM was a good thing, because there is some interesting and funny stuff going on in those bands. In any case, it's certainly eclectic. As I was driving the other day, listened to a show on AM called "Fear the Lord", whose premise was that we aren't afraid enough of the wrath of God. I'm serious! It was funny as all hell.

Anyway, I hope that the death of FM will mean that reserving a band will become cheaper, and so more weird and interesting shit will start happening on FM. I want like 3 channels of NPR, because though most of their original content is awesome, some of the filler is too dumb to listen to. And really, how expensive is it to record and rebroadcast interviews with interesting people? That's the sort of stuff NPR does well, and they are the only reason why I would ever turn on the radio at home. I hope that some non-publically-funded radio would try to compete with NPR for this sort of turf (like the Discovery and History Channels on cable compete with PBS) but before that happens, the barriers to entry have to be lower. That's why I'm praying for the day that music gets removed from FM and space opens up for real interesting stuff.

Until then, at least there's college radio!

Re:Yes, please kill radio already! by MonkeyMagic · 2003-01-19 21:42 · Score: 1

As I was driving the other day, listened to a show on AM called "Fear the Lord", whose premise was that we aren't afraid enough of the wrath of God. I'm serious! It was funny as all hell.

I think you've just proven their point;-)

Just participated in a phone survey on FM radio by bigberk · 2003-01-19 18:45 · Score: 2, Interesting

I'm usually quite rude to telemarketers, but this time I thought I'd grab my opportunity to skew the "scientific survey" results.

This lady phoning from Texas or something was really interested in my radio listening habits. She kept asking me about these annoying, obnoxious stations (the ones with the r&b music the 16 year old girls seem to love so much).

I kept talking about stations that weren't one of her options on her on-screen list and I think she was getting irritated. But the whole experience made me realize how shitty commercial FM radio is, and how grateful I am for Campus radio stations, Volunteer and Community run stations and especially for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

All of which, luckily, I have access to here.

Re: blue screens of death [OT] by armchairlinguist · 2003-01-19 18:49 · Score: 1

At the movie theater the other night, I saw a Windows error box -- one of the fairly primitive ones, white with a thin gray border. It said something like "TrueType Font error. The application has tried to use a TrueType font that is corrupt. Please exit all applications and restart Windows."

I laughed for quite a while about that one.

Two words ... College radio by Sleeper · 2003-01-19 18:58 · Score: 2, Interesting

Ok, may be their DJ's are not professionals. But they have huge variety of music. Which lets you broaden your horizons so to speak. You can have jam rock followed by rap followed by dance followed by punk etc.

I used to listen commercial radio but I really got sick of it. And I love radio per se. I own couple of scanners couple of shortwave receivers plus the usual FM enabled appliances.

The nice thing about college station that people that play music for you are as excited about it as you are. You might hate their guts sometimes for badmouthing the band you like but that's OK.

Here in Bay Area we are fortunate. There are at least three college stations FM 90.1, 90.5, 103.3 plus some highschool station playing the Big Band stuff. Plus two or three community supported stations. This is what I listen now this and NPR (news).

In one year I discovered more new music I like then in 7 years living in LA and listenning commercial stations.

It all comes down to this. Commercial stations should have money (or they'll stop to exist) be it FM or XM or whatever. That is why they will always stay middle of the road (in any music style you choose). And they will probably make some money and may be XM will be successfull And that is why they are not going to get my money.

Personally I despise people that treat me as "consumer". That is they are going to try to fit me in some kind "dumbass" models based on my race age etc. And I don't want this. I want to deal with people who help me to discover new things.

On the contrary in case of college stations and community supported stations "it's all about sharing" new information new music forgotten old music (but still good). That is why I support them when they have regular fund raising drives.

--
- Back off man. I am a scientist

Re:Two words ... College radio by GrantZ · 2003-01-20 03:27 · Score: 1
I completely agree, but your argument has 1 major flaw... most college radio stations only pump their signal within 15 feet outside the college campus itself. The minute you go to that 16th foot, you've lost the signal. Therefore, this is not a viable alternative.
Here in Chicago, the 3rd largest city in the U.S. last time I checked, the radio station choices are the most miserable I have ever experienced in any city (I think Dallas and San Fran have the best from my expereince). I have no problem paying for XM, GM, KM, or any M since it saves me from the following:
1. 5 minutes of music and 100 minutes of commercials, 5 minutes of music, 100 minutes...
2. The new phenomenon of DJ's, during their talk time, pitching products... but making it seem like a conversation with the traffic gal, so we as listeners are just completely fooled! Damn they are soooo clever. Eric and Kathy (101.9 FM) are the most guilty of this and should be fired.
3. Playlists of only 25 bands or so, whatever the genre.
4. We only have really 2 alternative/rock stations in Chicago... TWO! 101.1 FM and 94.7 FM. When I can go from one station to the other, every day, and hear the exact same song playing on both, there's a major f'ing problem. If we had 100 rock/alterative stations, then OK.
5. Mancow Muller (and others like him... EXCEPT STERN!!!! BABABOOOOEY!!!). Yes, we are the home of Mancow. If you don't know who he is, thank the diety of your choice and go on with your life. But if you must know, imagine a completely corporate manufactured Howard Stern for severely uneducated males (age 13 - 35), also those who are on or watch Jerry Springer regularly. No joke.
6. Rediculous censorship rules. Maybe this is the same on XM, but how come a DJ can say "asshole", but it is bleeped out of a song? How come a DJ can say "God dammit", but it is bleeped out of a song?
Heck, even if XM fails, I'd also would support NPR style radio stations for Jazz, Trance and Ambient music, Rock, etc.

My God Man.. you are missing out by nadaou · 2003-01-19 19:00 · Score: 1

For the very best in non-commercial NY music variety..

90.7 WFUV Fordham Univ, uptown, don't recall where their transmitter is.
89.5 WPKN Bridgeport Conn, just just get it in NYC. Best friggin radio station in the world for people with open minds and ears. Makes NPR look like CNN.

Both stream world wide... but try back at different times, as the different shows are, well, actually different.

--
~.~
I'm a peripheral visionary.

Re:My God Man.. you are missing out by nadaou · 2003-01-19 19:07 · Score: 1

almost forgot:

660 AM WFAN Lets go Mets!

--
~.~
I'm a peripheral visionary.
Re:My God Man.. you are missing out by sporty · 2003-01-20 03:32 · Score: 1

Heh, I live in Brooklyn, near Coney Island. :) Too damned far.

--
-
ping -f 255.255.255.255 # if only

Re:FM is free. XM isn't. End of story. by ShadowDrake · 2003-01-19 19:07 · Score: 1

>Satellite radio would be something I'd be >interested in if it was more feature-rich and >Internet enabled. Imagine a service with a >Tivo-like reciever that is capable of storing >songs, seeking new songs you might be interested in >based on your past preferences and allowing you to >build your own playlist.

I would like such a system too. I wonder if a system like the following could work without a pay service:

1. Research phase. Encode the first few seconds of many recorded songs.
2. Server design. Checksum the recordings in a manner where similar sounds deliver similar checksums. Store the checksums on a server.
3. Client design. After each pause of n milliseconds, assume a new song begins. Record the first five seconds to a buffer and checksum the song. Keep recording while you ask the server "What song is checksum xxxxxxx?". If the response is on the playlist, begin transferring a recording to permanent storage. The server can supply data about the song length so it cuts off before the "You're listening to 171.5 KXALQF!" line.

The big issues would be when different recordings sound similar in the first 5 seconds (false positives or negatives, wrong cutoff time values), live shows (you'd have to start and stop recording manually), and attempts, perhaps by the radio station, to affect the sound of the recordings so they aren't accurately guessed and mangle the system.

--
It's just like a fascist dictatorship, without the punctual rail service!

Sounds like the genesis of MTV, the Labels, etc... by Mulletproof · 2003-01-19 19:09 · Score: 4, Insightful

Formatted. Prepackaged. Spam on a toothpick. Ingenuity is gone for these people. Infact, if I may expound a little, it's exactly what's happening to the record companies. It's the total, complete and utter lack of ingenuity that keep people from caring if they live or die.

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You need a FREE iPod Nano

Radio consolidation threat overrated by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 19:12 · Score: 0

Let me fill in some of the blanks...

101.9 is that jazz station.

WCBS fm which is 101.1 i think is oldies.

104.3 is classick rock.
94.9 I dont know.
97.9 spanish music
107.1 spanish I think.

I dunno, but I would think most people would say this is alot of musical diversity. Several stations will have overlap in terms of music that is played, but only certain songs- that means 100.3, 103.5, and 98.7 would all play, say J lo, but 100.3 will play creed with 92.3 and maybe 95.5 while the others won't. Why is this worse than if 95.5, 100.3, 107.5 and 92.3 all played a top 40 format because 4 different radio companies were competing and because "urban music" made no money compared to top 40?

In San Diego and LA, clear channel has a huge prescence but the radio stations there are many and very few compete directly with one another. It seems the only way you're fucked is if you listen to music thats somewhat obscure in the US, like worldbeat or classical

A better place to listen... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 19:17 · Score: 0

As an Australian who has lived in the US for a good 6 years now, I have heard no radio stations in the FM band that compare to our home grown Triple J. It plays a good wide variety of local and international alternative bands, and, the good news, is owned, not by some corporation interested in shoving the same recycled clap-trap down our throats, but the Aussie Government funded broadcasting station.

Give it a try sometime, its worth a listen.

Yes by SuperKendall · 2003-01-19 19:22 · Score: 2, Interesting

I drive around with the radio off a lot of the time for just this reason... or I start playing a CD when the ads come on and forget to turn it off for a day or two. Somehow even a single looping CD offers more variety than most local radio stations...

That said, there actually is a very good local public station in Denver (KUVO) that has all kinds of good jazz. I listen to them pretty often (though I am not always in the mood for what they are playing) and try to support them with a donation every year, so at least there is an island of eclectic music in the sea of drek that is FM.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley

I wonder... (three+ rants in one!) by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 19:45 · Score: 3, Informative

...why they don't have promotions? Say, subscribe for a year or two and get the receiver and adapters for free or at a reduced rate, like they do with satellite TV. Joe Potential-Customer might be wary at the steep price, but offer instant rebates or the like and he'll join faster than you can say MSN. I suppose they don't have as much money to throw at their investment as MS, but it would probably do them better in nabbing customers, I would think. I read through the /. comments and I see that the primary reason nobody wants this system is the expensive receiver price.

Damn you, 1996 Telecommunications Act! If it wasn't for that, there might not even have been a NEED for XM. Benefits the citizens my ass. I'd almost rather listen to the heavy 60 freeway traffic on my way to UCR than listen to one of the three or four songs they play on the radio, but the FM stations are a step up(?) from the white noise of a random unused station, and I don't like listening to screaming and engines and all of that, so I'm stuck. I swear I get more unique music from OC Remix than from those stations, and the former is based solely on derivitive works (of video games, no less)!

And another thing, what's with all the DJ talk? Are they so cheap they don't want to pay royalties to crank out another hour of songs they play twenty times a day anyway? What would it cost them, another ten bucks? They HAVE to get a huge bulk rate on these things.

There is more to rock than Aerosmith, Queen and the Beatles, or at least my dad tells me, but you'd never know from the playlists they have. Granted, I'm young and all, but I DO like that style music, and it grows very old after a couple weeks(!), but they keep playing it. With the "six major genres," that gives me twelve weeks of variety, which include songs I've probably listened to anyway.

There, I'm done. Please don't kill me for my ignorance, but the point is I like v-a-r-i-e-t-y; the kind that's found in P2P networks, webcasts and college radio. Sure, a lot of it is crap or novelties or foreign or porn, but at least it's different.

Possible solution by mozumder · 2003-01-19 19:49 · Score: 1

I think the solution for radio's replacement would have to involve something way more than 100 channels offered by XM. Perhaps 10,000+ channels. This way no one company can monopolize the bandwidth.

..not in australia by Archon-X · 2003-01-19 19:55 · Score: 1

Australian FM boasts of course, the obligatory selection of main-stream effluence, but our FM is reliatively clean, open, and categorised. I guess mr abrahams is yet to jump our country.

Mr. Laser Beam by XNormal · 2003-01-19 20:14 · Score: 1

Lee Abrams is also known as Mr. Laser Beam (an anagram of "Lee Abrams"). He did the narration in "Let's Talk About Me" on the Alan Parsons Project album "Vulture Culture'.

--
Stop worrying about the risks of nuclear power and start worrying about the risks of not using nuclear power.

Re:Mr. Laser Beam by nagora · 2003-01-20 23:49 · Score: 1

He did the narration in "Let's Talk About Me" on the Alan Parsons Project album "Vulture Culture'.
Apart from you and me, I wonder how many others on /. have that album? It was the last APP album I bought.
TWW

--
"Encyclopedia" is to "Wikipedia" what "Library" is to "Some people at a bus stop"

listen to Triple J by nich37ways · 2003-01-19 20:15 · Score: 2, Informative

Australian radio station, only commercials are for station related stuff and for the ABC, our public broadcasting company, and these are fairly rare adds. You can get it over the net just goto

http://triplej.abc.net.au

JJJ is the best station in Australia because it is payed for out of taxes and they don't make money so they don't have to conform to everyones demands for addvertising $$

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nich

--
37 - what does it stand for really...

well for me by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 20:17 · Score: 0

i live in san diego -- and there is a sucky radio station that got all corporate (cough 91x cough) and mark astor who did something muckymuck for them made his own radiostation called 92.1 http://independent.fm -- this station is awesome (if you don't know about it and live in san diego listen to it)

A British perspective by jago25_98 · 2003-01-19 20:20 · Score: 2, Insightful

I can't say that the Radio stations described in the article are similar to British radio. It sounds like just day-time radio; money making capatalist greed fuelled sheep tripe. Is all US FM radio bad even at night?

There's a feedback circle with Day-time commercial radio at the moment - everyone expects it to be bad so it is, only the BBC is worth considering imho.

BBC Radio 4 (talk, very, very popular) , Radio2 (anything proven to be popular, and stuff everyone's parent seems 2 listen 2) and BBC1 (new) also very popular, all without any from of ads at all. In my area there's also one called Wave that uses local based ads and sponsers, Classic FM, Jazz FM, a Sports and commetry Only Radio and Dance/Trance too, 2CR=new, too many commercials and losing 2 Wave. There's even a seasonal radio that operates to our small town.

Although `The Radio Still Sucks` it seems to be better here than elsewhere I've stayed.

Radio is impossible, you can't please everyone. for example, I don't even know what I want when I turn on radio in terms of artists, i'm often hoping for inspiration - or localised info.

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A blog I run for the wealth

XM model resembles Pacifica Listener Sponsorship by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 20:24 · Score: 0

In some ways XM getting people to shell out for radio is similar to the model of the Pacifica stations, KPFA in San Fran, KPFK in LA, KPFT in Houston, WBAI in NYC, and WPFW in Wash DC. This model was one of listener sponsorship. THe fellow who devised it, Lew Hill a Quaker anarchist and conscientious objector began KPFA in 1949, the idea of listener sponsorship was that this was supposed to produce superior radio. THere's an essay by him explaining his theory that's well worth reading at: THE THEORY OF LISTENER-SPONSORED RADIO

Radio sucks ... not by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 20:40 · Score: 0

At my place the only household appliance that sucks is my vacuum cleaner.

bush by Jafafa+Hots · 2003-01-19 20:45 · Score: 1

and bush & cronies want to relax the restrictions even more as far as who can own how much in a market. this country is going to shit.

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This space available.

Re:bush by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 10:51 · Score: 0

Why do all these bitter jobless trolls flock to slashdot? This country is going to shit because people like you get louder and stupider.

NO COMMERCIALS by flacco · 2003-01-19 20:45 · Score: 1

I'd like to see all forms of media offer their content in packages WITHOUT ANY ADVERTISEMENTS.

TV, radio, magazines, whatever. Charge me for it, that's fine, I'll pay. I just never want to see another "young shitheads gruvin' to toones in their new $SUBCOMPACTCAR" commercial. Or another infomercial. Or another god-motherfucking-forsaken Archer Daniels Midland Corp commercial on PBS, for fuck's sake.

I'm sick of it. I just want the CONTENT (what little content of value there is) without being forced to waste up to a third of my precious time sitting through some marketing/advertising cocksucker's spiel like a fucking bacterium in a petri dish in some consumer-behavior stimulus-response experiment. OK, OK, I get it - you can use pussy to sell absolutely anything. I get it, enough now, thanks.

I learned recently that, originally, the big draw of cable TV was that it was COMMERCIAL-FREE. You paid your money, and you got your TV. That simple. But the insidious, soul-crushing suckers of satan's cock in the advertising industry eventually embed themselves into EVERYTHING that reaches ANY sensory organ hosted by a "consumer", like a chronic case of heartworm.

This hyper-commercialism is totally out of control, and it's probably changing the psychological makeup of society for the worse. It's obviously making me bitter and resentful.

--
pr0n - keeping monitor glass spotless since 1981.

stealing sattelite radio. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 21:42 · Score: 0

sorry, i dont see a problem with it, maybe i've lost all my morals and ethics... of course i havent seen any xm hacks yet... but i'm sure its in the works.

i wouldnt steal sattalite tv because a lot of the content still goes over cables, and they paid to put the cables in and maintain them.

i wouldnt steal cell phone service because every call hits wires somewhere. and the phone is worthless anyways.

GPS is free. you buy a gps reciever, and boom, free gps.

broadcast tv and radio are free.

i figure if any waves are bouncing off my @#$%^ head, then i should be able to listen/watch them. Radiate me, and i'd like to see it.

(yes its true that they get the krock and kiss and whatnot broadcasts from wires, but i hate the commercial stations now and i would still hate them being imported from other "regions")

Re:stealing sattelite radio. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 21:45 · Score: 0

oops, nevermind that post, it was a mistake...

actually, i shouldve just asked for some FREE channels... so you can still get sattelite quality radio without paying montly fee (but having commercials and whatnot)

they would be making money off the recievers, cause its thier network so they get royalties off them...

clearchannel monopoly. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 22:05 · Score: 0

i know its been said before. but the only thing to fix any kind of radio is kill clearchannel.

theres three kinds of radio. clearchannel, NPR, and college/highschool. thats it. no privately owned stations, no stations run by the city, nothing. not even pirate radio.

here in detroit (ugh, another life story, eat it.) we have light jazz (dont even get me started on light jazz, what happened to normal jazz? i like normal jazz, but light? screw that), r+b, rap, rock/pop40, old rock, light rock. it sucks. i remember a time when emenems' new album (not slimshady, but the one where the corus is nyah nyah nyah) came out, and i could change stations every time the song was done playing, and catch it within 0-5 minutes of it being done. i did this for an hour before i lost all humanly possible hope for radio.

our 101.1 the riff used to play lots of songs, my dad says they only play old top40 songs and never the B side. no doubt has 5 (or more) albums out and we hear 3 songs? what? red hot chili peppers have tons of albums, i hear californication and one other newer one. what happened to all the other songs? cds get scratched? i've never heard weird al on the radio.

so radio, if your listening, rest in peace. fcc bandits running away with our money, wont let us start pirate stations :( clearchannel monopoly. brittney spears "bubblegum artist". and i hate creed so much. and i hate these new artists that sound the same, every song sounds exactly like the next, even different artists just trying to play songs that sound alike (but this problem has been plaguing music ever since motzart.)

AC because i forgot my pass or i didnt sign up or i'm lazy. who cares who said what.

Beat the Drum! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-19 22:28 · Score: 0

(I fear I've posted this much too late for most to see it)

Well for anyone out there looking for an modern alternative music station hit Triple J.

http://triplej.abc.net.au/

Triple J is a national free-to-air FM radio station here in Australia. You can stream it over the web as well.

It has a vast number of truly interesting music programs, its DJs are interesting/knowledgeable, in the mornings you get plenty of good current affairs and, you might want to sit down here, no really pull up a chair, IT has NO commercials. None at all. It's a non-commercial station. The only adds you'll come across are for its own programs and here and there for the mix CD's it puts on the market.

The 'Request Fest' in the evenings (Australian Time) is mainly for the teenagers, but the rest is gold.

FM is NOT free! by Seclusion · 2003-01-19 22:54 · Score: 1

FM is ad-ware like everything else that's crap. What's worse still, is they are the same stupid advertisements occupying 25% (generally) of the time you listen to radio. In fact, if it weren't for Loveline (Adam rocks!) and Leykis101, I would not listen to any radio. So please people, quit saying this stuff is free, it's not by a long shot.

One thing missed yet: MP3-CD players by phoenix123 · 2003-01-19 23:41 · Score: 2, Interesting

The incredibly sophisticated mp3-technology fits 15h of music onto a single cd-r. Pretty neat, isn't it? :) - And these players are truly affordable right now (at least here in Europe) and still going down in price, I cannot imagine why anyone with a pc/mac at home would want anything else to have in his car. Sound quality is not an issue here, since a) the car engine is way too loud for real hi-fi sound or b) you could pump up the bitrate if you got an hybrid/electro car :)

15h of music with album or disc-wide random play and instant song change. Any old 6 or 10 cd disc changer looks medieval compared to this. Heck, and they even got new MP3-CD Changers!, so you can have 10x 15h of music. On CD-RW if you like, so crappy always-skip songs can be replaced by something better.

I'm aware of the possibility to build tiny notebook HDs into car stereos. But I strongly dislike the notion of having an oh so delicate component in my car that is very sensible to sudden shocks, in fact instantly and totally ruined if something goes wrong - we got potholes the size of texas here on our streets in Germany and it's going worse every winter. Besides, they got a hefty price tag and I don't have any ideas about how to transfer x GB of mp3's to my car other than carrying home the whole unit and hook it on the network. So it has no acceptable price / damageability or usability-ratio (if my friends are driving with me and got their favorite cd, it couldn't be played) - so I recommend MP3-CD players. Ok, they are not quite techy, don't run on linux and don't (yet?) play .ogg-files. But they are certainly more sturdy than a brittle harddisk and with a price starting from as low as 110euros / ~110 usd at our favority discounter (no-name, but incl. id3-tag support, antiskip and "hibernate"-mode to start the exact second where you left) nothing can beat it as yet.

Megalomaniac as I am, I can't wait to see MP3-DVD players emerging. They are already building car stereos with cd-rom components, hence the problem with some copy protection schemes with them, so a DVD-version could be feasible. ~50h of mp3-music on one disc, not even counting the possible savings thanks to more advanced audio codecs. Holy shit, just dare to think of 10x MP3-DVD changers... (again, mostly traditional technology put together with already available extras) - Ok, now you can go on complaining about crappy FM radio. With even my simple 15h 1-cd setup I got more variety than most of the "contemporary pop"-stations - with an 10x mp3-DVD-changer I'd beat any radio station variety anytime.

Re:this could go either way - but probably downhil by zenyu · 2003-01-19 23:41 · Score: 1

"with the RIAA not..."

You know if they ad five or six channels of music not affiliated with the RIAA I don't mind paying a couple hundred bux for the reciever. I'd like to hear more music I might actually spend money on.

Don't Kill Off FM, Return It to the Masses! by NeuroManson · 2003-01-20 00:03 · Score: 2, Interesting

I remember watching as FM radio evolved over the last 25-30 years. When FM started out, nobody used it except for a few odd college stations or classical music stations. Most AM stations were mainstream in those days, and were reluctant to switch over, due to AM's wider broadcast area, and most stations already had the hardware, no need to upgrade in the eyes of the suits.

Also, AM radios were considerably cheaper than an FM stereo Hi-Fi (not to mention there being no portable FM recievers that were truly compact until 1979-1980, when the first walkman came out).

At around the same time, some NYC stations were managing to broadcast in stereo on the AM band, but by then it was too late, FM was starting to infiltrate the market. More stations began buying into FM broadcasting.

The college stations, depending on the city, were often running the most original and unique music out there (such as WLIR in NY, running old school punk, synthesized and otherwise non mainstream music in a Debbie Gibson world- The only local station to play Dead Kennedys' "MTV Get Off The Air!"). In fact, between the times I listened to WLIR as a teenager, and "discovered" file sharing, over 10 years had passed where I had no idea what kind of new music was out there.

The openness of FM radio has become a thing of the past, however, thanks to payola and media corporations. In fact, it's the only reason I hope XM satellite radio catches on, because once they take their focus off of FM, maybe more college/amateur/independant broadcasters will have a chance once again to bring in music that appeals to the rest of us.

On a sidenote, however, another benefit to making music available that isn't on mainstream radio, is that punk and alternative music of the 80s made people THINK. Has anyone noticed that as more FM stations hav gotten to the point they are at today, that the public is more apathetic and uninspired? Look at previous peace rallies, and you'll note that it's been dwindling down considerably, starting 1988 and reaching an all time low of approximately a million total attending today.

Music used to be one of the great motivators of activism, so what happens when the corporations control your motivation?

--
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!

Re:Don't Kill Off FM, Return It to the Masses! by benzapp · 2003-01-20 09:00 · Score: 1

such as WLIR in NY, running old school punk, synthesized and otherwise non mainstream music in a Debbie Gibson world- The only local station to play Dead Kennedys' "MTV Get Off The Air!")

And now WLIR is nothing more than a "lite" version of 92.3

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I don't read or respond to AC posts

XM Radio is fantastic... by tgd · 2003-01-20 00:23 · Score: 3, Insightful

I know this is just one comment buried in a pile of hundreds, repeating the same thing as many on here, but its worth saying. If you find yourself wondering why someone would pay $13 a month to listen to the radio, I bet you're the same person who asks why someone would pay $13 a month for Tivo since all they're getting is a program guide.

I'll tell you, when the bills come due at the end of the month, the only two I have no issues at all paying are Tivo and XM.

Well, I have XM by biljir · 2003-01-20 00:33 · Score: 1

Well, I am paying for XM, and am extremely happy with it. I'd pay more. My local stations either disagree with me musically or have gone "shock jock". (Sorry, I don't think that immigrant-bashing and rock-and-roll go all that well together.) I never got into music downloading, so I was mostly dependent on radio for keeping me connected with new music. I've become pretty disconnected by now. XM has me discovering new bands again (not to mention the old bands I missed out on because apparently the mass market *likes* immigrant-bashing).

I recommend it for anyone who can afford the subscription, and who misses what FM radio sometimes was before it became a wasteland. No doubt entropy will have its way with XM too, but why not enjoy it before that happens? (And the more money it makes before it "sells out", the longer said event will be delayed.)

Re:Well, I have XM by mabu · 2003-01-24 22:48 · Score: 1

I'm not denying that XM is a useful service. I'm just acknowledging the dynamics of the market that we are in, which makes it incredibly difficult to compete in an industry where alternative services are free. So if you want to compete with "free" you need to be amazingly superior. I don't hear any such buzz that implies that. So I predict that XM will go the way of many other good ideas that didn't have the right market to prosper.

Radio dead? Thats where pirate radio comes in, by Viol8 · 2003-01-20 00:36 · Score: 2, Informative

Here in the UK the FM is a bit of a joke. Just like you in the US have clearchannel ruling the waves we have a number of big corporations (Capital , Chrysalis) doing the exact same thing. Every local FM station now sounds like 101 others except for maybe a local breakfast show but. AM is slightly better but only because thats where all the piss poor community/religious stations live but even here the Mouldy Oldie 60s stations are all the one station broadcasting through multiple transmitters with different jingles, stabs and ads. Pirate radio though (especially in london) has taken off. At the last count London had MORE THAN 80 FM pirates. Why? Because the commercial stations don't play what people want and despite risking a large fine and up to 2 years in jail people still run these stations because others listen. Ok , a lot of the DJs frankly sound retarded and the music can be utter crap but it still amazes me that the commercial stations and the BBC take no notice of what is going on.

Because by wiredog · 2003-01-20 00:43 · Score: 1

They are transmitting their signal from 25,000 miles away? Might be a bit far for standard 802.11x

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Best Slashdot Co

Imagine understanding technology... by wiredog · 2003-01-20 00:46 · Score: 1

An iPod like device for receiving satellite transmissions? Where do you mount the antenna? On your head?

There are portable receivers. Sony makes one. Carry it from the house to the car to the office.

--

Best Slashdot Co

Buy XM for your Mom! by EmagGeek · 2003-01-20 00:49 · Score: 1

My mom lives in the suburbs of DC with my dad, who is a regulatory consultant for the Broadcasting industry (including FM radio). They're both constantly complaining about how terrible FM radio is and how they can never find music they like.

Well, I bought my Mom an XM radio for Christmas (a little early, though), and now I'm her favorite son :)

She has her cute Silver Delphi set up on the endtable next to her ez-chair, along with the remote control. Her knees aren't as young as she is at heart, so it's probably better that she not have to get up from her latest novel to change the station from 50's Country and Western to 30's Swing. She simply adores that she can dial in whichever kind of music she has a craving for, and the latest news or weather are just a buttonpush away at any given time.

One of XM's most endearing qualities is that there are channels for music you simply can't find on FM anywhere, or any time. There's a separate channel for the music of each decade from the 30's right on through today. If you have the urge for some esoteric wordly music, there are a few channels for that, too. CNN junkie? Turn your DSL modem off, XM is cheaper. 80's pop queen? They've got ya covered. There are even channels for you crunchy granola Folk types (like me).

No, I don't work for XM radio. But, if I had the disposable cash, I'd have my own. My Mom doesn't mind, though, since now I just have to visit her more often to get my fix.

KEXP SEATTLE! by shiftoner · 2003-01-20 01:09 · Score: 2, Interesting

www.kexp.org

publicly funded radio playing underground and loval music for over 20 years. I have been listening every morning for a while now. Nothing else on earth comes even close. This is the last radio station worth listening to anywhere. Check it out and if you like it, support it. It is our only hope!!

I travel a lot... by wowbagger · 2003-01-20 01:16 · Score: 5, Interesting

I travel a lot - my preferred mode of vacationing is to drive somewhere - usually about 2Kmiles/trip.

As a result, I keep my car in top trip-ready shape at all times - tire tread a bit thin? Replace it. Keep the glass clean, keep the cooler chest ready, have a set of toothbrush/hair brush/deodorant/etc. ready to save on packing. Have trips planned out so that if an opportunity presents, I roll.

One of the TOP items on my list is maintaining my car's MP3 player - 30G of (legally owned and ripped from my own CD's/tapes) music, books on tape, stories, comedy routines, etc. There have been times when it's been down, and I've had to travel, or when I've had to travel without it (by train, plane, or rental truck).

I forget just how bad broadcast radio is until I have to travel without my music. Then I am shocked back into reality.

It's not just the fact that the DJ's seem to think the reason we listen to the radio is to hear them - if I wanted to hear self-important idiots blather, I'd listen to children's band (chicken band, or CB). If I wanted to hear a station claim "... KRAP, bringing you another 90% music hour...." (which they do by overlaping the songs enough to have 54 minutes of songs played in 30 minutes of wall-clock time), or if I wanted to hear commercials... well, a 9mm Hydroshock to the roof of the mouth would be a preferable "cure" to that brand of insanity.

I have a saying - "Anytime the consumer and the customer are not one and the same, you are going to get crappy quality." Dogs don't buy dog food, so the actual flavor does not matter - can you convice the owner to buy the food? The consumer of broadcast radio is the listener, but the customer is the advertiser. Advertisers don't care about the quality of the music, only that the station in question has a listenership, which you can get by being a monopoly as readily as by being a quality station.

My advice to anyone is:

1) Get some form of portable, hard drive based MP3 player - a Neo, an iPod, roll-your-own, whatever.
2) Load it up with your music, but even more importantly, with non-music stuff - buy the HHGTH series on CD, and rip that. Get your old Bill Cosby/George Carlin/* albums, and rip them (and for voice comedy, you can rip to a pretty low bitrate). Get books on tape/disk, and put them on. Hell, record the audio off old Star Trek (TOS, not TNG/DS9/Crapager) - ST-TOS was more like a radio show with pictures than TV.
3) Get a weather band receiver for weather reports, a chicken band or amateur receiver for road conditions (for the latter, be licensed if you are planning on transmitting).
4) Mentally present the "digitus impudus" to the radio stations you see advertised along the side of the road.

--
www.eFax.com are spammers

Plus WOXY streams in broadband..WOO HOO!!! by i_want_you_to_throw_ · 2003-01-20 01:37 · Score: 1

Plus WOXY streams in broadband..WOO HOO!!! It's the ONLY radio I listen to.

PowerPoint Displays? High-tech? by leandrod · 2003-01-20 01:40 · Score: 1

> High-tech accouterments populate the room -- video monitors, speakers, whiteboards, a PowerPoint display.

What is a PowerPoint display? Can something related to MS PowerPoint be high-tech?

--
Leandro GuimarÃ£es Faria Corcete DUTRA
DA, DBA, SysAdmin, Data Modeller
GNU Project, Debian GNU/Lin

Last I saw.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 01:50 · Score: 0

WKRP served Dallas Georgia.

It's Not Electromagnetic, It's "the Ether Waves" by ausoleil · 2003-01-20 01:59 · Score: 1

Before radio was well understood, it was believed to travel "the ether" -- a 19th century metaphor some sort of strange sub-space.

Lots of counter-examples in Twin Cities by swb · 2003-01-20 02:19 · Score: 1

There's a lot here in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

WCCO -- AM and TV, both in downtown Minneapolis on the west side of the river.

KSTP -- AM (I think the FM is too) and TV -- both in St. Paul, east side of the river.

KARE -- TV, used to be WTCN, based in western suburbs of Minneapolis, of course west of the river. They re-call-lettered themselves a few years back, must have been required to pick the right prefix letter.

KSJN -- Public radio news station, based in St. Paul.

I'm sure there are other radio anomolies, I'm not sure what they are.

Strangely, I think all the TVs should be 'W' stations based upon where they *transmit*, in Arden Hills, a St. Paul northern suburb. I think a lot of radio stations should probably be 'K' stations based on where they transmit, many are on the top of the IDS Center in Minneapolis.

Elvis Costello said this by cprincipe · 2003-01-20 02:40 · Score: 1

.... while the members of Reel Big Fish were still in diapers.

--

bun-fhuinneog agam!

Re: blue screens of death [OT] by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 03:01 · Score: 0

On that note, I was coming in to LAX the other night when our control panel disappeared and was replaced by the blue screen of death.

I'd complain, but it was the first time I got a chance to ride that inflatable slide thingy when we landed, and that was a lot of fun.

Re: blue screens of death on the air by idiotnot · 2003-01-20 03:04 · Score: 1

I'll just say, that 2000 would be preferable to most of the radio automation systems I've seen which either run on DOS or Win9x. Of course, the optimal platform for something like radio automation would be umm....QNX maybe? OSX would be better, too.

NPR on that other satellite radio (sirius) by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 03:10 · Score: 0

I think NPR is partnered with Sirius Sat. Radio.

I'm not sure exactly how that works. Also I think Sirius costs more but doesn't run commercials.

XM expanding commercials == suicide by VT_hawkeye · 2003-01-20 03:10 · Score: 1

My college roommate was one of the very first XM subscribers, and I picked it up as soon as I bought my new car. I love it -- particularly Deep Tracks (non-singles classic rock), BBC World Service, and Fred (classic alternative).

But if XM starts expanding their commercials to be as bad as the local FM stations (all Clear Channel, 20 minutes of synchronized commercials per hour), I'll dump them as fast as I can dial the 800 number. I'm not paying $10 a month for that to happen. I think the majority of XM subscribers would back me up too -- we moved to XM to get away from that. The added musical formats don't mean squat if you're not actually hearing music on the stations.

Killer app by zzyzx · 2003-01-20 03:17 · Score: 2, Insightful

Ok no one would read this because it's too far down, but the killer app for XM would be for sports fans. I'm a Seattle Mariners fan. I'd pay $10 a month to know that wherever I was in the country, I could pick up the game... and if it's boring I could switch to see how other games were going. The sports market is huge and I bet this would sell more XM boxes than anything else.

Psychographic hax0rz research by autophile · 2003-01-20 03:28 · Score: 2, Funny

Abrams is considering adding several XM stations geared to niche markets serving hackers. A confidential memo was passed to me by a recently laid-off employee detailing the psychographic research behind the effort:

"Real Hacker": 17 to 35, male, jobless. Owns 1.2 bicycles. Lives in rent-controlled apartment with five other Real Hackers. Political ideology: Blast everyone, since we don't have anything worth taking away. Unlikely to listen to Rush Limbaugh. Cries when listening to Weird Al Yankovic.

"Aging Hacker": 25 to 55, male, corporate salary worker. Owns 2.4 cars and 0.00000001 Segways. Has 1.6 kids. Lives in detached house on postage-stamp-sized plot in large development. Political ideology: Blast no one, since we have nothing we want taken away. Unlikely to listen to Rush Limbaugh. Cries when listening to Pink Floyd.

"Script Kiddie": 8 to 18, male, jobless. Owns room down the hall from single parent's bedroom. Subsists on Ring Dings and Twinkies. Political ideology: I 0wnz 3v3ry b0xen. Unlikely to listen to Rush Limbaugh. Cries when listening to Skinemax soundtracks.

"Dot Bomber": 18 to 25, male, jobless. Lives in cardboard box on subway grate. Owns 7.3 newspapers. Political ideology: Doesn't know what went wrong, but is sure it's The Street's fault. Unlikely to listen to Rush Limbaugh. Cries when listening to Pink Floyd's "Money".

"Hacker Chick": 18 to 34, female, corporate salary worker. Owns 0.7 cars. Political ideology: All Men are Animals -- just look at all the male hackers! Unlikely to listen to Rush Limbaugh. Cries when listening to Air Supply's "I'm All Out of Love". Note: Statistical results reliable only to the 6.4% level due to limited population.

"H1B Visa": 20 to 25, male, corporate sweatshop worker. Owns bus pass. Political ideology: Anything to increase the H1B quota. Unlikely to listen to much of anything (works 18-hour days). Cries when listening to Suchitra Krishnamurti's "Zindagi".

"System Administrator": 25 to 50, male, corporate or university salary worker. Owns 1.1 cars. Political ideology: Malthus was Right! Unlikely to listen to Rush Limbaugh. Cries when listening to Weird Al Yankovic's "It's All About the Pentiums".

The rest of the memo was illegible. The ink appears to have been soaked off the pages by a combination of hard liquor and human lachrymative fluids.

--
Towards the Singularity.

Does your radio go below 92? by Wakko+Warner · 2003-01-20 03:28 · Score: 1

Because you seem to have forgotten about the good channels in the NYC market, like WFUV. There are a lot of colleges in NYC and its surrounds, each of which has a decent station. There are also several independently-owned stations that don't suck. NYC probably has more good radio stations than most other markets have stations whatsoever.

- A.P.

--
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"

Why I won't pay by t'mbert · 2003-01-20 03:32 · Score: 2, Interesting

I won't pay for XM radio. As soon as a critical mass of people move to XM, the FM/AM stations will go out of business, due to lack of revenue from commercials. As XM grows, Wall Street will continue to push it to make more and more profit, which will push XM to either raise rates, or air more commercials. As that happens, some of us will want to move back to free radio, but there will be no free radio to move back to.

In the end, we'll lose our choices!

Think cable all over again. Today we pay for our shows by watching commercials, like we did on free TV, AND we pay the cable company about $40 a month as well!

Don't do it, don't buy XM! It's a waste of money and in the end, free radio will go the way of free TV.

Mobile satellite reception by w9wi · 2003-01-20 03:33 · Score: 1

The difference between XM and DirecTV is the bandwidth of the signal. Radio requires a relatively slow data rate - I don't know what XM uses but doubt it's more than 128KB/s. Television requires a lot more - digital terrestrial TV in the U.S. uses 19200KB/s.

A faster data rate requires a wider receiver bandwidth. That wider bandwidth admits more noise.

DirecTV uses a highly directional dish antenna. The dish receives very well in one specific direction and rather poorly in other directions. It rejects a lot of the noise, making it possible for the desired TV signal to override it. But you have to accurately aim the dish at the satellite. Easy if it's fastened to the side of your house, not so much so if it's on the roof of your car.

(that said, I read the other day where someone *is* offering dishes for mobile satelite TV reception... I suppose a pair of motors, a GPS, and a small controller would do the trick..)

Because of the much lower data rate, XM doesn't have as much of a noise problem. A non-directional antenna is able to receive enough signal to override the noise.

Re:Mobile satellite reception by Slurpee · 2003-01-20 08:35 · Score: 1

sweet...thanks for the info.

Now that I think about, GPS contact satellites without a directional dish.

Radio Sucks? by drpatt · 2003-01-20 03:38 · Score: 1

I've heard that station: Radio Sux! WSUX in Salisbury, Maryland.

first gravity, now this.. by slittle · 2003-01-20 03:40 · Score: 1

I think you just discovered the speed of 'cool' - really fucking slow.

--
Opportunity knocks. Karma hunts you down.

KPNT? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 03:40 · Score: 0

The Point is no longer anything special. It was great back in 93, but now it's just another mouthpiece for the pay-for-play mainstream it was meant to oppose.

AM, FM, XM radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 03:45 · Score: 0

Now that fm radio is pretty much what am radio is what's to stop xm radio from becoming the same as the rest. Marketing and advertising is what drives the radio bus. Bad radio is bad radio whether it is delivered electronically, digitally, or microwave.

re - about SciFi by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 03:52 · Score: 0

I haven't seen scifi since AT&T made it digital cable only, glad to hear I'm not missing much anymore. When Scifi first started it was mostly Star Trek the original series and a bunch of really really really shitty movies, is it reverting back to that or has it found a whole new way to suck?

I think it's finding a whole new way to suck. The actual Sci-Fi programming people originally tuned in for has been cancelled and replaced with things like "Crossing Over" and "The Dream Team". Not quite Quantum Leap, Star Trek, The Prisoner, Battlestar Galactica, etc. now is it? The only decent thing they've done recently is the whole SG-1 Mondays. How about some Doctor Who? What, like they don't have the cash or the connections to make some new episodes or at least air the old ones?

I love this Gem by bpm140 · 2003-01-20 03:52 · Score: 1

"During the 1990s, a lot of times we were just putting spots on the air because business was so robust," he says. "When the bubble burst, we realized a better way to run our business is to run less commercials, which in turn will make our listeners more loyal and stay longer."

As Dennis Miller once said, the only time these [jerks] find Jesus is when no one else will talk to them.

XM has no commercials... yet.... by DMadCat · 2003-01-20 04:01 · Score: 1

For $10.00 a month XM has no commercials. Most people won't pay $10 a month for something they think they're already getting for free on FM. (There aren't enough geeks in the world)

XM will eventually come down in price so as to allow more of the masses a chance to get in on the action. Once their audience base has reached a certain point (they've squeezed as much blood out of this turnip as they're able) they'll proclaim XM is free... BUT "we'll have to recoup our costs with a very small amount of advertising but not as much as those lousy FM stations!"

Slowly over time you'll see more and more advertising on XM just as you see on some Internet radio.

You can't have music without a good sales pitch!

College radio good by squibix · 2003-01-20 04:18 · Score: 1

>Here in Bay Area we are fortunate.

Boston, too, is particularly blessed with good college stations: MIT (88.1) Emerson College (88.9), BC (90.3) and Harvard (95.3) together ensure us continuous access to good non-commercial music--non-commercial both in the sense of not being interrupted by ads, and also not programmed by corporations. XM may be able to offer the first of those things, but can it manage the second?

DVD + Music Videos == Audio CD/Radio killer by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 04:33 · Score: 0

Target, Wal-Mart, etc all have more and more floor space devoted to DVD video products and less devoted to audio CDs.

A good indication that people want visual entertainment and not audio only.

For the entertainment dollar, a $15 dvd is much much better than a $15 audio cd.

Re:DVD + Music Videos == Audio CD/Radio killer by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 16:15 · Score: 0

Video killed the radio star?

Three letter call signs by MountainLogic · 2003-01-20 04:37 · Score: 1

I think you'll find three letter call signs, (e.g., KGW, KGO, etc,) on "even" frequencies sucha as 97.0 and that they are allowed higther broadcast levels. Or at least that was the plan at one time.

Re:Three letter call signs by Krellan · 2003-01-20 11:38 · Score: 2, Informative

No, that's not true.

FM radio in the United States is always on odd frequencies: 88.1, 88.3, 88.5, etc. - 107.9.

Why do some stations have three letters? Because they have been grandfathered.

They existed before the FCC imposed the requirement to have four call letters.

http://www.oldradio.com/archives/general/3myst.htm

That pretty much is the definitive page!

--
Dr. Demento On The 'Net!

Good Intentions, Bad idea. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 04:55 · Score: 0

Public radio should have to beg to stay on the air. If you give them masive tax dollars you'll see them wipsawed by the whims of congress & the president. Do you want GW apointing Pat Robertson as NPR commisioner? If the public pays for it then at least it has a chance of ramaining independent. Least you think I'm being paranoid check out who if the biggest payee of GW's faith based inititive. Yep, the 700 club. Good pay off for those votes.

Moses going after the Holy Grail? by Posting=!Working · 2003-01-20 05:01 · Score: 1

"We need to get back to the Holy Grail," he tells the programmers. "And here's the Moses of programming."

What, the guy that predates it by thousands of years? I'm selling my stock. Moses didn't build an ark either.

--
This sentence no verb.

Hmmm...makes me wonder... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 05:08 · Score: 0

You know, it's becoming a world of cartels, organized divided up by a small number of bosses and their companies: You've got Lee Abrams, Michael Eisner, Hillary Rosen, Jack Valenti, Tony Mottola, Bill Gates and only a few others. Given enough time, they'll dictate their terms and control our futures, without even a chance of the feckless American legal systems defending us.

What *do* you do with dictators? What can we do to stop these people?

Which begs the question: Where have all the good assassins gone?

There is some good FM radio out there by swordgeek · 2003-01-20 05:17 · Score: 1

www.ckua.com: What happens when campus radio grows up.

CKUA was founded as the radio station on the University of Alberta campus, some 75(!!!) years ago. It moved off campus at some point, and became a government-owned public broadcaster. Then the government dumped them on their own, and they've been living off of listener donations ever since.

Why do you care? Because it's the best damned radio in the western world, as far as I can find. Intelligent broadcasters (it's a disservice to call them DJs), fantastic music, fascinating programs (a 14-part series on the history of Folkways Records, for instance) and available on the internet.

Yes this is a plug. No, I have no stake in them (other than listening to them, and wanting them to survive)

FM doesn't HAVE to suck, but like everything else, 90% is crap. If we all ignored the crap, then sooner or later it would disappear.

--

"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban

BBC by BiggyP · 2003-01-20 05:30 · Score: 1

is the state of FM radio in the US that bad, i never realised how lucky we are to have the likes of BBC Radio4 and 1, and now a few extra's of interest via DAB.

--
Software Freedom Day!.

Articles about the state of radio really irk me. by danatkdhx · 2003-01-20 05:40 · Score: 1

Articles about the state of radio really irk me. "Why?" you ask? Because I've been working in radio as an IT manager for more than three years now, and what really strikes me as the problem with radio today is that all that market research is right. When Arbitron (the radio ratings folks) says that people in your market really, really want to hear Kenny G. and the backdoor boys (yuck!), then they're probably right!

Basically what I'm saying is that the problem with radio in the US is not the handful of corporations that have decided which formats to sell - it's the undereducated media consumers who tell those corporations (with their dollars) that they'd rather hear the same song four times a day for three months than be exposed to something new every week.

How is the station I work at different? Well, firstly we're a community radio station. Don't know what that is? Doesn't surprise me. We air programming that is produced by members of our broadcast area. We air more than 80 unique programs covering more than 20 distinct genres of music each week. We've had weeks where we play more than 1000 DIFFERENT songs. A thousand! Shameless plug: KDHX St. Louis

Bottom line - Don't complain about lack of choices - there's a 90% chance that there's a community/college/public station near you with programming that you like, and that you can have an impact upon - screw the seek button and GO FIND IT.

listening to your own tunes = navel-gazing by StrawberryFrog · 2003-01-20 05:49 · Score: 1

Listening to your MP3 collection is good for a while, but after a while I miss a good radio station. As the article puts it, my own Mp3s, even on random, lack serendipity. I don't hear anything new. I don't hear anything I don't own. I'm not exposed to new sounds, or even a DJ with a different idea of what tune goes when.

Then after a while of hit-and-miss radio I miss my MP3s again, and the cycle repeats.

--

My Karma: ran over your Dogma
StrawberryFrog

Re:Support Public COLLEGE Radio by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 06:01 · Score: 0

I know this is probably less prevalent than NPR, and the shows aren't as polished for the most part, but the diversity of a good college station is top notch. I personally am a college DJ at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. This quarter we have 37 different "speciality" shows, mostly focusing on genres, and we have a local music show. I know we have some off-beat music at times, but we pride ourselevs in providing music that you cannot hear anywhere else on the radio, and we'd like to think much of it is great stuff. My advice to the masses, find a local college station (many still do broadcast over the 'net) and keep them going.

Radio is shared experience by rpeffer · 2003-01-20 07:47 · Score: 1

One post below described a college radio station that changed to using a strict playlist, and that _gained_ listeners to such an extent that the local commercial radio station noticed and had to change their playlist.

This is a bad thing???

I, personally, have no interest in commercial radio, but I am not so fossilized that I do not remember my youth. Kids listen to what their friends listen to, and this is a good thing. It adds to what someone once called the "creative commons" of our culture. The station that caters to the lowest common denominator fulfills that role best. More power to them, I say.

Once one examines the question as to why anyone would ever listen to the radio at all, it becomes more clear that the radio's only power is in its ability to create a shared experience. Put a different way, suppose there were a radio station that by magic guarantee, broadcast only what *you* *personally* wanted to hear at that exact time - anyone else listening would quickly want to twist the dial - again by virtue of magic guarantee. My question to you would be: would you listen to such a station? Remember, there'd be _no_ possibility of meeting someone in the hallway or at the store who might have heard the broadcast. Would you be interested in listening to such a radio station? I submit not. I submit that to at least some degree, we listen to the radio (and watch the TV, too) with the expectation that we are not the only ones experiencing that broadcast.

-R

Re: Have a little faith in humanity... by benzapp · 2003-01-20 08:21 · Score: 1

The basic fact of the matter is that radio is the way radio is, because most of the general public are lemmings.

This quote right here is the fundamental problem with your discussion. It is the same condescending view of humanity that has destroyed what freedom once existed in the world, and replaced it with dicatorial cynics convinced most humans are just slightly above sheep, and need smart people to be their shepard.

From Joseph Stalin, to the American Captains of Industry who forced public schooling upon the masses, to the new Alpha class, the Harvard MBA types. All of them were driven by contempt for humanity, and a fundamental belief that not only that they were superior but the masses NEEDED their superiority.

You condemn the way things are, but you hold the same views as the average market research firm. Go check out the Boston Consulting Group some day. Chelsea Clinton works there now, btw. It is a company for Ivy League types who specialize in psychological manipulation and profiling. What was once witchcraft and fell in the realm of gypsies is now an actual science. The REALLY marketeers are so out of touch with normal human existence its hillarious. Those are the people who truly believe FM radio "works". They were the same people who though pop up ads would work too.

So the point? People are not sheep. Manipulation on a vast societal scale was a weird fad of the 20th century. It was thought to be an easier way to control the masses than outright slavery or an "official" caste system as found in India. But, like all hierarchical organizational methods, the insular nature of the highest cast is ultimately was destroys that organization. Of course, the people at the top still think they serve some useful purpose in society but we already have enough doctors and lawyers. Marketing has proven time and time again to be nothing but a pseudo science on par with astrology.

I will give you a hint, maybe those millions of people out there aren't as hip as you, but most people are sick of radio and the entire consumer culture just like you are. I mean, jesus, RTFA. It says very clearly radio listnership has been dropping precipotously for years. Understand the propoganda machine has come to and end and things are a little chaotic as a result. Isn't this why we all used to believe in the Internet anyway? Have a little faith in humanity.

--
I don't read or respond to AC posts

Is it just me, or has NPR really wussed out lately by mckwant · 2003-01-20 08:23 · Score: 1

I used to be like you, but the format on our NPR station (KUT,Austin, TX) appears to have really lightened up since the WTC came down.

i.e. the second national news segment got replaced by some inane (IMHO) local news bit that doesn't really address ANYthing. As such, I've stopped listening as much.

I'm curious if other NPR listeners have seen similar results elsewhere.

--
ceci n'est pas un sig.

Why XM will fail. by Francis+Avila · 2003-01-20 08:35 · Score: 1

They spent $68 million on "renovating" their facilities. The boss sits in a steel Capt'n Kirk chair!

This type of boy-toy spending was insane enough in the dot-com days, but now it's like begging for death. Even if they were doing well and raking in the bucks, they still would be ill-advised to spend this liberally.

Frankly, this type of spending practice tells me they are driven by flashy egos, and not buisness sense. Thus, they will fail, probably in a big buyout with the CEO getting a great payback while the rest of the employees are thrown out into the cold.

Nonetheless, I wish them well, because FM is crap nowdays.

KBOO by song-of-the-pogo · 2003-01-20 11:53 · Score: 2, Interesting

just in case no one's mentioned it yet, here's a station that doesn't suck ...

KBOO

--
soupy twist

well... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 12:17 · Score: 0

The Washington Post has been thinking that radio started going down hill with the advent of Rush Limbaugh, Neil Boortz, Gordon Liddy (don't even go there, man, woo!), and Howard Stern. They also belief that the information superhighway has always been a curse, or at least when people started getting news off the web.

Denver, CO. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-20 12:40 · Score: 0

Clear Channel owns eight stations alone here in Denver. Plus three more around Colorado.

Classical Station gripes.... by dimension6 · 2003-01-20 13:28 · Score: 1

I am a little annoyed that most of the classical stations in the country feed the listener only music from the baroque period until the late romantic period. The reason people can't accept modern (20th & 21st century) classical music or appreciate ancient music (middle ages, etc.) is because whenever anyone thinks classical music, they think Beethoven or Mozart. I believe this is largely due to the fact that radios generally only play music from Monteverdi/Bach until Ravel/Stravinsky/etc... I think that orchestras and other classical music ensembles throughout the country (and especially here in NYC) are doing a much better job promoting the many facets of classical music than radio currently is.
*dimension6
*www.juilliard.edu

Didn't Digital Cable Promise the same thing? by James+Littiebrant · 2003-01-20 13:53 · Score: 1

When Time Warner released digital cable they promised that there would be a channel for almost everything (after time of course!). Now about half the people I know have cable and the other half have a regular TV antenna, so this means everyone has TV. Everyone I know also have radio but I know only 2 that have XM. FM radio is old world and XM is new world but will people pay for the new world when they can download it off of Kazaa and burn it to a CD for NOTHING! Time will tell if it survives and replaces FM.

Vocal minority? by geekee · 2003-01-20 14:02 · Score: 1

I think this is just a vocal minority complaining about how much FM radio suck. Although I agree, I also feel that if the niche markets were significant enough, independent commercial stations would exists to take advantage of these markets. My assumption is that not enough listeners are around to make anything other than the top six formats profitable. There's nothing stopping someone from starting a radio station that plays something different. Yet, in LA anyway, the article's decription of FM radio is pretty accurate.

--
Vote for Pedro

Re: blue screens of death on the air by Lxy · 2003-01-21 02:53 · Score: 1

This isn't all that uncommon. There are two major packages used for radio automation: Scotts and Audio Vault. By far, these two systems own the market share. You guessed it.. they run on Windows 2000.

The backends are pretty much the same for all automation packages. They use MPEG2 compression, usually at 320Kbit bitrate. Most of the time there's a proprietary header that makes MPEG2 players choke and die, with the exception of mpg123. This is certainly a market that linux could get into. These systems are EXPENSIVE, licensing for a product like this runs something on the order of $11K/yr (more or less buy the support, get the software next to free). The only reason that linux isn't there yet is because no one has written a GUI that makes it easy for a DJ to use.

For live broadcasts I can just take the audio files from the Audio Vault, put them on my linux laptop, and run it all with XMMS. In the studio it's harder, because there's scheduling and so forth to worry about. Still, there is definitely a market for a linux automation package for radio, and I'd be more than happy to help test it on the air.

--

There is no reasonable defense against an idiot with an agenda
:wq

If anyone is still reading this thread, CHECK THIS by raam · 2003-01-21 18:50 · Score: 1

I was checking out Sirius on their website www.siriusradio.com and I am pretty sure I am going to ditch XM. I listened to every STREAMING channel FREE and it was so easy to find something worth listening to. After listening, I can only give XM an advantage in these areas: 1, they tolerate more foul/real language; 2, they have a bit more of the indie scene in rap/alternative rock; and 3, they use more 'imagination', though to no end, since for me it just added to the chaos. Choose wisely.

Last Post! by alpg · 2003-02-03 16:06 · Score: 0

In a minimum-phase system there is an inextricable link between
frequency response, phase response and transient response, as they
are all merely transforms of one another. This combined with
minimalization of open-loop errors in output amplifiers and correct
compensation for non-linear passive crossover network loading can
lead to a significant decrease in system resolution lost. However,
this all means jack when you listen to Pink Floyd.

- this post brought to you by the Automated Last Post Generator...

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