mediageek

Month: November 2004

  • Happy 5th Birthday Indymedia

    Today is the 5th anniversary of the Battle of Seattle at the 1999 WTO Ministerial protests, and so is also a fine day to celebrate the birthday of Indymedia. Although Indymedia actually formed over months preceeding the WTO, it was five years ago today that the IMC took center stage as the conduit of information…

  • Radioshow Headlines for 11-26-04

    These are the media news headlines as read on the 11-26-04 edition of mediageek. The headlines include these stories: Democracy Now Coming to UPTV; Chicago Access Network Faces Opposition from Comcast; Federal Government Windfall in FM Spectrum Auction.

  • One Hundred New Pirate Radio StationsÂ… or Maybe 1000

    Kirsten Anderberg explores what volunteers with Freak Radio Santa Cruz, Free Radio Olympia and Radio Free Cascadia think about the recent FCC raid on Freak Radio in her new article “One Hunderd New Pirate Radio Stations.” She also gives a good overview of the events that led up to the raid. I agree that one…

  • Criticizing Wikipedia; the Problem with Open Editing

    Jason Scott has an interesting critique of Wikipedia, from the standpoint of a contributor. He isn’t criticizing the wiki method, per se, so much as this particular institution of the method. And unlike many other critiques of Wikipedia I’ve read, he isn’t questioning the credibility of the content, but how content is manipulated and deleted…

  • Radioshow headlines for 11-19-04

    These are the media news headlines as read on the 11-19-04 edition of mediageek. The headlines include these stories: Patrick Thompson Receives Continuance on Eavesdropping Charge, AdelsteinÂ’s Surprise Renomination to the FCC, Lott Lays In to Public Broadcasting, McCain says no quick action on indecency or DTV.

  • Keeping Tabs on Sinclair

    I’m glad that media watchers and reform organizations are keeping their eyes on Sinclair now that the heat from their anti-Kerry schenanigans has cooled down. Too often, after a big controversy dies down, so does interest in the issue behind it, even if the controversy is just part of a bigger problem — such as…

  • FCC Indecency Crackdown? How about Indecency Crack?

    Wired News has a reasonable article examining the potentials for an FCC crackdown on indecency, given how emboldened the Christian right apparently feels after W’s narrow victory, and how much the FCC and Congress seem to want to suck up to the moral mornonity. I have to throw my lot in with Chicago Media Action’s…

  • Sirius Satellite Radio Hires Ex-Viacom CEO, Stern Bashes FCC and Religious Right on Letterman

    Kind of a brief surreal moment — I’m watching the Late Show with Letterman and Howard Stern is busting away on the FCC, Bush and the religious right. Letterman is decrying the fact that 3 companies own 60% of radio stations (hmmmm, what about Infinity/Viacom/CBS?). And then I read that former Viacom boss (and Stern…

  • Free TV

    Free Radio Berkeley recently announced that they have designed and developed “low power VHF and UHF transmitters by the creative use of off-the-shelf technology.” They have planned workshops to teach people how to build and operate these transmitters. There’s a short video demonstrating a basic setup posted to Indybay. I think it’s a cool idea…

  • Ministry of Truth Radio

    The tireless Mitchell Szczepanczyk, of Chicago Media Action fame, now has a radio show on WHPK at the University of Chicago. Called The Ministry of Truth, Mitchell brings an hour-long mix of alternative news and features on such subjects as “NAB: The National Association of Bastards.” You can listen to mp3s on the show’s website.…