Author: Paul

I tried to post this the other day, but blogger wasn’t cooperating: And more on new FCC Chair Michael Powell… Feed features a commentary by Clay Shirky proclaiming that the FCC under his tenure will catalyze the greatest change in our media landscape since the Depression.” Shirky predicts conflict between Powell and cultural conservatives who…

A few more notes on the ever-embattled Pacifica Network: Current Magazine features an article on the so-called “Christmas Coup” at Pacifica’s NYC station WBAI. A choice quote from the article: [new station manager] “Leid has gone on WBAI’s air since her appointment, answering listeners’ questions about the situation, and has repeatedly blamed the three firings…

Pirate Radio and a little self promotion: The Champaign-Urbana Octopus finally has the last issue on-line, so I can direct you to a two-article series they did on micropower and pirate radio. Writer M.S. Dodds does a nice job giving a brief but coherent history of the movement in Part 1 (which sadly is not…

More ‘zines!Last night I attended an informal meeting-cum-caucus of independent publishers and other media-makers from the local Champaign-Urbana area. Organized by Micro-Film’s Jason Pankoke, the participants included A.J. Michel of the self-described “popular culture per-zine” Low Hug, Bryan and Dan Tincher of the art zine The Ides of March, Ted Young who publishes the literary…

The Springfield, IL Independent Media Center is having an Introduction and Vision meeting on Feb. 12 at 6:30 pm at the Trout Lily Cafe, 218 S. 6th St. in Springfield. If you’re located in the general Springfield area this is a great opportunity to jump start independent media and meet like minded folks!

Project Censored is hosting a Press Freedom Conference and Alternative News Media Exposition, scheduled for April 27-29 @ San Francisco State University.

Community Radio WEFT is holding a special meeting and teach-in on the ongoing travails at Pacifica this Thursday, Feb. 1, at 7:00 PM at the Illinois Disciples Foundation, at the Northwest corner of Springfield and Wright in Champaign (IL). The meeting is sponsored by the WEFT Associates, which is the democratic body of the station’s…

My e-mail has been all a-flutter today with details of the news that Juan Gonzalez, co-host of Pacifica Radio’s Democracy Now, has resigned in protest of the crackdown by Pacifica management on free speech at the network’s program and forced management changes at Pacifica’s NYC station WBAI, where Democracy Now originates. Gonzalez tendered his resignation…

A story that is representative of the massive consolidation and homogenization that is ongoing in the radio industry: the NY Times reports on the sale of commercial classical music station WNIB in Chicago to Bonneville Communications for $167million. Largely run as a labor of love, the station is likely to be changed to pop music…

To get an industry-centric view on the Time Warner/AOL merger, check out the Industry Standard’s in-depth reporting they call “AOL TW’s New World Order”. I’ll comment on it after I get a chance to digest it.