I love radio. Here are a few of my recent posts on the NYRMB (New York Radio Message Board).
New Media Pitfalls
Posted by Bob T. on September 21, 2010 at 10:08:10:
We hear so much about the takeover of new media stripping radio of younger audiences.
You-Tube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. are so new that they really aren't battle tested.
This morning, news sites are full of info on a Twitter bug that apparently can takeover your computer with just a mouseover.
Can anyone come up with a similar weakness for radio?
Posted by Brian Black on September 21, 2010 at 15:44:58:
In Reply to: New Media Pitfalls posted by Bob T. on September 21, 2010 at 10:08:10:
If you mean technically, I have a portable HD radio that charges thru a mini USB. Something could crawl in with a firmware update.
Metaphorically, the mouse hanging over radio is everything online. When I run a Compaq thru a Sony tabletop I almost forget I'm not listening to broadcast; and it's that much less time listening to real radio.
Radio will always have the "I just want to turn it on" fans but now HD makes you wait for a buffer/rebuffer. Trivial? CFL bulbs (another enemy of AM) have run into similar resistance. We gave them away *free* to shareholders in a co-op and some users said it takes too long to get fully bright (less than 10 seconds!).
In summary, radio killed vaudeville, vaudeville came back as YouTube. Internet killed radio, radio can come back as something you can't get any more.
A step backwards to live and local news and deejays would be a start. Blogs are filling the gap for local news. When we had a shooting in our area, I turned to the neighborhood blog for street-level coverage that day, which was far superior to the newspaper, TV, or other Internet spaces the next day.
Why is AM 970 The Apple not doing better?
Posted by Brian Black on September 14, 2010 at 10:50:22:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Why is AM 970 The Apple not doing better? posted by Frank on September 14, 2010 at 08:35:58:
The signal? It's usually a terrible listen in Brooklyn.
I stumbled into Dick Robinson's American Standards by the Sea after midnight Saturday night, the only show on 970 other than Curtis that I might listen to. American Standards's website lists The Apple but The Apple's own website doesn't show American Standards on the schedule. So 970's promotion dept./budget might be a problem too.
More Talk from Stern About His Plans
Posted by Brian Black on September 10, 2010 at 10:24:23:
In Reply to: Re: Re: More Talk from Stern About His Plans posted by SKlein on September 10, 2010 at 09:18:07:
Stern is starting to sound like film/radio/TV legend Bud Abbott, who died broke with tax problems, who agreed with a reporter's remark that even if all the fans sent him a few bucks he'd still be broke. (It morphed into a story of Abbott begging fans for money.)
I bought XM to listen ($9/month) to Standards when they left terrestrial radio. But 7 bucks a month just for Stern? Maybe when everyone had cash to burn. He's dreaming or bluffing. I miss his show biz interviews and amazing insight into the business but I don't miss the poor taste.
Standards HD/Internet Radio Update; Bob Elliott interview
Posted by Brian Black on August 31, 2010 at 11:19:52:
To update a post from last month, it appears that WVIP-HD3 is off the air. The WVOX simulcast, including Music of Your Life after 10 pm, was moved to HD2.
Another bright spot for Standards is Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli. The August 14 podcast featured a rare interview with radio icon Bob Elliott. A must listen for Bob & Ray fans; Pizzarelli is a hardcore fan of the boys.
http://www.johnpizzarelli.com/RadioDeluxe.html
Posted by Brian Black on September 01, 2010 at 10:33:41:
In Reply to: Re: Standards HD/Internet Radio Update; Bob Elliott interview posted by Pete Tauriello on August 31, 2010 at 22:27:53:
To begin to make HD a "must have" you would have to improve reception, sound, and content.
Audio quality: Berle sold pictures with sound and color shows sold color TV, but an HD signal doesn't improve the regular FM sound greatly to my ears. I have a Sony XDR-S3HD and a cell-phone sized Insignia portable.
Content: On the cheap, only a few listener-supported stations produce original local HD-only shows.
Buzz: I study the 21-53 demo (my house) and no one is interested except me. I love it for the niches. I heard Conway Twitty on WLTW-HD2 this morning but I also like some of the new stuff on WFUV-HD3, and appreciate the artist/title readouts. I like WNYC-HD2's simulcast of WQXR-HD1 (whose 105.9 signal isn't as strong as WNYC's HD2). I listen to Imus and Batchelor on WABC-HD3 without the static (WABC-AM in HD is gone). WBGO gives me a static-free lock that I never had before HD. I enjoy True Oldies on WPLJ-HD2 and occasionally dial up TONY on WCBS-HD2. I like the Sony dial for some reason instead of push buttons. Nostalgia?
Even if the content were improved, no one except the hobbyist wants to adjust an antenna. People freaked on the iPhone antenna problem when most radio folks would have DIY'd a solution (buy a cover). I listen via roof antenna or outdoors so I'm immune to the indoor reception problems, but I can hear it when I enter a building with the portable.
Nice FM DX catch Yesterday from NY
Posted by Brian Black on August 30, 2010 at 09:55:19:
In Reply to: Re: Nice FM DX catch Yesterday from NY posted by Mike Grayeb on August 29, 2010 at 22:35:59:
On the Brooklyn shore, CT stations were blowing out most of the pirates too on Saturday, all the way up to WEBE 107.9, Westport. Made me wonder if I might hear those stations regularly sans pirates.
Out of context!
Posted by Brian Black on August 14, 2010 at 09:37:18:
In Reply to: Out of context! posted by Walt on August 14, 2010 at 09:11:16:
Yes, there are two Simones and when the opinion show gets too Ann Colterish I spin the dial and turn it back later for his Saturday night music show. Yet when he books a superior point maker like Frank Rich, he tamps down the right-wing rhetoric, or ignores Rich's cogent point.
Imus told his listeners this in 1971: change the dial if you don't like it and I have followed his advice, even for shows of which I'm a fan.
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