Corporate Interests out to KILL Analog FM

I rather agree with you on this topic. I'm the owner of a video editing and media duplication company; and virtually all the trade magazines I receive have coverage of the sell-out of the airwaves by Washington. Most of the TV networks have resigned from the National Association of Broadcasters because they all want to have a larger slice of the the TV market. (The current 35% market share does not seem to be enough for these corporate piggies!) As for the radio spectrum; many of the major markets have already been sold off to Clear Channel and Infinity Broadcasting. Not only do both of these operations play the same "Top 40" (And what focus group decided that?) crap in every market, they compress the audio they broadcast.
If you are fortunate enough to live somewhere that has a local PBS station, local college radio station, or other independent radio station; give them a listen. They are a dying breed if Powell and the schmucks at the FCC have their way. I personally think it's time the American public woke up enough to realize the airwaves THEY OWN - are being sold off by a bunch of greedy, campaign contribution-seeking jerks in Washington. Enough already!

A little off topic, but related. Recent rulings have also seriously limited internet based radio stations. Web broadcaster are now required to pay royalties on the music they stream (retroactive to 4 years ago!). The royalty rate is higher than that charged to traditional airwave broadcasters. Additionally, webcasters are now saddled with cumbersome record keeping requirements. The net effect is to eliminate small to medium sized webcasters.

All the discounters of FM in the Chicago to Madison, Wi area turn on WORT-FM 89.9 (Madison, WI) almost anytime for the most diverse programming and exchange of ideas anywhere in the midwest and most other places for that matter. (see www.wort-fm.org and also their web links http://www.wort-fm.org/links.shtml ).

WORT has Tons and tons of Jazz, Monday through Thursday afternoons and midnight to 6am Friday night, 20s - 40s Jazz Saturday morning, Oldies Rock, International Music, Progressive, Techno etc. Then there is the incredible international, national, and local talk programming. Don't count FM out till you here what a true COMMUNITY RADIO CAN DO!

PS: Forgot to mention their WORT's Schedule, http://www.wort-fm.org/schedule/schedule.htm

Their schedule speaks volumes. Compare that to the corporate owned sonic wallpaper music and news reporting most american's numb themselves to complacency with.

WORT is exciting not only for its content but for the fact they consistently win Best of Madison Radio Stations year after year with DJ's that don't get paid a dime for their volunteer efforts (heck, the guy that does the midnight to 6am Jazz show drives in 75 miles from Milwaukee to do the show after he gets off his paying job, you can talk to him between songs and go over jazz etc) but have the passion in their hearts and deep knowledge of their respective music venues. Many play in local clubs. Clear Channel Communications is really totally pissed off at WORT's success. I bet there are more places than Madison with thinking and active people.

One more PS:

I made several calls about the Analog to Digital transition and the best guesses are that Analog will be around till at least 2020 even if Digital Monopolies are successful. There would likely be a time when both are broadcast but with hundreds of millions of car radios still in analog out there it will be a longer time to phase out radio than it is likely to take to phase out TV.

Isn't it great that government is there to tell us what we what through their corporate proxy: Lower quality audio, compressed signals with the same crap all over the dial with about the only difference is the slight change in timing of commercials.