Corporate Interests out to KILL Analog FM

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.

Noel, i recently went on a tour of WFMT here in Chicago. Audio critic, program director and DJ Rich Warren was the tour guide. If i can remember correctly, analogue broadcasting is pretty much GUARANTEED to be dead within a few short years. From what he was saying, stations have been given a time frame as to when they must be completely digital and it was not that far off. I can't remember specifics, but i know that it was WAY sooner than what i'd like to see. Sean
>