Blogs

  • Another Merger Signals Black Radio's Decline

    Megan Tady
    May 9, 2012

    The merger of two legendary R&B radio stations in New York City is a major blow to diversity on the dial, and signals — yet again — that black radio is on the decline.

  • The Public's Right to Know

    Megan Tady
    January 24, 2012

    In the media reform world, we often say we’re fighting for “better” media. Of course, “better” is the sort of word that begs comparison: better than what? If we’re to demand more of our local broadcasters, we need to know what’s wrong with the status quo.

    Broadcasters use the public airwaves free of charge, and in return are supposed to provide programming that fulfills the news and information needs of communities. The Federal Communications Commission requires broadcasters to keep public files detailing exactly how they serve local needs. But these records are generally kept in file cabinets at local TV stations and are not easily accessible. So the pressure is on for broadcasters to put these files online in a publicly searchable database.

  • Broken Records

    Megan Tady
    December 9, 2011

    Media conglomerates continue to squeeze the life out of radio, and the Federal Communications Commission continues to facilitate the slow death.

    The New York Times recently reported that media giants Clear Channel and Cumulus Media are forming a “daily deal” alliance to compete with sites like Groupon and LivingSocial. Clear Channel will run ads for Sweetjack, Cumulus’ daily-deals program, meaning radio personalities from both companies will endorse the business discounts in corresponding markets. In exchange, Clear Channel gets to add Cumulus’ radio stations to its iHeartRadio online listening service.

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