Radio Survivor Podcast

Why didn’t the internet just stop working the day after the FCC voted to end network neutrality? Prof. Christopher Terry from the University of Minnesota joins to answer that question, and explain what happens next. He also lays out where is the fight over internet freedom going next, and what the real threat is for […] The post Podcast #121 – What Happens After Net Neutrality; O...

First conceived in the 1930s, there is a type of tiny little radio station that anyone can operate legally, without a license. Bill DeFelice of HobbyBroadcaster.net joins the show to tell us about so-called ‘Part 15’ radio stations, and how you can get on the air today, to broadcast around your house, or even your […] The post Podcast #120 – Have Your Own Tiny Radio Station...

The Chicago Independent Radio Project launched as an internet radio station nearly a decade ago, with a mission of bringing a truly independent music- and arts-focused community radio station to Chicago. Thanks to the Local Community Radio Act, which allowed the growth of low-power FM stations in the nation’s biggest cities—and a lot of hard […] The post Podcast #119 – Chicago In...

The FCC is about to vote on rules that would reverse network neutrality protections that the Commission put in place just two years ago. The terms of this rollback were released right before Thanksgiving, and represent the FCC effectively abdicating its role in guaranteeing the free flow of information on the internet. Prof. Christoper Terry […] The post Podcast #118 – Making Sense of...

“Podcasts are luring people into listening,” Jennifer Waits reports, quoting the esteemed radio scholar Susan Douglas, from her keynote address at the recent Radio Preservation Task Force conference in Washington DC. Jennifer also relays some important reasons for studying radio history shared at the conference, especially to help understand the present and plan for the […] The p...

We’ve talked about community podcasting on the show, now we want to connect the dots to community radio. The apparent ubiquity of public radio podcasts makes it seem like a podcast of a radio show is just automatic. But, in fact, turning terrestrial shows into consistent podcasts requires work and thoughtful planning behind the scenes. […] The post Podcast #116 – Community Podcas...

The Federal Communications Commission just proposed new ownership rules that would drastically loosen restrictions on broadcast station ownership limits. Prof. Christopher Terry from the University of Minnesota joins us again to help understand this proposal, and the threat to local journalism and broadcasting. He argues that it has be viewed in an historical context, with […] The post Podca...

Journalism professor John Anderson has been tracking the FCC’s enforcement of unlicensed radio for 20 years, and has seen the agency have little success, despite the periodic uptick in policing the airwaves, such as we’re seeing now. He suggests there are common sense approaches to managing the FM broadcast spectrum that would address the underlying […] The post Podcast #114 &#82...

At the end of 2015, it looked like the University of Nevada-Las Vegas might hand over the keys to its radio station, KUNV-FM, to Nevada Public Radio. More than a year later the situation reversed course, with the university deciding to keep the station and increase student involvement. Our college radio watcher Jennifer Waits learned […] The post Podcast #113 – Mutual Aid Saves College...

Ajit Pai was just renominated and confirmed as the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and there are a number of pivotal policy items ahead on his agenda. Our resident FCC watcher, Prof. Christopher Terry from the University of Minnesota, joins to help us understand what’s in store and what the stakes are. First, he […] The post Podcast #112 – Sinclair Could Become...

Rob Quicke founded College Radio Day in order to celebrate this unique medium and service. This year’s College Radio Day happens Oct. 6. Now in its seventh year, the celebration has spread globally with hundreds of stations participating. Quicke, who is also the GM of WPSC-FM at William Paterson University, joins to share the story […] The post Podcast #111 – Celebrating College...

The Grassroots Radio Conference is an annual meeting of community, college and other non-commercial radio stations for the purpose of skill-sharing, training and strengthening ties. We talk with Caitlin Reading, a LPFM station startup specialist who is helping to organize this year’s GRC, happening Oct. 6 – 9 at WCAA-LP in Albany, NY, to learn […] The post Podcast #110 – Gr...

As autumn kicks off in the northern hemisphere Jennifer, Eric and Paul circle back to share responses to last week’s episode, all about community podcasting, and look forward to what’s in store for community media this fall. Jennifer lets us know about two international festivals being broadcast by her home station KFJC, and reports on […] The post Podcast #109 – News From...

Zahra Noorbakhsh and Tanzila ‘Taz’ Ahmed started using the #GoodMuslimBadMuslim hashtag as a joke on twitter. When they started a podcast using the same name it became an instant hit. They were getting positive press coverage before they had even recorded their first episode. Zahra joins to discuss the show, and the things she has […] The post Podcast #108 – Advice for Laun...

On this episode we revisit our features on Bainbridge Community Broadcasting, and our interviews with founders Barry and Channie Peters. BCB started out as a low-power community radio initiative, but pivoting into podcasting when the group discovered that would better serve their community. We’ll listen to our first conversation with them from July 2015, and […] The post Podcast #107 &...

Paul reports back from the Podcast Movement 2017 conference with some fresh facts about this growing medium, along with observations and advice from speakers and keynotes. There are definitely nuggets of information that will be useful to community and college podcasters and podcasters. Radio Survivor is a listener-supported podcast. You can support us two ways: Make […] The post Podcast #10...

The Princeton Review’s annual list of top college radio stations is out, and college radio expert Jennifer Waits joins to deconstruct the list, its methodology, and the notion of “best” college radio stations in the first place. Then Paul talks with Ed Hadley, who has been producing the overnight radio show “Incoming Wounded” on community […] The post Podcast #1...

We catch up on news that’s important to podcasters and broadcasters. Soundcloud received emergency investment to keep running, but is it still a sustainable host for podcasts? The podcast patent troll is totally dead, finally. And, responding to reader and listener questions, Paul reviews the history of proposals to create a low-power AM radio service […] The post Podcast #104 –...

Anita Pouchard Serra traveled across Argentina helping to set up new community radio stations with the DTL! collective. A photojournalist, she also documented the building of these stations, that are officially unlicensed, but operate in the spirit of a communications law that passed, but never went into effect. Anita joins to tell us about this […] The post Podcast #103 – The Popular...

Sally Kane, CEO of the National Federation Community Broadcasters, has a question for community media: How inclusive are we, really? That’s the jumping off point for our conversation with Sally and her colleague Ernesto Aguilar, as they report back from the NFCB 2017 Conference, held in Denver, CO July 17 – 19. We discuss the […] The post Podcast #102 – How Inclusive Is Com...

Racist Sandwich is a Portland, Oregon based podcast that tackles the intersection of food, race, class and gender. Started by journalist Zahir Janmohamed and chef Soleil Ho, both with no prior podcasting experience, the show has received recommendations from outlets like the CBC and The New York Times. Zahir joins us to talk about learning […] The post Podcast #101 – Racist Sandwich ap...

The four Radio Survivors—Jennifer Waits, Matthew Lasar, Eric Klein and Paul Riismandel—come together to reflect on 100 episodes of the podcast, and 8 years of Radio Survivor, sharing some favorite moments, and some thoughts about the future of community media. Importantly, Matthew observes that “radio is dead” articles and think-pieces have subsided as of late, […] Th...

Brazil is embarking on a grand experiment with the radio dial. AM stations have the opportunity to relocate to FM, and plans are afoot to expand the size of the FM dial. However, don’t be surprised that you haven’t heard about it. We hadn’t either until listener Álvaro Burns brought it to our attention. Álvaro […] The post Podcast #99: The Beginning Of The End For AM Radio...

With so much of the online discussion in podcasting seeming to focus on growing audiences and getting big, we thought it necessary to explore and celebrate “small” podcasting, shows that don’t break onto the charts, but have dedicated audiences. If we celebrate small business and small craft breweries, why not celebrate small podcasts? Eric talks […] The post Podcast #98 &#...

Intrepid radio tourist Jennifer Waits reports back from her journey to PhillyCAM radio in the City of Brotherly Love, adding a low-power FM station, WPPM-LP, to an established public access TV operation. Following up on episode #96 we catch up on the latest smart speaker research and Jennifer shares news about two college stations sold […] The post Podcast #97: PhillyCAM’s LPFM in the...