More Wi-Fi/Wi-Max from the South Pacific....

64° - cloudy at 1:45pm

Welcome to Friday - the start of a long weekend and the unofficial start to summer. More here later...but something I've been finding time to pass along:

Yesterday I caught Kurt Hanson's blog where he (courtesy of Madison's Tom Teuber) wrote a bit more about a topic I mentioned here Wednesday Night: the future of Wi-Fi as Wi-Max.

Kurt devotes a post to Hawaii radio guru Brock Whaley's test drive of Clearwire's "pre Wi-Max" technology. Its not all Wi-Max might be, but its a "a wireless broadband distribution service that covers miles instead of feet" - and is just like regular internet service.

After getting the Clearwire hardware and plugging his laptop into a power inverter, Brock cruised around the Island - and now with apologies to Kurt Hanson for over-quoting - Brock writes:

"I started the car, and turned everything on, and by God it works! Clumsy and experimental, but it works. The Clearwire signal indicator showed an excellent signal, even through the windshield. I brought up the stream of WDRV in Chicago, and there it was. Loud and clear in stereo. I drove into Kailua town. No drop out! Even as the direction of car changed. Signal strength varied in some directions as I drove, but I never lost the stream."

"I lost the signal driving to Honolulu, but the signal lasted farther than the Clearwire coverage map indicated. The same went as I approached Honolulu. I pulled off the road at a scenic lookout and reestablished an internet connection on the laptop. This time to all-news KNX in Los Angeles. I took King Street from the Pali all the way to Kaimuki, and I only lost the signal and had to reconnect once. I pulled over and tried the BBC with the even better results. No dropout all the way to Kahala Mall. I’m talking miles here, on city streets, and I’m listening to freaking London, in stereo, with no noise, no static, no dropouts, in my cheap Ford in Hawaii!"

"I cannot underestimate how excited I was and still am. This is incredible. It does work, and it will soon be the norm."

Wow. I can understand Brock's excitement when he declares: "I have heard the future in my car." Kurt's entire post - describing Brock Whaley's setup and experience further is here.

The concept of speaking into a microphone or playing music and having it go through the airwaves still excites me as much as it did when I was 11 years old - and built "WDK" in the bedroom of my childhood home from a Lafayette Radio tube transmitter kit.

I got the same rush again a few months back (here) - when I was streaming music from a computer in my basement - and a friend in Phoenix was listening on his PC. Once a radio geek, always... The future is going to be one wild ride.

More later.

Sunday Night Odds & Sods

25° - overcast at 10:48pm

Watching: As I post this - The History Channel's "1968" - hosted by Tom Brokaw. Great television and worth "rolling tape" on. Lots of music connections.

For a list of future air times click here.

Reading: Multi-tasking tonight watching both the above-mentioned TV show and reading "WHOoPLA: The Greatest Rock Radio Stunt Ever" by V Scott Beddome.

A wonderful piece on FM rock radio wars in Milwaukee back in the late 70s/early 80s. WQFM vs. WLPX.

Seven chapters posted so far with more on the way. Read here on the 93QFM: The Halcyon Daze blog.

One chapter features comments from former WQFM Program Director Lee Arnold:

“The most important thing- as a program director- is to make your staff believe that you’re going to win- and get then pumped up to the degree that they’ll do anything to make that happen."

"Back then...everybody had a real passion to do great radio. I had a staff of Rangers! We owned the streets! We did stuff to them (LPX) that made them just cry. We were horrible to them! It was great!”

I love reading these stories! Thanks to Scott Beddome for getting it all down in writing - preserving history - about (what had to be) a great radio battle! Can't wait for the next chapter.

Noted: Kurt Hanson's RAIN website now with a fresh redesign. Always worth your time and now easier to read. See here.

Latest On Streaming

79° at 12:05pm.

Too nice to be inside!

If you haven't been following the proposed streaming royalty rate legislation, written to protect America's webcasters and streaming radio stations - here's an update:

We wrote here before about HR 2060 - introduced into the House to overturn the CRB decision on royalty rates. Kurt Hanson's RAIN reported last Thursday that a similar bill has been introduced into the Senate. Read more here.

And please contact your Congressman to ask for his/her support on HR 2060 - as well as Senator for support on "The Internet Radio Equality Act".

More here tomorrow.

The Weekend Classic Rock FM

Happy Friday. This weekend we're back to my hometown in the north Chicago suburbs. Family gathering.

Just a few things this morning:

Streaming Update: Yesterday, Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) introduced "The Internet Radio Equality Act" to nullify the recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board to hike rates, threatening the future of streaming radio. Kurt Hanson has details here.

Now is the time to act. Urge your representative to support "The Internet Radio Equality Act" here. Do it now.

Talent and planning. Since Wednesday, David Martin has been sharing his wisdom on talent recruitment and the need to plan ahead. As examples, Dave asks "What if Howard's plane goes down?" and "What if Letterman does not agree to another extension?".

Its a great read. Here. And Dave has promised more.

Have a great weekend. More here Sunday Morning.

Wednesday Blogs

My wife - in Florida for a few days with her job - sent pictures last night of the ocean as well as this sunset shot from an outdoor patio.

Happy Wednesday. From the blogs:

Stimulate An Audience. A couple of writers sharing some thoughts: First, Alan Mason on "The Cry For Creativity". Then Fred Jacobs on something that "morning shows and entire stations ought to aspire to".

"It's the environment songs are in that often make them sound bad". Lee Abrams talks about the art of song placement - and lots more - in his latest post here.

Streaming Royalties. In case you haven't heard, the Copyright Royalty Board denied all appeals on the new rate structure. Is it now a matter of legislative relief?

Kurt Hanson's RAIN has the latest.

I hope to write soon about ideas to monetize your webstream - something I'm certain your management is thinking about.

Your station website: McVay Media's Dave Lange introduces us to "widgets" and what they can add to your station website here.

Dan O'Day is presenting his 12th Annual International Radio Creative & Production Summit in Los Angeles August 17th & 18th. Dan's workshops - this and his "PD Grad School" - held annually in February - are always packed full of ideas that you can use back at your station. More info here.

This year's summit will include voice-over pro Don LaFontaine - "The King Of The Movie Trailers" - who is currently being seen on-camera in Geico Insurance commercials.

btw: Don's website is fantastic! Have a great Wednesday.

Wednesday Blogs

Wednesday already. From my blogosphere:

Satellite Radio interest appears to be slowing - at least with listeners of rock radio. This morning Fred Jacobs discusses findings from the latest Jacobs Media Tech Survey on his blog. See graphs from the satellite portion of the survey on the Jacobs website here.

Meanwhile...in Our Nation's Capitol: Yesterday, Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin made another apperance in Washington to answer more questions about the proposed Sirius/XM merger. David Martin reviews his performance here.

Streaming. Appeals have been filed against the new royalty rates announced by the Copyright Royalty Board. Kurt Hanson's RAIN has been providing excellent coverage on this issue. Read the latest here.

The Secret To Making Them Smile. Some thoughts on how its getting more difficult to shock an audience without crossing the line - and how "simply delighting them with effective service" might be the better path.

Lessons for radio programming here from ChaosScenario.

E-Diary. While much has been written about Arbitron's PPM rollout; the new E-Diary affects almost everyone right now. McVay Media's Dave Lange discusses on his blog here.

Latest Favorite Quote: "I would have made this shorter but I didn't have the time." - David Martin. Have a great Wednesday.

Wednesday Blogs

This morning at 11am ET, Genesis will hold a press conference to announce a new North American tour. Listen to the "Turn It On Again" tour and read more here. Dates should be posted soon after the press conference begins.

Spring book now less than a month away. Fred Jacobs on Priorities.

Streaming. Last week's decision by The Copyright Office to hike streaming royalties is putting the fate of hundreds of webcasters in jeopardy. A number of webcasters have begun to reach out to their listeners to help fight this action. Kurt Hanson's RAIN has the story here.

Business Week covers the internet radio issue here. Forbes here.

Online Research. McVay Media's Dave Lange writes here.

Have a great Wednesday. I've got to shovel snow.

Sunday Morning Odds & Sods

The Sky looking west over Michigan's State Capitol Sunday Morning 9:20am.

As I write this morning, I've got the stream of WDRV/Chicago cranked up - listening to Bob Stroud and his "Rock & Roll Roots" program. This week Bob is playing the music as heard on the radio this week in 1969. "The Letter" by The Arbors was wonderful. Thanks Bob.

Random ramblings:

Streaming worries. There's no question that radio needs to stream as the broadband world expands. Can online ad revenues keep up with the increasing costs? See the complete breakdown of the new streaming royalty rates set by the Copyright Office - courtesy of Kurt Hanson's RAIN here. Jaye Albright with more here. added: Mark Ramsey's post.

Daylight Savings TIme Reminder. We spring ahead early - one week from today (March 11th). Four weeks earlier than it used to. Not all computers are ready. Work with your technical staff and automation vendor now. (I've always made an early morning trip into the station twice a year to make sure everything is on time....no sleep well otherwise).

Wisdom. From SBR Creative's website - a collection of great quotes on radio, marketing and music here.

History. Progressive rock signs off in the Milwaukee suburbs circa 1979.. Its WZMF. Listen to the last hour here.