Christmas Specials Online and On Satellite Radio

Do a little searching at your favorite search engine and you’ll find a plethora of online entertainment for the Christmas season - some new and some much older.

Podcasts

There’s a lot of talent out there and today’s technology has made it easier for many of these people to create and collaborate. As just a sampling, let me suggest a few destinations: "A Podcast Christmas Carol" – this is the Dickens’ classic only this particular version was created as a collaborative project by Podcasters from around the world who contributed separate pieces which were then assembled. You can hear it at apodcastchristmascarol.org

But, if you’re more interested in an updated version, try "A Geek Christmas Carol".

The creators describe it this way: "With his old friend Steve Marley and 3 ghosts of Tech Christmas past in tow, Scrooge is confronted with the decisions he is making and the life that he has had before…" You'll find it at friendsintech.com.

Streaming Audio

Also online, but straight out of last century, are a couple of streaming gems from the Golden Age of Radio.

At a web page entitled, “KIBM Presents Christmas Old Time Radio” you can enjoy "Miracle on 34th Street" from December 23rd, 1949 and "It’s a Wonderful Life" from May 8th, 1949. You can listen to both programs in their entirety online at www.archive.org.

Blubrry.com has posted the “Bob Hope Christmas Special in Berlin” from 1947 featuring Bob Hope, with guests Doris Day and Irving Berlin. Head on over to blubrry.com.

Satellite Radio

Besides podcasts and streaming audio, Satellite Radio subscribers have a multitude of choices for holiday program.

XM will air a special holiday episode of Bob Dylan's weekly program, "Theme Time Radio Hour," on December 20. In addition to music, the two-hour show will also feature a complete reading by Dylan of the classic poem, "Twas the Night Before Christmas," as well as his recitations of other holiday-themed anecdotes and commentary on holiday traditions around the world.

The Dylan special episode airs at 10 a.m. ET on XM's Deep Tracks (Channel 40), with additional airings on XM through the end of the month.

Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame Inducts New Members

Earlier this week, Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell helped dedicate the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame “wall of fame” at the Nashville Convention Center/Renaissance Hotel.

"As you know," remarked the Mayor, "Music City has an ongoing love affair with Country Music Disc Jockeys. You are our goodwill ambassadors, out there on the airwaves, day in and day out, saying great things about Nashville and the music that is so uniquely connected to the past and present of our city.

Mayor Purcell continued, "Today we celebrate that past and present in yet another way, as the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame takes on a new life in a new location here, downtown."

As part of this year's event, five more legendary Country music DJs were added to the "Country Music DJ Hall of Fame" sponsored by CRB, Country Radio Broadcasters.

They include: Jaybird Drennan, Bob Duchesne, Jerry King, Dr. Bruce Nelson, and Uncle Don Rhea.

Drennan is most noted for his 27 years doing morning drive at WSLR, Akron. Duchesnewas withWQCB-FM, Bangor, Maine from 1986 - 2003 when he retired. Jerry King does morning drive at KKYX, San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Bruce Nelson does mornings at KFTX-FM, Corpus Christi, Texas and Uncle Don Rhea spent most of his air time on KCKN, Kansas City, Kansas.

A full listing of all the inductees into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame can be found at the CRB website along with biographical information on each inductee and in many cases, audio of these legends, too.

Radio Aint What It Used To Be

If you’re over 50 and someone mentions “radio”, you probably first think of the traditional, terrestrial stations that transmit through large towers on either the AM or FM bands.

If you’re under 35, chances are when you think of “radio” you think about listening to it on your computer at work via streaming audio, possibly satellite radio in your car if you can afford it and maybe as a last resort those AM or FM stations Mom and Dad like.

And, if you’re under 20, you probably think the ‘Net streams are cool but, you also like listening to “radio” on your iPod or other portable audio device – after you’ve downloaded the files.

Folks: the fact of the matter is “radio” ain’t what it used to be.

A lot has changed in just the last 12 years.

In 1992, the Federal Communications Commission allocated a spectrum in the “S” band for satellite radio. In 1997, SIRIUS (formerly CD Radio) and XM Radio (formerly American Mobile Radio) forked over $80 million dollars each for the right to broadcast from space.

In 1995 software developers at RealNetworks were just starting to make progress with RealAudio – their solution for streaming sound over the Internet.

Within a few years, portals emerged for hosting hundreds of “webcasters” who started up these new virtual “radio stations”. We had many names for it at first: “netradio”, “webradio”, “netcasting”, etc.

Radio Writes to Santa Claus

Satire/Humor

If some Radio folks wrote to Santa Claus, what might they be asking for this year? Maybe something like what's depicted in the following satirical and fictitious letters. To put it another way: "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. But, Virginia, these requests ain't real."

Radio Letter to Santa #1

Santa Baby,

You know and I know that I was out there years ago pointing out our borders were a festering disgrace, allowing illegal immigrants to infiltrate the America I love. So, for Christmas this year - no wait, I mean for Hanukkah - I want a pinata filled with red, white and blue patriotic novelties which I can let my gardener, Manuel, and housekeeper, Maria, hit over and over again for fun because they do such a great job. Oh, and since it’s for Hanukkah remember: that only counts as one gift.

You figure out the other seven - and remember: none of Al Franken’s books, okay?

- Michael Savage

Radio Letter to Santa #2

Dear Man in Red and White Suit,

This year for our non-religiously labeled holiday (because we don’t want to offend anyone who many not hold such religious views), our network would like a cashiers' check in the amount of $10 million dollars so we can pay off a few bills and stay afloat. Oh, and we’d like more listeners, too.

- Your friends at Air America Radio

P.S. If possible, please drop something heavy on Rush Limbaugh when flying over Florida. That would be really cool!

Radio Letter to Santa #3

Dear Bearded Wonder,

El Rushbo here! On Blitzen! On Rudolph! Off OxyContin - for years! No, really. Everything’s cool. Never even think about the stuff. (Now look Santa: I realize you’re also “on loan from God” - so to speak - and I shouldn’t probably be asking you this BUT, I know with the hours you have to keep you probably have to take a few “pick me ups” once-in-a-while. Capiche? So, if you have any extra prescription pain-killers, just discreetly drop them in my stocking. Don’t get me wrong: been off the stuff for years. But, it IS the holidays and I’ve just been feeling a little “anxious” lately.) On Dancer! And a Very Merry Christmas to All - preferably as a nativity display on public property!

Your friend, Rush Limbaugh

Radio Letter to Santa #4

Hey you fat bastard:

I want you to give cancer to everyone at XM - especially that Opie and Anthony. Yeah: those guys first. And tell some of my “friends” at CBS Radio they can kiss my ass. That would make me very happy and if you do it as soon as possible, I’ll send over a stripper when you’re done with the toy thing.

- Howard Stern, SIRIUS Satellite Radio

Radio Letter to Santa #5

Yo, Santa Dude!

This year my Podcasting peers and I would just like a little respect. That’s what we’re asking for. I mean, Podcasting really IS radio, okay!? There’s no difference between a Podcast and a radio show on an AM or FM station....except for maybe the fact that our radio shows are just really files and they’re like, downloadable and not transmitted through the air. But, that’s it. Otherwise: Podcasts are Radio.

- Attily Edwards, President, Podcasters of America Who Are Not on Radio Stations

Radio Letter to Santa #6

Dear Santa,

At our recent meeting we decided we must be nuts owning over 1200 AM and FM radio stations in an age when new technolgies like Internet streaming, iPods, mp3 files, cell phones, PDAs, and Satellite Radio have made significant in-roads. So, if you would, can you please turn the clock back to 1995 so we can undo that insane buying spree we went on for about 5 years? And those 448 radio stations we’re unloading? See what you can do about a few buyers. Thank you and look for a few special “stock”-ing options in your sock from us this year!

Hanukkah and Christmas Programming Plentiful On Satellite Radio

Hannukah

American Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu will host the "Festival of Lights", a special SIRIUS Hanukkah celebration. Matisyahu will share facts and his thoughts about the meaning of this holy time of year several times-a-day throughout the Hanukkah holiday.

This begins at sundown ET on Friday, December 15, and airs through sundown ET on Saturday, December 23, the duration of Hanukkah. Hear this on Reggae Rhythms (channel 32).

XM will offer Radio Hanukkah (XM 108), a dedicated channel featuring Jewish music and conversation beginning Friday, December 15 and running through December 23.

Radio Hanukkah will focus on music and traditions, classic and off-the-wall renditions of traditional Hanukkah songs, and nightly broadcasts of the traditional Hanukkah candlelight blessings which will air at the appropriate times in both the Eastern and Pacific time zones.

Christmas Programming

XM's holiday programming lineup includes five commercial-free holiday music channels:

* Holly (XM 103) - Features contemporary holiday hits mixed with selected traditional favorites

* Holiday Traditions (XM 104) - Features traditional holiday recordings from the 1940s through the 1960s

* A Nashville Christmas (XM 105) - Features contemporary and traditional holiday hits from popular country music artists

* A Classical Christmas (XM 106) - Features traditional holiday carols performed by celebrated classical music artists

* Special X-Mas (XM 107) - Features a mix of holiday novelty songs, oddball parodies, and rock covers of holiday classics

SIRIUS Satellite Radio is celebrating the music of the holiday season by dedicating three commercial-free music channels to non-stop holiday music. Now through December 25th subscribers can hear:

* SIRIUS Holiday on Starlite (Channel 2) - Holiday hits mixed with selected traditional favorites as sung by Nat "King" Cole, Paul McCartney, Bing Crosby, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, Mariah Carey and many more, plus SIRIUS listeners' holiday messages and greetings from Santa Claus himself.

* Christmas Country on The Roadhouse (Channel 62) - Heartfelt versions of holiday favorites by country music's biggest stars, including Martina McBride, George Strait, Alabama and Garth Brooks, in addition to some newer country holiday songs that are sure to become classics.

* Classical Christmas on SIRIUS Pops (Channel 86) - Traditional holiday music from the Renaissance to the modern day, including performances of Christmas carols and seasonal classics by the world's leading orchestras, choirs and opera stars, along with enduring holiday masterpieces such as Handel's "Messiah" and Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker".

Many Radio Add-Ons Available for Users of Firefox Browser

Streaming Online Audio at the Click of Your Mouse

If you are a user of the Firefox Browser and a radio fan, you may be missing out on some great radio freebies available which will enhance your browsing experience. Various third-party developers, hobbyists, and programmers have created a wealth of add-ons which put the world of streaming online radio as close as your mouse. Here are just some of the more useful ones you might consider installing and trying out:

Mojabosna Toolbar features easy access to 39 Bosnian radio stations.

Danmarks Radio comes pre-loaded with 30 Danish radio stations spanning a multitude of formats.

Australia-Radio Toolbar will bring you more than 100 online streaming radio stations from Australia.

Radio UK is loaded with more than 130 radio stations from the United Kingdom.

Deutschland Radio boasts more than 229 German radio stations you can tune in.

Sirius Player allows users to listen to SIRIUS Satellite Radio by providing a drop-down box in the Firefox browser.

Jazz Radio is an add-on which features over 100 jazz-formatted online radio stations.

Radio DE Toolbar brings users over 100 German radio stations in various formats

Radio Showdown: High Noon at Media Gulch

Opinion

Yesterday, Clear Channel Radio – which owns close to 1200 radio stations - accepted an offer to take the company private while promising to sell off 448 of its properties in smaller markets.

Not long ago, CBS Radio announced it was selling off 35 of its stations in smaller markets - partially a result of declining revenues brought on by Howard Stern's departure to Satellite Radio.

These are “trim the fat” times in Radio as companies strive to reduce costs and concentrate on operations that can make the most profit.

The Big Reality Check

But, this is no cyclical round of behavior. What's going on here is a major shift in how AM and FM will compete in the future. Like our Armed Forces, the traditional Radio industry is becoming a leaner, fighting machine.

Radio companies are circling the wagons to protect their most important assets because New Media has finally cast a shadow of vulnerability over Old Media.

This is a veritable showdown at the "Everything Is Not-So-OK" Corral and Old Media has been forced to "draw".

When Clear Channel went on a buying spree in the mid-90s ushered in by deregulation, Internet Radio, streaming audio, mp3 players, content on cell phones, broadband, WiFi and WiMax didn’t exist.

Now, they are all converging to create the backbone of the New Media coupled with Satellite Radio (a snicker among radio executives 10 years ago) to demonstrate that people will not only seek out audio content elsewhere but even pay for it - if need be.

This Clear Channel announcement is a big reality check many in Radio knew was inevitable but were reluctant to face. Radio is not the same business it was even five years ago and New Media has guaranteed it will never again be what it once was. (See my article from August, 2006: The Coming Devaluation of AM and FM Radio)

The Monopoly is Gone

Radio had a monopoly for a long time in the arena of audio entertainment, but at a time when iPod owners can become virtual Program Directors and program their own portable "audio stations" from a music library containing thousands of songs, you gotta' know the paradigm has shifted.

Today, computer users listen to Internet Radio easily and with practically as much fidelity as their local FM radio stations. And soon, Internet stations will be in cars and on other mobile devices.

What music format do you want? What talk topic do you wish? Whatever it is, there is streaming audio, a satellite channel, or a Podcast just waiting for you to access it.

A Silver Lining

Look for more Radio companies to slim down as media ad dollars continue to be spread more thinly between competitors.

But, there is a silver lining in all this: releasing all these smaller radio stations “back into the wild” from their corporate ownership will help to promote more independent ownership as well as smaller companies to run them.

This will make the marketplace more competitive and as a result will make programming better for listeners.

Cingular's New BlackJack Features XM Satellite Radio Music Channel

Cingular Wireless, Samsung and Microsoft have unveiled the BlackJack™, a smart device which delivers entertainment features including XM Satellite Radio content.

The BlackJack™ offers users various entertainment options from listening to music and viewing video clips to browsing the Internet - enhanced by Cingular's 3G-enabled BroadbandConnect service.

In addition, it comes pre-loaded with 25 commercial-free music channels from XM Satellite through the XM Radio Mobile service.

Five SIRIUS Satellite Radio Products Honored at CES

Five SIRIUS Satellite Radio products have been selected as honorees for the 2007 International CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards. The SIRIUS Stiletto 100, Stiletto Antenna Headset, SIRIUS Conductor, Sportster 4 and the SiriusConnect Home have been recognized as products that reflect advancements in consumer technology design and engineering.

The Stiletto 100 was honored in the Mobile Audio category for its ability allowing a user to listen to live and recorded content and its ability to access a WiFi network.

The Stiletto Antenna Headset was also recognized for its ability to expand the outdoor live signal reception of the Stiletto 100.

The SIRIUS Conductor was honored in the Audio Accessories category. This wireless control system allows listeners to add SIRIUS programming to any audio system and to control it with a handheld remote from anywhere in a home.

The Sportster 4 was also named an honoree in the Mobile Audio category, citing the slim design and an easy-to-read display.

SiriusConnect Home was named an honoree in the Audio Components category for its ability to allow customers to add SIRIUS programming to any SIRIUS-ready audio system.

Radio Talk Show Annuity Selling System

Pre-selling skills are as important as closing skills and more important than presentation skills. The more you pre-sell, the less you have to sell during the face-to-face phase. The more your prospects perceive you as the expert, the less you have to convince them you are.

Our new Radio Talk Show Annuity Selling System engages the power of perception in your prospects. It is not actually a selling system. It’s a pre-selling system. Pre-selling is the easiest, most time- and cost-effective part of the sales process.

Here's an example right out of history. In 218 B.C. when Hannibal led his army of 38,000 foot soldiers, 8,000 cavalry, and 37 war elephants across the Alps to do battle with the mighty Roman army, the march itself, not the ensuing battles won or lost, established him as the greatest military strategist in history. So admired and feared was Hannibal that, by reputation alone, many battles along his historic march to northern Italy were won without a single sword unsheathed, without a drop of blood shed.

This story demonstrates the awesome power of perception. This strategy applied to selling annuities will make you the undisputed expert in your field.

If you were your prospect, would you rather sit down with a “nobody special” insurance agent or a well-known expert on the subject of financial retirement solutions, someone you listen to on the radio? You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.

Look at the world from your prospect’s point of view. Who would you rather discuss your retirement nest egg with, (a) an insurance agent who contacts you through telemarketing or direct mail, asking for an appointment, or (b) a prominent expert with his or her own radio talk show covering subjects like, How to Stop The IRS From Plundering Your Social Security, or Three Easy Steps to a Guaranteed Income For Life, or Why Your IRA Is a Ticking Tax Time Bomb and How To Defuse It.

An Annuity Selling System That Makes You The Expert

It’s a fact that 96% of the U.S. population listens to the radio at least once a week and 75% listen EVERY DAY. This is more than any other medium. Listeners pay more attention to guest speakers than they do to commercials. Which would you rather listen to, a commercial, or a guest with an amazing story to tell, a guest who can make you laugh, teach you something new, save you money, save you time, open up a controversial topic for you to argue about?

Notice I did not suggest a radio show guest who talks about “why you should buy fixed annuities,” or even “what an annuity is.” Your topic is your hook. Your hook needs to pull listeners in with the strength of a black hole.

Once your listeners tune in, you don’t want them to feel tricked because you launched into a sales pitch for a product. You want to let your personality radiate, to reveal the three-dimensional human being you are, and to give genuine take-home value by way of solutions to their financial problems.

Remember, nobody buys annuities; they have to be sold. Nobody wants you to sell them a product, but everybody wants you to help them discover a solution. If you can learn how to do this in a radio talk show format, reaching tens of thousands of listeners at a time, you will truly position yourself as the popular, trusted expert while propelling your insurance practice to record heights. You will have your own very personal pre-selling annuity selling system.

But who has time to script a compelling radio show? Should you just wing it and hope for the best? How do you tie your theme to a hot topic that people will clamor to listen to? Should you go live or pre-recorded? Do you take calls, give away freebies, go solo or be interviewed by a host? Yikes! Too many questions and not enough answers!

Until Now

Now, a limited number of annuity agents have a rare opportunity to participate in "Safe Money Secrets," our turnkey Radio Talk Show Annuity Selling System, with exclusive broadcast rights in protected territories.

If you are a licensed life insurance agent not currently contracted through Life Sales and wish to begin or advance your career selling fixed annuities, you may qualify for our Radio Talk Show Annuity Selling System. Come onboard with two or more of our carriers – Allianz, ING, Sun Life Financial, or American Equity – and receive 200 leads as a signing bonus. Then with your first 3000 QPCs (roughly $40,000 in paid business depending on carrier and product) within three months of coming onboard, you’ll be interviewed as a guest expert on "Safe Money Secrets" and receive your first half-hour pre-recorded radio show with exclusive broadcast rights, ready for airing in your local market.

We provide you with a script of all the questions, coaching on all the answers, anecdotes, segues, ways to make the phone ring and generate warm, pre-sold prospects. It's all done over the phone. I call you as host, interviewer and show producer. You are the exclusive guest expert in your marketing area. You speak from the comfort of your office or home with all your notes at hand, in your pajamas if you like.

I use professional recording and editing hardware and software to make you sound like a professional radio talk show star. I burn a broadcast-quality CD-ROM of your show, which you take to your local stations and shop the best demographics, listening audience, frequency, time slot, and rates.

Simply click on the link below to contact me. Then, as Charles Osgood says, "I'll see you on the radio."

Tools To Record Internet Radio With

With podcasting and internet radio programming exploding, a lot of folks are looking for tools that would let them record streaming audio. Here are four tools that will do just that without you having to take AV class first.

Replay Radio

Replay Radio lets you record radio shows from the Web, and then listen anytime, anywhere. It's like a TiVo for the radio. You can record anything you hear, including streaming audio broadcast from Internet radio stations. 600 shows and 900 stations are pre-programmed, making recording as easy as point and click. You can even use Replay Radio as a general purpose recorder for archiving audio books, converting Real Audio files to MP3, saving music, monitoring online police scanners, recording from devices attached to your PC (like cassette decks or radios), or other uses.

AudioStreamer

AudioStreamer is the Internet radio receiver and recorder that lets you enjoy the thousands of radio stations available on the Internet. While listening to your favorite radio station, you can record any radio station you want, anytime! Browse through the radio stations, selecting a genre and the preferred bandwidth, and enjoy Internet radio! This Internet radio receiver also lets you search for stations by keywords, like 'top 40'! All radio recordings can be saved as individual tracks, and AudioStreamer automatically adds the correct MP3 tag to the recording.

Cybercorder 2000

Cybercorder provides VCR-like recording for radio shows or any audio input. Recordings are stored on disk as WAV or MP3 files with optional audio compression to save disk space. Recordings can easily be played back by selecting the recording from the list of completed recordings. The customizable playback window allows to easily advance the recording forward and reverse various step sizes.

WM Recorder

WM Recorder is a great way to capture streaming Windows Media Video or Audio content to a file on your PC. It's perfect for music videos, news feeds, streaming music, radio broadcasts, adult and subscription content, corporate webcasts, and anything else. WM Recorder is incredibly easy to use. Simply open WM Recorder, click Record, and play the video or audio you want to capture. Files are saved on your PC automatically. Now you can watch or listen anytime, even without an internet connection.

Satellite Radio In Your New Vehicle

With Sirius and XM continuing to land partnership deals with just about every vehicle maker on the planet, the option to add Satellite radio in your new vehicle is being offered at more and more automobile dealerships across the U.S.

Though still not a common "standard" feature, the appearance of satellite radio as an available "option" has more than tripled over the past three years.

Factory-installed and dealer-installed options: Both Satellite radio companies encourage automobile manufacturers to 'factory fit' Satellite radio systems, this increases the chance that auto buyers will become subscribers.

New vehicles boasting a Satellite radio option come off a manufacturer’s assembly line with either a partly or fully equipped Satellite radio system. In most cases, a new vehicle will arrive at a dealership with a factory-fitted in-dash "Satellite Ready" radio. The dealer will then quote a price to supply and install the remaining equipment necessary, usually the Satellite tuner and antenna.

Without doubt the option of factory or dealer-installed Satellite radio in your vehicle has its benefits; a clean installation with no visible hardware, plus the best sound quality available being the most obvious. The price quoted at dealerships varies depending on the type of equipment, but expect to pay between $300 to $800. The good news is that you don't have to go with a dealer-installed tuner and antenna; you can purchase aftermarket gear and install it yourself for great results and big savings.

Subscription costs: Although there are many vehicles now available with Satellite radio as a manufacturer-supported option, this typically does not include the cost of the subscription to the service, only the cost of the equipment. However, the majority of automobile manufacturers and dealerships are offering incentives, normally a three-month trial subscription to the service with no activation fee.

Can I choose which Satellite radio service? Unfortunately, exclusive deals made between automobile manufacturers and Satellite radio service providers, mean that few dealerships are able to offer a choice of Satellite radio services (see chart below).

Which vehicles offer a Satellite radio option? The chart below shows which Satellite radio services each automobile manufacturer is offering. It’s worth remembering that not all the models in a manufacturer’s vehicle range offer Satellite radio as an option.

Satellite Radio: The Waves Of The Future

Satellite Radio – Its here! Satellite radio is a new service being offered by two companies, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Both companies are offering over 100 channels of streaming music and entertainment. High quality sound is achieved through the use of satellites orbiting high above. Satellite radio is commercial free and free from regulations by federal committees. The impossible, is now possible, hearing the same radio station across North America and from coast to coast. All made possible by XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio.

Normal radio has been around for decades and is part of many people’s lifestyle. This is changing. Regular radio is monitored and regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, whom has fined several radio stations and media companies within the last 3-4 years. The FCC has only fined radio stations a maximum of $27,500 per show no matter how man profanities were aired.

Recently the FCC has been upping the ante and in conjunction with Congress has decided to raise the fine up to $500,000 per incident per station (Potter). A slap on the wrist has turned into a business-changing event. “Sexually explicit comments by Bubba the Love Sponge and Howard Stern could get a station in trouble — no doubt about it. Clear Channel Radio dropped both shock jocks this year after being hit with record fines.”(Potter) Recently Howard Stern has made a move to Sirius Satellite Radio in an effort to preserve his career and free speech. Consumers are reaching towards satellite radio as a way to hear unregulated news and content.

Recently XM Satellite Radio has claimed to have over 3 million subscribers paying $9.99 per month and Sirius claims to have over 1.3 million customers paying $12.95 per month. Many of those customers pay an additional $2.99 per month for premium content such as the upcoming Howard Stern Show.

Several normal radio stations and media outlets are realizing the potential to get their message across in a broad fashion. XM has launched a morning show, which is hosted by Bob Edwards, whom was fired earlier this year by National Public Radio. "The Bob Edwards Show" will air on a public satellite radio channel that also features news and programs from Public Radio International, among others. Sirius has its own public radio channel carrying NPR programs. Consumers and companies are demanding free speech and it seems that satellite radio is the vehicle.

XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio have designed satellite broadcast systems that differ but they achieve the same high quality of satellite radio. A milestone of this success is the fact that satellite radio signals that are available across the United States and into Mexico and Canada. Rock and Roll – No it’s not a genre any more! XM Satellite Radio has two satellites named Rock and Roll, which remain in parallel geostationary orbit to provide radio coverage throughout the United States. Sirius Satellite Radio has chose to use three satellites in an inclined elliptical orbit. This configuration provides 16 hours per satellite of signal, which gives a great redundancy if any satellite were to fail. Playing it smart, Sirius and XM both have spare satellites, which can be called on in a moments notice if needed.

XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio have Earth based broadcast stations that are used to send up information to the satellites, which is then dispersed through out the globe. Sirius and XM both have disk jockeys that manage, create and program music which is then sent up to the satellites. The information is then taken in by the satellites and sent through a rebroadcast of the streams to earth. The Major advantage of this is that, unlike earth-based radio stations whose signals reach listeners 150 miles away, satellite radio signals have a huge reach, and are receivable anywhere within the continental United States and hundreds of miles in each direction of the borders. Satellite Radio is growing to become a worldwide network and offerings are growing throughout the world. XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio are making it happen.

Unregulated Satellite Radio is the answer for free speech in a government regulated airwaves arena. Not only can listeners hear unbiased information but also they can listen to it anywhere in the United States. Media giants are jumping to get the piece of the pie regarding satellite radio, as the new wave of the future is satellite radio

What is Satellite Radio

Satellite Radio – Its here! Satellite radio is a new service being offered by two companies, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Both companies are offering over 100 channels of streaming music and entertainment. High quality sound is achieved through the use of satellites orbiting high above. Satellite radio has been commercial free and free from regulations by federal committees. The impossible, is now possible, hearing the same radio station across north America and from coast to coast. All made possible by XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio. Find more at: www.TopSatelliteRadio.com

XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio have designed satellite broadcast systems that differ but they achieve the same high quality of satellite radio. A milestone of this success is the fact that satellite radio signals that are available across the United States and into Mexico and Canada. Rock and Roll – No its not a genre any more! XM Satellite Radio has two satellites named Rock and Roll which remain in parallel geostationary orbit to provide radio coverage throughout the United States. Sirius Satellite Radio has chose to use three satellites in an inclined elliptical orbit. This configuration provides 16 hours per satellite of signal, which gives a great redundancy if any satellite were to fail. Playing it smart, Sirius and XM both have spare satellites, which can be called on in a moments notice if needed.

XM satellite radio and sirius satellite radio have Earth based broadcast stations that are used to send up information to the satellites, which is then dispersed through out the globe. Sirius and XM both have disk jockeys that manage, create and program music which is then sent up to the satellites. The information is then taken in by the satellites and sent through a rebroadcast of the streams to earth. The Major advantage of this is that, unlike earth-based radio stations whose signals reach listeners 150 miles away, satellite radio signals have a huge reach, and are receivable anywhere within the continental United States and hundreds of miles in each direction of the borders. Satellite Radio is growing to become a world wide network and offerings are growing throughout the world. XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio are making it happen!

So How Does Satellite Radio Work: First, a receiver decodes and plays the received signals through an antenna. In the beginning, some cars have used a tuner that accepts the antenna signals and then passes them to a satellite radio-ready radio for playing. Ad the concept has grown out of the car and into the home, home kits for satellite radio use direct RCA inputs for home theater and traditional stereo systems. A Growing number of choices is occurring and each company is developing a broad scope of products for consumers. Already we are seeing receivers for car-only, boom boxes, computer-only, and portables for use in car and home configurations. The companies making these products are, Audiovox, Delphi Skyfi, Terk, and plenty others are jumping on board. Both XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio have licensed recievers and other products for consumers use.

The Satellite Radio Antenna - Choosing the Antenna That's Right for You

The Satellite radio antenna is one of three basic hardware components you’ll need to receive those digital audio streams from your favourite Satellite radio service provider.

Although both providers offer similar services and use similar technologies, the associated hardware, including the antenna, is designed to receive either XM or Sirius programming. We have read articles where listeners have interchanged antennas with some success but it is not recommended.

The antenna’s task is to pick up the signals transmitted from the Satellites and terrestrial repeaters scattered about the U.S., with a reliable receive performance. In order to achieve this, the antenna must have an unobstructed view (line-of-sight) of at least one orbiting satellite. In urban areas where buildings and terrain are likely to block the Satellite signal, the antenna picks up the signal broadcast from the terrestrial repeaters instead.

To ensure an uninterrupted Satellite radio service, both Sirius and XM provide recommendations for ideal antenna mounting locations. Furthermore, many home and plug-and-play Satellite radio units offer special antenna aiming screens within their menu options.

With a rapid advancement in Satellite radio antenna technology, XM and Sirius are able to offer their listeners a wide range of antennas, accessories and flexible installation options.

So the question: Which Satellite radio antenna do I need? Although taste can play a small part in choosing the right antenna, the decision largely depends on whether you want to listen to Satellite radio in your vehicle, on your boat, at home or indeed anywhere! One thing you can be sure of is that all Satellite radio antennas available today are neither too cumbersome, nor impose limitations on your vehicle, boat or home’s aesthetics.

The Versatility of Internet Radio Stations

One of the most exciting developments in high tech media is the emergence of Internet radio stations. Everyone can now make their own webcasts or podcasts. All an individual needs to have is an inexpensive sound recording software, a computer, and of course, Internet radio stations.

Major communications firms established the majority of Internet radio stations as Internet versions of their own radio stations. The beauty of the World-Wide-Web is that it gives everyone a chance. Through the amazing technology of the Internet, you can listen to the top forty hits from New York or listen to some kid spin acid rock in Birmingham, Alabama though the amazing Internet radio stations.

One impressive feature of Internet radio stations is its ability to allow you to listen to your favorite radio station even if you move out of the city where it is based. I used to love WCBN in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the local college station, when I went to college there. When I transferred to another state, I had to leave many things behind, but not the music of my favorite radio station.

Fortunately, WBCN has a live streaming, Internet version on my computer, so I was able to tune in as if I still live in that area. This is really great for a music lover like me, I can listen to all my favorite programs from anywhere in the entire country. Nothing can possibly beat that.

Another thing to look for in Internet radio stations is the type of music that you prefer. Cities of average size would normally have a few different radio stations, but the line up is often pretty much similar across the whole lot of them. But if you have an internet access, you can listen to country, polka, blue grass, old school soul, and any other music type. There are plenty of people throughout the world who would appreciate sharing their music with you and would be overjoyed if you were to listen to their internet radio stations. Another bonus with internet radio stations is it’s mostly free, because if you charge for music from your radio station, people will just listen to something else

1000 Ways Broadcast Radio is Fighting Back Against Satellite Radio

Local radio has been taking a beating from satellite radio. But broadcast (sometimes referred to as terrestrial radio) is fighting back with a powerful weapon called HD Radio..

HD Radio is digital radio. As such, it enable a dramatic increase in sound quality. In fact, it makes AM radio sound as good as today's FM and FM sound as if you were listening to a CD.

There are already about 1000 stations across the country broadcasting HD Radio and more are adding this technology every week.

Why broadcast radio is more than competitive

The first reason why satellite radio will never replace broadcast radio is cost. SA subscription to satellite radio costs anywhere from $11 to $14 a month vs. broadcast radio which is free. There may be as many as 10 million satellite radio listeners in the U.S .but there are literally hundreds of millions of broadcast radio listeners. It's pretty hard to believe that satellite radio will ever have 100 million listeners, let alone several hundred million.

Just as important, satellite broadcasters can't deliver local information or programming. People will need their local stations for weather, traffic reports, news and to hear their favorite talk radio personalities. .

With a new concept called HD2

HD radio is digital not analog. This means it requires less spectrum – or "radio space.". This means stations can broadcast their primary FM channel in digital and as many as four more subchannels. These subchannels, called HD2, are being used by broadcasters for new programming content. For example, one station in Chicago is broadcasting oldies of the 80s on its primary channel and hits from the 70s on its HD2 channel. The subchannels are not only free, they are expected to be commercial free for at least another year -- to compete head-to-head with satellite radio.

In short, broadcast radio is fighting back and in a way that will enrich the listening experience for all of us

Satellite Radio: Subscription Costs

XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio subscription costs vary and are changing though recent promotions.

XM Satellite Radio Subscription

If you agree to a commitment ranging from two to five years and prepay you can lower your effective monthly charge to as low as $7.48.

XM Satellite Radio Subscription costs are a monthly service where the charge is $9.99.

Adding up to four additional receivers only costs $6.99 each, per month. Certain special channels cost a little more for your satellite radio subscription cost, for example, Playboy Radio, a premium service, is an additional $2.99 per month. Commercial and Business subscriptions cost $24.99 per month. Business subscriptions are a little more expensive due to additional royalties that must be paid when potentially more people are listening to the station.

Sirius Satellite Radio Subscription

Sirius Satellite radio subscription costs are a monthly service where the charge is $12.95. With a year or 2 year commitment, Sirius offers lower monthly rates.

Check out this hot deal going on right now! For $499.99, your radio is live for life! Sirius is currently offering a pretty good deal on a lifetime subscription that is radio-attached.

With Sirius you can activate as many as three additional radios for $6.99 each per month. Business subscriptions are $24.99 per month.

Satellite radio subscription cost is based on the number of stations that you have access to any the amount of extras that you add. Adding special services can increase your satellite radio subscription

Radio Can Rule

Are you old enough to remember when we all crowded around the radio to listen to our favourite radio shows?

I can remember thinking to myself one night when I was sent to bed instead of being able to listen to a Sunday night radio play called “When a girl Marries”. I remember so clearly thinking that one day, I was going to be rich enough like my Mum and Dad and have a radio beside my bed.

Then came Transistor radios. Boy, oh boy, I got one for Christmas in 1962 from Nanna. I was the happiest girl in Guyra.

Now, I very rarely listen to a radio unless I have to hear when a cyclone is coming or some other calamity that my community needs to know about in a hurry. Still, I usually get that news over the TV too.

Consider a person afflicted with Alzheimer’s. When their short-term memory goes, they often revert back to the time when radio ruled the airwaves. They listened and laughed along with the goon show, Life with Dexter and all the other radio plays that people enjoyed.

These days, most radio stations don’t provide that content any more. Their audience these days is very niche marketed and it’s the older folk in our communities who are not often catered for.

So this is where a good audio book comes into its own. Sure, they don’t have the radio to listen to it on as they have largely been replaced with personal play equipment like CD players, MP3’s and iPods.

But the content can be personalised and made available. In the ‘olden days’, many good books were read over the radio. This is how they were marketed by being read on radio. And many, many good books were enjoyed by all.

Just suppose you had an older relative confined to a Nursing Home. If they suffered from Alzheimer’s but their memories were as clear as a bell for the 1930 -1960’s when radio was still king; don’t you think they may appreciate being entertained again by a good book being read out to them?

Imagine the companionship that could be felt by once again being gathered around a ‘radio’ aka CD player with everyone laughing and listening intently to see whether the ‘good’ guy was going to win the day or not? This is providing entertainment for their era of comfort.

It’s also in this age group where eye diseases have taken their toll. Many were once avid book readers but now can’t see as well as they used to be able to. Now they often sit in silent contemplation of their memories. And not all of them are happy ones.

XM Radio Installation for Auto Shops

As many companies try to diversify their trade services we are seeing a rather unusual migration to services that one might never think possible in the Oil Change Quick Lube Industry. One company we visited had closed one of it's bays since it had a Wal-Mart across the street and started to install car stereos, specifically XM Radio. Now we tested the XM Radio ourselves and our gut feeling right away was this: XM Sattelite Radio is great.

It appears that the radio station industry may be the next hit with advertising lost revenue as more and more people go to satellite radio and dump their regular radios. This is going to hurt them because new car buyers are getting the XM and Sirius systems and many are buying gift certificates for loved ones at Best Buy and Circuit City for after Christmas Installations. We know that the trade Journal Industry is tanked and consolidating fast, that Advertising magazines is way down. That companies like Procter and Gamble and Unilever paying for advertising on results only. Advertising firms are going the way side and this is hurting the industry badly and causing empty office spaces in downtown sections of large cities. Satellite TV has also hurt TV stations by adding channels and therefore people flip channels more often some stations disallow flipping on certain commercials for an extra fee.

Now after reviewing this we have determined a few more facts and after our discussions and confirmations with this Quick Lube we found they had actually increased sales in their two bays to equal the three bay max volume. Simply by installing stereos and developing another set of new clientele, younger crowd on average and there seems to be no end in sight to the number of new people wanting these systems. Just a thought if your volume of oil change customers base is dwindling due to a local low priced competitor, that you might think of other revenue streams to make the lease payments.

CB Radio Microphones

A microphone is a device that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in appliances such as telephones, tape recorders, hearing aids and even the movies. CB microphone is a type that embodies its sub categories, such as Dynamic Microphones, Echo Microphones and Electrets Microphones.

A noise-canceling microphone keeps any background noise from interfering when a person is talking. Another type of microphone is the roger beep microphone which transmits a beep when un-keyed. This beep helps the listener to know that the conversation has ended. A dynamic microphone has a ceramic cartridge inside it. An electrets microphone is a basic CB microphone that has an electric cartridge.

The pin configuration is the most important aspect of a CB microphone. If a buyer wants a good quality CB microphone then it is better to consult a professional. Many new microphones have 4 pin cobra wiring that is different from the wiring inside older ones and a buyer who is not aware of the exact wiring might end up buying a different type of microphone rather than the one that he needs.

There are many types of CB microphones such as 636l, rd 104e, and d104 m6b. The prices of these microphones range from $29 to $49. The D104M6C has a chrome front housing and uses a standard 9-volt battery. On the other hand a CB radio antenna is a device that transmits radio signals, which are then converted to electrical signals with the help of a receiver and this receiver then converts the signals into radio frequency. The two types of CB apparatus are HF 27 MHz and UHF 477 MHz.

CB radios have become popular because of their simplicity, cheapness and the ability to provide short-range radio-communication to people without the hassles of paying a license fee.

How To Record Streaming Audio, Internet Radio And

When it comes to music on the Internet, you have two legal choices: you can stream tracks, or you can purchase them as individual downloads.

Replay Music can record streamed songs from most applications, break them into individual files (either as WAV or 128- to 320-Kbps MP3 files) and even tag them with the correct song and artist info. It does this by taking a digital fingerprint of a song and comparing it with the information stored in its central server.

The program works with a variety of streams, including those from Napster, Rhapsody and Musicmatch that require a subscription. Replay also has built-in CD-burning controls, and it can burn CDs or send tracks to iTunes automatically.

With just one click, only Replay Music can record streaming music from these popular services and more:

* Napster™

* Rh------™

* Music M----™

* Y! Music Unlimited™

* Y! Launch ™

* AccuRadio™

(Legal note: Replay Music is not affiliated with any of these services, nor do we encourage violating any license agreements. We offer this list only for compatibility purposes.)

Tags Songs Automatically

Only Replay Music can automatically tag your recorded MP3s. Using proprietary song recognition technology, Replay Music identifies each song after it's recorded, and adds the artist, song title, album and genre information to each MP3 file. Not only can you record, but now you know what you're listening to!

Precise Track Splitting

Replay Music sports the most sophisticated track splitting algorithms on the planet. Besides just recording and tagging, each MP3 file contains the entire song -- no more, no less. Other recording programs may chop off the start or end of the song, or add unwanted noise.

Internet Radio: A Sanctuary in the Rubbish Tip

The internet, it's a whole world of information and entertainment, but every day it fills up just that extra bit more with complete trash. At every corner, popups, banner ads, viruses, spyware, the list goes on, well I've had enough and I'm sure you share my opinion.

So, I hear you ask, what does the rubbish online have to do with internet radio. Absolutely nothing! It's a complete opposite. Back in November of 2004, every evening I sat at home bored to death writing English essays and completing Maths papers, and when I wasn't doing that you'd be guaranteed to find me plonked in front of the TV watching whatever rubbish the BBC scheduler had decided to inflict upon me that night, and don't even think about mentioning a social life, I didn't have an iota.

What changed? Later that month I overheard a friend talking about a radio show he regularly presented online, so I decided to have a listen. Well I enjoyed the show, but then I would, as would anyone hearing someone they knew as part of a broadcast, the strange thing was I enjoyed EVERY piece of music that was played. Now before then I was totally hooked on dance music, I just wouldn’t listen to anything else, every time ‘Top of the Pops 2’ came on TV I’d change channel, any hint of 80’s music and I’d be out of the room like a shot. I’d been converted without any explanation as to how.

However, there was something even stranger to follow. The station I had tuned into was an AMATEUR station made up of DJ’s of all ages using their own talents and equipment to broadcast from around the UK & USA. Notice I stress the word amateur. Well, I kept listening for a while and it just kept getting better and I’m not joking. For the first time I was enjoying every bit of music I heard. My collection of dance CD’s sat in the corner getting dusty and still, to this day haven’t had the need to touch it.

But it wasn’t just my music taste that had been changed by this experience, it was my whole life. I got involved, the usual shy me suddenly became part of an online family, the social flame inside me lit up for the first time. I was taking part, meeting new people and above all enjoying it! So what are you thinking now? Maybe that this article’s just become an advert? Well in a way, yes, that’s true. I’ve got so much out of this experience that I felt it was about time I spread the word, you just can’t keep something so good to yourself.

So what am I doing now? Well, as I said, I got involved. Since way back in November I’ve had a go at presenting and production, and met more people than you could shake a stick at. Right now as I type this article I sit listening to the station that started this all off, and chatting to new friends I would never have met without this fantastic creation. So thanks to Marconi, Faraday, whoever it is that came up with combination of radio and the internet, it really is the best thing since sliced bread!

If you’re surfing the net or doing chores about the house, give it a try, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Internet Radio, the clearing in the deep dark forest that is the WWW.

Sirius Radio - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know

Sirius radio, or more generally satellite radio, came out just a few years ago. If you’ve never listened to satellite radio or heard about it, this article is your lucky break. In this article you’ll find out what satellite radio is and how it works.

What Is Satellite Radio?

Just like the name indicates, satellite radio uses satellites and related equipment to broadcast radio channels to car or home radios. The concept really received its impetus in 1992 when the FCC set aside a chunk of radio frequency for what they called Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS). Five years later, Sirius Radio and XM Satellite Radio purchased licenses from the FCC, and both companies started putting the pieces into place to be able to start broadcasting.

Conventional radio waves can only travel 35 to 45 miles before they die out. The signal for satellite radio services is broadcast more than 20,000 miles above the Earth’s surface. Programming on satellite radio is subscriber based, meaning you pay a monthly fee to descramble the signal from the satellites. But, most satellite radio service comes commercial free, so you don’t have to worry about channel hopping. Channels include music, talk radio, sporting events, kids programs, and news.

The Who’s Who of Satellite Radio

There are currently three major players in the satellite radio game: Sirius radio, XM satellite radio, and WorldSpace. Sirius radio covers North America, including the continental U.S., Canada, and Alaska. XM provides service in the continental U.S. WorldSpace is developing coverage in other parts of the world (Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America) and are definitely the most ambitious in terms of client coverage (a potential of 4.6 billion clients covered on 5 different continents). Each company uses different satellite technology and methods to provide service in their respective areas.

Satellite radio equipment, such as car receivers and home stereos, are sold at a variety of consumer electronic stores, and are starting to become standard installations in new cars. Conventional radios cannot receive satellite radio transmissions, so picking up the service usually entails purchasing a receiver, though some kits are available to make conventional radios satellite-radio compatible.

Because of the different technology each company utilizes, receivers are not compatible with every company. For example, if you subscribed to XM but then wanted to switch to Sirius radio, you would need to get a new receiver that was compatible with Sirius. Some satellite television companies include satellite radio service in their channel packages, and you can receive the transmission through your television satellite dish.

How Does Satellite Radio Work?

This is the cool part. The music, talk show, sporting event, etc., are recorded digitally in a studio, after which the message is encoded. The encoded signal is sent to the satellites from ground stations (Sirius radio based in New York; XM based out of D.C.). The satellites then relay the signal to receivers in your car or at home. The receivers contain chipsets that decode the signal and play it through you stereo. In urban areas where taller buildings might block the signal from the satellites, ground repeaters or transmitters are used to resend the signal, eliminating pockets of dead space.

XM uses two satellites to cover the continental United States with their signal. Sirius radio uses three satellites to form a satellite constellation. The way they are set in orbit ensures that each satellite spends about 16 hours at a time covering the U.S. and that there is always at least one satellite over the U.S. at any given time. WorldSpace satellites beam three signals each to increase the amount of territory they are able to cover with their three satellites. All three companies have reserve satellites ready to launch in case one of their satellites stops working.

Satellite radio technology looks like it’s here to stay. It is ideal for those that live in areas where normal radio reception is poor, or for those willing to pay a little each month to not have to listen to commercials. Chances are good that soon every new car you buy will have satellite radio installed, and that more and more homes will be equipped for it. I have only covered the basics. It is definitely worth your time to find out more about what each company has to offer.

How Will We Define Radio in the Future

Opinion/Analysis

It used to be easy to define Radio: "wireless transmission by modulating electromagnetic waves using the frequencies below those of visible light." Okay, well, maybe for some that's still a bit technical but, but at least we had something to set the standard.

Radio and what we perceive as "Radio" has changed and will continue to change. It is in a state of metamorphosis brought on by new technologies that have spawned "new media" pitted against "old media". AM and FM are no longer operating in a vacuum and what is not technically "Radio" today - cold become the most dangerous threat to traditional Radio tomorrow.

Satellite Radio

Satellite Radio companies are Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services (SDARS). They transmit programming digitally using multi-carrier modulation which Whatis.techtarget.com defines as “…a method of transmitting data by splitting it into several components, and sending each of these components over separate carrier signals.

The individual carriers have narrow bandwidth, but the composite signal can have broad bandwidth.” That’s about as technical as I think we should get.

It’s important to note that programming is beamed from earth to satellites, and then is either: 1. Reflected back to earth where it is sent to repeater stations in larger metropolitan areas and re-transmitted to subscribers or…

2. Sent directly from space to the receivers of subscribers who are free of encumbrances of large buildings or objects that might block the signal.

So, Satellite Radio subscribers can get programming either directly from a satellite or from a repeater station on the ground which acts as a terrestrial radio station.

(This brings us to a question recently raised by Jeffrey Krauss, President of Telecommunications and Technology Policy: if some subscribers get their signals from repeater stations, “Are Sirius and XM Radio really terrestrial broadcasters?”)

One way or another, Satellite Radio fits the definition of "Radio".

Amid Controversy and Odd Events, Radio's Art Bell Still Goes Bump in the Night

Art Bell, the syndicated Radio host who found great success with an overnight show that featured stories and reports of aliens, ghosts, chupacabras, UFOs, and anything else out of the ordinary and of the supernatural, continues to generate interest.

Right at the end of last year on December 29, 2006 – while hosting “Coast to Coast AM” for George Noory – Bell announced to listeners that he had returned to the United States two days earlier:

"Guess what folks? I’m home”, said Bell. "I finished the program on...the 25th...then on the 26th Airyn and I flew to the United States...Airyn is now an official...legal immigrant to the United States. So, guess what? We flew back."

Bell, 61, is once again back in Pahrump, Nevada – his former home where he first came to prominence with the program he founded, "Coast to Coast AM." Prior to his return to the U.S., Bell had been hosting the weekend edition of “Coast to Coast AM” from Manila, Phillipines.

The Weird Years

Bell suddenly resigned from his syndicated Radio show on April 26, 2000 to attend to personal family problems.

His son had been kidnapped and raped.

He returned just as unexpectedly to the airwaves February 5, 2001 but then announced his retirement again, less than a year later.

In January, 2003, George Noory took over full-time hosting responsibilities. Then, in September, 2003 it was announced Bell would come out of retirement to host weekends.

Bell’s wife, Ramona, died suddenly in early January, 2006. She was 47. Not long after, Bell moved to the Philippines and remarried in late April, 2006. His new wife is Airyn Ruiz Bell, a Filipino.

Radio Stations Kill People for You

Opinion

No, not intentionally. But, I wrote the headline that way on purpose because I knew it would get your attention. And, you should understand that everything a radio station does is for that same reason: to get and keep your attention.

But, now Radio’s continual quest for attention can be linked to someone’s death thanks to a Sacramento, California radio station's contest.

The recent death of Jennifer Strange in KDND-FM's “Hold Your Wee for a Wii� contest is a tragedy. The 28-year-old mother-of-three was trying to win a Nintendo Wii and the contestants were competing to see who could drink the most water without relieving themselves.

Strange, who reportedly drank about 2 gallons during the competition died about 5 hours afterward of water intoxication.

In response to the incident, the station fired 10 employees, including members of “The Morning Rave� morning show.

Besides one unfortunate death and the others’ loss of livelihood, there may even be civil legal action against the station and/or some or all of the employees involved.

That remains to be same

So, who is to blame for this mess?

Everyone.

Radio stations – morning shows especially – are under constant pressure to get your attention and keep it. Ratings are everything in commercial Radio and better ratings means bigger bucks for stations.

Program Directors and General Managers encourage morning shows to be creative while dangling bonuses and employment perks in return for these ratings.

Oneupmanship between competing morning shows in terms of contests, stunts, and promotions is a fact-of-life and edgier shows have to keep pushing their own limits - or at least keep up with the ones imposed by their competition. Of course it's a recipe for disaster.

But, listeners have to shoulder a little of the blame, too, because these ratings come from their listenership. They vote for what they like and don’t like by listening and reporting which stations captivate their aural attention.

In the same way commuters slow down to look at an accident during rush hour, listeners tune in to some shows to hear the next outrageous remark, contest, or stunt.

Howard Stern Marks One Year on SIRIUS Satellite Radio

Early this week, (01/09), Howard Stern marked his first year on SIRIUS Satellite Radio.

And even though he is still bringing his show to a substantially smaller audience than he had on terrestrial radio, Stern’s magnetism has attracted enough new subscribers to SIRIUS to have earned him $83 million dollars from a stock bonus.

SIRIUS recently reported over 6 million subscribers for its service, putting it in a position to breathe squarely down XM's neck - which just announced it has 7.5 million subscribers.

Considering this gap has substantially narrowed and quickly, Stern has to be considered part of the reason. SIRIUS had 3 million subscribers in December, 2005 and only 1 million in December, 2004.

Think what you may about Stern – he has always had admirers and detractors – but, his move to SIRIUS has proven that he can multitask: do his own F.C.C.-less show and program two channels busting over with Stern-approved talent.

"It's been a great year and the show is better than ever," said Stern.

"We've delivered on the promise of satellite radio; I can do whatever I want and say whatever I want."

Having two dedicated Howard Stern channels makes it possible for SIRIUS to replay The Howard Stern Show all day and night, allowing fans to listen to the show any time. Howard 100 and Howard 101 feature original shows such as The Wrap Up Show, a daily recap of that morning’s Howard Stern Show hosted by producer Gary Dell’Abate and Jon Hein; The Bubba the Love Sponge Show, a controversial and funny afternoon talk show; The Scott Ferrall Show, a nightly talk show hosted by veteran sports radio personality Scott Ferrall; Jackie’s Joke Hunt, a weekly comedy program hosted by former longtime Stern show member Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling; The Riley Martin Show, a weekly show about Martin’s alien experience; Superfan Roundtable, a weekly show featuring Stern “superfans” and appearances by the Wack Pack, and The Intern Show, on which the college-age interns reveal the behind the scenes details of working on The Howard Stern Show.

At SIRIUS, Stern even has his own news department, the "Howard 100 News Team" which reports on all things "Howard" all-the-time. You might think this is the epitome of ego-driven programming but for Stern fans, it is real news by a news department which does a very professional job - though, often with tongues in cheek.

In addition to The Howard Stern Show, Stern has created original programming for his two channels over the last year, such as The Bitter Half, a radio drama about Stern show wives and girlfriends, written and produced by Sam Simon, one of the original developers of The Simpsons.

Howard Stern and his channels were a hefty financial investment for SIRIUS – beginning with the highly reported $500 million dollar/5-year deal for his services. With the additional $83 million he earned this week one thing is clear: the King of All Media has also proven himself to be a Jack of All Trades when it comes to content and programming.

Can I Start My Own HD Radio Station

A visitor asks:

"Are people able to start HD radio channels the same way a terrestrial frequency is started? Are we able to have an HD channel of our own? If so, how would we do that?" – Aaron

I’m sorry to disappoint you, but, these technologies are designed to work with AM and FM stations licensed by the Federal Communication Commission (F.C.C.). Unless you can somehow first purchase an AM or FM station of your own, you’ll have to be happy starting an Internet radio station. And, even if you did have the resources to purchase an AM or FM station, it would cost many thousands of dollars for the special equipment upgrades needed to broadcast using this new technology.

What is HD and HD2?

"HD Radio" is actually a brand name created by iBiquity Digital Corp.

HD Radio technology transmits digital audio and data alongside existing AM and FM analog signals, allowing listeners with HD Radio compatible receivers to enjoy near FM and CD-quality sound from AM and FM, respectively, and virtually eliminating the static, hiss, and pops associated with analog radio.

Besides the quality increase, HD2 technology can provide up to two additional channels to existing FM stations. These channels are created digitally within the FM station’s assigned spectrum using a multicasting method.

So, HD Radio is a quality upgrade for both AM and FM and HD2 Radio are additional channels that can be offered by existing FM stations which acquire the technology.

To experience the diversity of formats being created for all these additional channels, visit Clear Channel Radio’s Format Lab where you can listen to dozens of niche programming formats and genres for free! You are almost guaranteed to find something you like.