Corporate Interests out to KILL Analog FM

this is another consumer outrage: corporate greed running rampant over the taxpayer-owners of the public frequency spectrum. They are all in the pockets of the legislature, trying to profit further at our expense. There is still *some* good radio available out there, but apparently it's not gonna last for long. Wish I'd known this before plunking down the $2500 for my new tuner. The official comment period is over but I'm complaining anyway - have everything to loose & nothing to gain from this corporate fleeze.

Hey Basement...believe it or not, I live in Chicago and there is no local FM jazz station...none. Some of the PBS and college stations play jazz at night or weekends, but that's it.

I agree with Fatparrot...FM died here year's ago. I bet 90% of our stations are owned by four companies, and I bet 50-70% are owned by two. With the exception of a few college stations in their more tolerable hours, I don't bother listening to the radio for music and haven't for years. I find my music elsewhere.

I rather agree with you on this topic. I'm the owner of a video editing and media duplication company; and virtually all the trade magazines I receive have coverage of the sell-out of the airwaves by Washington. Most of the TV networks have resigned from the National Association of Broadcasters because they all want to have a larger slice of the the TV market. (The current 35% market share does not seem to be enough for these corporate piggies!) As for the radio spectrum; many of the major markets have already been sold off to Clear Channel and Infinity Broadcasting. Not only do both of these operations play the same "Top 40" (And what focus group decided that?) crap in every market, they compress the audio they broadcast.
If you are fortunate enough to live somewhere that has a local PBS station, local college radio station, or other independent radio station; give them a listen. They are a dying breed if Powell and the schmucks at the FCC have their way. I personally think it's time the American public woke up enough to realize the airwaves THEY OWN - are being sold off by a bunch of greedy, campaign contribution-seeking jerks in Washington. Enough already!

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!