Long time, no post

I wanted to post something to my LiveJournal account (http://lunchiesdogangl.livejournal.com) but there's some kind of security attack happening.

An online radio show host was talking about how an AM talk station in San Francisco was being moved to the HD2 channel of an FM sister station. The AM station (Green 960) will change to a Fox "News" Radio affiliate. Since only a small percentage of homes (and a smaller percentage of automobiles) currently have HD radios, this means more people seeking progressive programming are being forced to seek it online. The host went through a similar experience years ago when the progressive station in Florida where she worked switched to a sports format, giving the market its fifth sports outlet. She stated how independently-run online radio stations are the wave of the future as they allow true freedom of speech without the need for an expensive license, costly transmitting equipment and enormous cash flow from advertisers (who are the only people who matter to station management.)

I recently did a frequency search at the FCC's Web site to see if any frequencies were available for an LPFM station in Colorado Springs. None were available due to virtually all stations within a 200 km radius eating up every available frequency. The sad part is: the FCC allows low-power translator stations (up to 250 watts) to operate within two channels of full-power stations (e.g. a translator at 94.7 in Colorado Springs operates two channels away from 94.3 and 95.1, while a full-power 94.7 broadcasts just 60-70 miles away in Denver.) However, LPFM stations (up to 100 watts) need at least three channels of separation, even from stations located more than 120 miles away. There have been exceptions granted. For instance, a church in Colorado Springs operates an LPFM at 107.1, about 50 miles and only one channel away from 106.9 in Pueblo.

It pisses me off that the Communications Act of 1996, signed into law by President Bill Clinton, allowed these giant radio corporations to take over a large portion of the stations in most markets. The excuse given was that the mom-and-pop stations were losing money, and they now make a profit under new ownership. They make a profit because you laid off hundreds of decent, hard-working Americans and replaced them with computers and/or voice-tracking! It's easy to make a profit when you don't have to pay as many salaries. Meanwhile, the people laid off and the college students hoping to break into radio when they graduate have fewer paid openings available (Most of the online-only hosts do not get paid.) Sadly, frequent talk show callers with no experience and Howard Stern clones have a better chance of landing a radio gig than people who actually studied broadcasting in school and got an FCC license.

It is my hope that with the growth of online radio, the media giant will take such a large hit that they'll eventually have to sell off some of their stations, making them once again available to local companies, creating more jobs for people and giving more voices and viewpoints the chance to be heard. Another option I'd like to see happen is the frequencies of the former analog TV channels 5 and 6 (76-88 FM) being reassigned to an expanded FM band. Some LPTV stations on analog channel 6 have created another FM station in their communities since their audio is broadcast on 87.7 FM, but those stations will supposedly be shut down sometime. In the meantime, the only hope for anyone wanting more options is to invest in an HD radio for progressive stations like the soon-to-relocate Green 960 or wider availability of streaming audio in car radios. Listening options no longer need to be limited by the reach of a radio signal or access to a home/office Internet connection.

I do have a Part 15 FM transmitter at home. This type of transmitter is allowed by the FCC without a license as it operates on less than 1/2 watt. The signal only travels a block or two, but it's nice to pretend I own and operate my own station.

Game Show History, June 1-15

JUNE 1
1984: Tattletales (CBS) ends 2nd run
2008: Million Dollar Password debuts (CBS)

JUNE 2
1972: Wayne Brady (Let’s Make A Deal, Don’t Forget the Lyrics) born
1996: Former Family Feud host Ray Combs dies
2004: Ken Jennings begins his 74-game winning streak on Jeopardy!

JUNE 3
1929: Game show host/producer Chuck Barris (The Gong Show) born
1997: Dennis James (former nighttime Price Is Right host) dies

JUNE 4
2004: Hollywood Squares (1998-2004) ends (reruns until Sept. 10)

JUNE 5
1943: Jim Peck (Three's A Crowd, Second Chance) born
1987: Card Sharks (Syn) ends

JUNE 7
1955: The $64,000 Question debuts (CBS)

JUNE 8
1990: Win, Lose or Draw (Syn) airs last original episode (reruns until September)

JUNE 9
1981: Original Password host Allen Ludden dies
2007: Chain Reaction (GSN) ends (reruns continue to air)

JUNE 10
1957: Michael Burger (Match Game [1998] host) born
2010: Late Night Liars debuts (GSN)

JUNE 11
1993: Scrabble (2nd NBC run) ends

JUNE 13
1926: The Hollywood Squares' longtime center square Paul Lynde born
1975: The Joker’s Wild (CBS) ends

JUNE 14
1985: Family Feud (ABC daytime) ends
2009: Million Dollar Password (CBS) ends

JUNE 15
2007: Bob Barker’s final The Price Is Right episode airs

From Twitter 05-14-2011

• 11:15:40: RT @jimmycarr: May is National Egg Month and National Asparagus Month. So I guess it’s also National ‘I’d give it 5 minutes before you g ...
  
• 17:16:54: I hate the fact that I can't find a j0b, yet people who clearly don't care about good customer service remain empl0yed.
  
• 17:18:23: I'm having anxiety attacks again. The program I normally listen to to relax is off this week.
  
• 18:51:16: RT @JohnFugelsang: Anybody who keeps catnip, oregano & weed in the same drawer deserves exactly what they get.
  
• 20:38:37: Weekly calorie average: 1,879.9. Days above 2,000 calories: 2 (2,275 and 2,006.)
  
• 20:41:02: RT @JohnFugelsang: a girl asked me to share a violent fantasy so I described FDR bitch-smacking the modern oil industry.
  
• 21:57:35: CNBC is airing a documentary called "Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room." The title sounds a bit sarcastic, like "The Fattest Supermodel."
  

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From Twitter 05-13-2011

• 00:39:57: @hwinkler4real Colorado Springs, CO.
  
• 00:59:09: @55seddel I'm awake, but planning to go to bed in a few minutes.
  
• 08:11:50: petition @MarkUdall ENOUGH! End taxpayer subsidies to the oil companies! #BigOil #p2 http://act.ly/3ns RT to sign
  
• 10:09:56: I don't really want to do the things I have to today, and I'm unable to do some of the things I want to do.
  
• 10:15:08: I feel like I'm having a nightmare that I'm unable to wake up from. I'm not asking for much, just another chance to earn a living.
  
• 15:47:43: If In-N-Out Burger ever comes to Colorado, I wonder if the lines will rival the new Texas location (or when Krispy Kreme first opened here.)
  
• 15:55:50: RT @bucktowntiger TGIF: Thank Goodness I'm Furry! #shopcollie @jcollie719
  
• 16:14:59: @WheelofFortune Nosy neighbor
  
• 16:19:35: RT @Late_Show: FRIDAY PREVIEW: @Joan_Rivers is in airline hell and wants to change the name Continental to, um, something else. http://b ...
  
• 16:38:03: News says bin Laden's compound had an "extensive" amount of porn. You thought it was embarassing when your PARENTS burst in during a wank.
  
• 19:45:22: #binladenpornstash Camel-Lot, Debbie Does Delhi, I-Slam-You-Bad, 2 Girls 1 Burqa
  
• 20:05:16: Huckabee's "Reagan Revolution" video shows a black man in a "DISCO" T-shirt robbing kids. That's really an unfair stereotype of disco fans.
  
• 20:59:06: Watching @louisck's aptly-named "Hilarious" special on Comedy Central.
  

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From Twitter 05-10-2011

• 13:34:11: #nowplaying Blondie - "Call Me"
  
• 16:41:44: In a period where unemployment is as high as it is, there should be no tolerance for poor customer service and treatment.
  
• 17:06:10: Uh oh, a chocolate-themed episode of "Emeril Live"! *Changes the channel to avoid spoiling diet*
  
• 17:42:44: (Tweet number 4,000!!!) No word yet about the Fort Carson position. Almost time for an orange and black pick-me-up.
  
• 17:47:18: RT @shitmydadsays: "He's a politician. It's like being a hooker. You can't be one unless you can pretend to like people while you're fuc ...
  

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From Twitter 05-09-2011

• 00:07:10: Just a little bit longer? http://j.mp/iqjAtk
  
• 14:12:57: RT @rolandsmartin: Amtrak, 15 States Get $2B In High-Speed Rail Money - http://bit.ly/jqF5oy
  
• 15:05:06: I read that Clear Channel bought the company I previously worked for (the one that laid me off in 2008.)
  
• 15:24:22: I sincerely hope tomorrow (or Wednesday) brings me some good news. I'd love for this nightmare to end.
  
• 15:43:50: Weird how Twitter lists Justin Bieber under the People Results for Chaz Bono!
  

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From Twitter 05-08-2011

• 06:54:57: #nowplaying Mr. T - "Treat Your Mother Right" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_rBidCkJxo
  
• 08:05:46: RT @geoff9cow: "If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?" Milton Berle
  

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