Sunday, March 4, 2007
Internet Radio
Where I live there is NO good radio reception. To get music that is
listenable without buzz, crackles, and sudden interruptions by stations
from some other vicinity, internet radio is it.
It's amazing what you can get on internet radio now. The soundtrack
for my life is usually radioparadise.com
with occasional brief excursions into classical or news. Bill who runs
RP posted a blog today about how the Recording Industry Association
of America is changing the fee structure for internet radio in a way
that would effectively put these stations out of business.
At my place, to get bad music over the local cable system costs a $10
per month. On the airwaves (usually when I'm in my car) I find the payola
prompted playlist radio of wacky DJ's interspersed with really annoying
ads doesn't play music I like. So I've gravitated to this one station,
where the music consistently makes me feel like my life is just better.
But the RIAA seems to think that I'm pirating the music I hear through
this station. Actually, I've bought more CD's since I got into internet
radio than in my entire life beforehand. Just like the big flap over
audiocassettes being able to record radio play of songs in the 1970's,
the government and RIAA are thinking of internet radio as stealing music.
My take is that these organizations need to look at internet radio the
way they've always looked at radio airplay -- as promotion for their
artists.
I'm not a technophobe but I have no clue how I'd preserve or save the
internet radio signals I receive. I'd suspect most other folks are the
same way -- just like regular radio why save it if its there and you
can tune in anytime?
No matter what you listen to right now, it seems like the best idea
is to keep internet radio available for those of us who want it. I wrote
to my State Senators and Representative about this today. If you want
to keep internet radio alive, you might check out Bill's comments and
links on Radio Paradise
and do the same.
