A little-recognized aspect of Illinois’ new statewide cable TV franchise law is that it takes away local municipalities’ ability to enforce zoning laws and similar provisions when it comes to how cable TV providers use the public right-of-way. Residents of Evanston, IL got a rude wake up call to this provision when AT&T started installing large and loud refrigerator-sized utility boxes in front of and behind residences all over this Chicago suburb. Not only is the city government prevented from doing anything about it, but it’s actually required to help AT&T put them in place. Scott Sanders of Chicago Media Action has been working with Evanston residences who’ve organized a coalition called Stop the Box to press for changes in the state franchising law. On the second half of the Oct. 16 radioshow Scott calls in from outside a public meeting held on this subject, and hands the phone to Mary Beth Kisner-Griffin, one of the local organizers, who tells us more about how AT&T has worked hard to disempower local residents and governments. Download/Podcast: mediageek 16 October 2008 part 2 - broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20081016-pt2.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

This week Mitchell Szczepanczyk from Chicago Media Action joins us to talk about some of their top media reform issues right now. In particular, we get into the digital TV transition, and the folks who will be left behind, along with CMA’s challenges to Chicago TV broadcasters’ FCC licenses over the poor quality of their local election coverage. Podcast/Download: mediageek 16 October 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20081016.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_4"); Less

My new timeslot on WNUR is an hour long, giving me twice the airtime of the original mediageek radioshow. What I’ve decided to do is treat the first half-hour as a self-contained program matching the format that the program has had up to now, distributing this to the show’s affiliate stations around the continent. With the second half-hour I’m taking a looser approach, often focusing on issues that are more local in nature for the Evanston-Chicago area. If the week’s guest is able to stick around we’ll try to take calls. This week guest Shawn Campbell of the Chicago Independent Radio Project was live in the studio, so we talked a little bit more of the project’s history with regard to the former community-radio format of Loyola University’s WLUW, and took one phone call. Podcast/Download: mediageek 9 October 2008 part 2 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20081009-pt2.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_6"); Less

There is a group of motivated radio lovers in Chicago who think that the city needs a real community radio station, independent of a college, university or other organization that might change its mind about who can be on the radio. Shawn Campbell is the president of the Chicago Independent Radio Project, and she joins me this week to talk about why Chicago needs community radio, and how they hope to squeeze a new noncommercial station onto the dial. Podcast/Download: mediageek 9 October 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20081009.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

Due to being overworked, along with a last-minute pre-emption, this week’s show is an encore edition from May 23: This week the feature is the other NPR - Neighborhood Public Radio. It’s a broadcasting art project, taking open-mic studios to art galleries to connect with the surrounding community through radio. I had a chance this week to stop in to NPR’s storefront studio next door to the Whitney Museum in New York City, where they’re participating in the Whitney Biennial. In part one of my interview, NPR’s Lee Montgomery tells us about Neighborhood Public Radio, its origins and what they’re doing. Podcast/Download: mediageek 3 Oct. 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20081003.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

This show marks the debut of mediageek on its new home station, WNUR 89.3 FM in Evanston, IL, broadcasting to the north side of Chicago and the North Shore suburbs. My pal John Anderson guests to help re-inaugurate the program as we review the raison d’ete of mediageek, and new producer Andrew Gothelf shares his own brief experience interning in a commercial radio newsroom that quickly disappeared. Podcast/Download: mediageek 25 September 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080925.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

Download/Podcast: mediageek 19 September 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080919.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

Sarah Kanouse is an interdisciplinary artist who works in radical media, investigating the ways histories, public spaces, and forms of citizenship influence one another and shape the realm of political possibility. Her newest project, Voices of America, invites participants to take audio snippets from the US government’s Voice of America radio service and remix them and share those remixes. On this edition of mediageek Sarah tells us about this project and how it fits in with the 2008 presidential election season. Podcast/Download: mediageek 5 September 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080905.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

The press freedom group Reporters Without Borders set up the first non-state radio station in China since 1949 to broadcast a message in protest against Chinese officials continued suppression of free speech and jailing of journalists, even as the Beijing Olympics are underway. We’ll listen to that broadcast, and catch up on how former FCC officials are joining the fight against the FCC’s current indecency rules. Download/Podcast: mediageek 15 August 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080815.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

The FCC finally took action against Comcast for its discriminatory network management practices that blocked its internet customers’ BitTorrent file-sharing traffic. However, while it’s good to see the FCC action, it’s still a mixed decision. Podcast/Download: mediageek 8 Aug. 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/MG20080808.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

The Sirius/XM satellite radio merger was finally approved by the FCC, providing a bare few gimmies for the public interest after months of lobbying and waiting. But the story behind the last-minute tie-breaking vote has to do with both companies’ history of pirate operations. DIYmedia’s John Anderson has be tracking the story for years now and fill us in on the details. Download/Podcast: mediageek 1 August 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080801.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

This week an encore edition from March: Andrew O’Baoill joins me for an update on how the Irish state broadcaster is making waves with long wave and a discussion on his research about how new technologies are affecting community radio. Download/Podcast: mediageek 25 July 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080725.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

The Free Music Archive aims to be a curated warehouse of music from all genres that is licensed by the artist, label or other rights holder for free use under a Creative Commons license. The Archive is a project of free form community radio station WFMU, and station manager Ken Freedman tells us more about it. Listen/Podcast: mediageek 18 July 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080718.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

FCC watcher Matthew Lasar joins again to update us on just a few things happening with the FCC, including the Sirius/XM merger and the upcoming Supreme Court review of fleeting expletives. Download/Podcast: mediageek 11 July 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080711.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

This week it’s a big news wrap up with stories on some promised concessions from XM and Sirius in exchange for FCC approval of their planned merger, how AT&T and Verizon are asking the FCC to act on Net Neutrality and Comcast’s BitTorrent blocking, and some questionable police action against a Georgia pirate. Podcast/Download: mediageek 4 July 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080704.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

John Anderson from DIYmedia.net joins again to tell us more about some of the community stations he visited and learned about while at a digital radio conference in Budapest, Hungary. Download/Podcast: mediageek 27 June 2008 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080627.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_4"); Less

Digital HD Radio in the US has been available for a couple of years now, but doesn’t seem to be clicking with the listening public. Europe has had a completely different digital radio system available in many countries for several years, too, but it doesn’t appear to be much more popular. Mediageek’s resident digital radio expert John Anderson recently spoke at a radio conference in Budapest, Hungary and tells us more about the role of digital radio on the continent. Download/Podcast: mediageek 2008-06-20 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080620.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

This week an encore edition from March: Brad Johnson, a refugee of Clear Channel, is the man behind low-power community station KQRP in Salida, CA. Unfortunately, because the FCC still considers low-power stations to be a secondary service, KQRP is experiencing interference from translator repeater stations that aren’t originating local, community-oriented programming. Brad tells us more on this week’s show. Download/podcast: mediageek 2008-06-13 broadcast quality mp3 Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080613.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

This week’s feature is part 2 of my interview with Lee Montgomery of Neighborhood Public Radio. In this second half Lee tells us what reaction they got when members of the National Public Radio board visited their neighborhood-based mirror image station in Manhattan. Download/Podcast: mediageek 2008-05-30 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080530.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less

This week the feature is the other NPR - Neighborhood Public Radio. It’s a broadcasting art project, taking open-mic studios to art galleries to connect with the surrounding community through radio. I had a chance this week to stop in to NPR’s storefront studio next door to the Whitney Museum in New York City, where they’re participating in the Whitney Biennial. In part one of my interview, NPR’s Lee Montgomery tells us about Neighborhood Public Radio, its origins and what they’re doing. Download/Podcast mediageek 2008-05-23 broadcast quality mp3 Listen Now: Go get Adobe Flash Player! var so = new SWFObject( "http://radio.mediageek.net/wp-content/plugins/nazdrave-mp3/mp3player.swf", "nazdravemp3_player", "300", "20", "8", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file", "http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2008/mg20080523.mp3"); so.write("nazdravemp3_2"); Less