Comments on: Day of Silence: Sort Of http://www.bloggerandpodcaster.com/theblog/2007/06/26/day-of-silence-sort-of/ For Aspiring New Media Titans Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:32:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Jack http://www.bloggerandpodcaster.com/theblog/2007/06/26/day-of-silence-sort-of/#comment-218 Jack Tue, 26 Jun 2007 20:19:52 +0000 http://www.bloggerandpodcaster.com/theblog/2007/06/26/day-of-silence-sort-of/#comment-218 While this has no effect on podcasters, especially "podsafe" music podcasters, it still is a sad state of affairs. I find it unfathomable that content owners want to make it more difficult for their stuff, especially back-catalog stuff that never gets airplay, to be heard. It's to their benefit if I play a low quality mp3 of some song that inspires a listener to buy the track, or the album, either via iTunes or an actual physical CD. By continuing to cling to their antiquated business model, they alienate the consumer and their revenues will continue to decrease. Terrestrial radio doesn't care, their pockets are deep, they still make tons of money, and the demise of internet radio only helps Clear Channel and XM/Sirius. The "little guy" takes it on the chin, again, and the rich...get richer. While this has no effect on podcasters, especially “podsafe” music podcasters, it still is a sad state of affairs.

I find it unfathomable that content owners want to make it more difficult for their stuff, especially back-catalog stuff that never gets airplay, to be heard. It’s to their benefit if I play a low quality mp3 of some song that inspires a listener to buy the track, or the album, either via iTunes or an actual physical CD. By continuing to cling to their antiquated business model, they alienate the consumer and their revenues will continue to decrease.

Terrestrial radio doesn’t care, their pockets are deep, they still make tons of money, and the demise of internet radio only helps Clear Channel and XM/Sirius. The “little guy” takes it on the chin, again, and the rich…get richer.

]]> By: Ed Roberts http://www.bloggerandpodcaster.com/theblog/2007/06/26/day-of-silence-sort-of/#comment-217 Ed Roberts Tue, 26 Jun 2007 20:05:52 +0000 http://www.bloggerandpodcaster.com/theblog/2007/06/26/day-of-silence-sort-of/#comment-217 While I'm all for additional awareness about the upcoming royalty rate fiasco, I'm unsure if it is really raising much awareness. Personally, I've heard little outside of "yeah, we're turning things off"... and I consider myself fairly plugged into things like this. If the silence is designed to bring listeners to action, I'm unsure if it will do that job. There is too much choice in new media for a large quantity of people to complain about missing their internet radio. The real fun part will be when the copyright board uses the internet radio rate increase as a stepping stone for similar legislation for terrestrial radio. While I’m all for additional awareness about the upcoming royalty rate fiasco, I’m unsure if it is really raising much awareness. Personally, I’ve heard little outside of “yeah, we’re turning things off”… and I consider myself fairly plugged into things like this. If the silence is designed to bring listeners to action, I’m unsure if it will do that job. There is too much choice in new media for a large quantity of people to complain about missing their internet radio.

The real fun part will be when the copyright board uses the internet radio rate increase as a stepping stone for similar legislation for terrestrial radio.

]]> By: andy carvin http://www.bloggerandpodcaster.com/theblog/2007/06/26/day-of-silence-sort-of/#comment-216 andy carvin Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:39:19 +0000 http://www.bloggerandpodcaster.com/theblog/2007/06/26/day-of-silence-sort-of/#comment-216 Speaking for myself here, a decision to put an advocacy banner on the NPR homepage could be construed as breaking the law. Since NPR does receive some federal funds, it potentially means that we'd be barred from posting any kind of lobbying messaging on the homepage. Meanwhile, NPR news has to remain separate from what our government affairs office does, since intermingling news and advocacy might easily be construed as unethical journalism. The same situation would have applied to any other type of advocacy being done by our govt affairs office. Meanwhile, Todd Mundt of Iowa Public Radio has a <a href="toddmundt.com/blog/2007/06/22/not-going-silent-on-the-day-of-silence/" rel="nofollow">blog post</a> about their decision not to participate, and why it wasn't an easy decision to make. Speaking for myself here, a decision to put an advocacy banner on the NPR homepage could be construed as breaking the law. Since NPR does receive some federal funds, it potentially means that we’d be barred from posting any kind of lobbying messaging on the homepage. Meanwhile, NPR news has to remain separate from what our government affairs office does, since intermingling news and advocacy might easily be construed as unethical journalism. The same situation would have applied to any other type of advocacy being done by our govt affairs office.

Meanwhile, Todd Mundt of Iowa Public Radio has a blog post about their decision not to participate, and why it wasn’t an easy decision to make.

]]> By: Rach http://www.bloggerandpodcaster.com/theblog/2007/06/26/day-of-silence-sort-of/#comment-215 Rach Tue, 26 Jun 2007 17:21:35 +0000 http://www.bloggerandpodcaster.com/theblog/2007/06/26/day-of-silence-sort-of/#comment-215 I was surprised to see that homepages of radio podcasters were not plastered with a large "Day of Silence Banners" today. You would have thought NPR (who is supposedly trying to lead the fight) would have had a Day of Silence banner strung across its homepage as the headliner. Instead it's a photo with the caption "Paying Nations Not to Burn". Get real! Save that for tomorrow! The Day of Silence is TODAY! I had to click and search numerous times before finally stumbling on the right information to contact senators in order to join in the fight. Later I discovered that clicking on the KCRW radio link, a window with the action information will pop up. If people are trying to hop on and click a link to offer support, that's far too time consuming. Get it on the front page, NPR! I was surprised to see that homepages of radio podcasters were not plastered with a large “Day of Silence Banners” today. You would have thought NPR (who is supposedly trying to lead the fight) would have had a Day of Silence banner strung across its homepage as the headliner. Instead it’s a photo with the caption “Paying Nations Not to Burn”. Get real! Save that for tomorrow! The Day of Silence is TODAY!

I had to click and search numerous times before finally stumbling on the right information to contact senators in order to join in the fight. Later I discovered that clicking on the KCRW radio link, a window with the action information will pop up. If people are trying to hop on and click a link to offer support, that’s far too time consuming. Get it on the front page, NPR!

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