Clear Channel Expands Direct Buying
by Leslie Stimson
Suppliers, Owners Scrutinize 'Preferred-Vendor' Trend

Aboard the Coastal Ranger: Seattle's KKOL Goes Maritime Mobile
by Jim Dalke
On Jan. 1, 2002, KKOL(AM), 1300 kHz, began broadcasting from temporary facilities installed aboard the 175-foot cargo ship, the Coastal Ranger, in Seattle's Elliott Bay.

Three Radio Holiday Gift Ideas
by Paul J. McLane
Looking for a suitable gift for the radio geek in your life?

Opinion: A Solution to Low-Power Problems
by William Walker
An AM Owner in Connecticut Says It's Time to Explore LPAM and LW Options

AMS Could Increase AM Modulation
by Michael LeClair
A new modulation technique for AM broadcasting was demonstrated by industry pioneer Mike Dorrough at a recent meeting of SBE Chapter 43 in Sacramento.

Glossary of Sound Quality Terms
by Bruce Bartlett
This glossary may help. It is based on conversations with producers, musicians and reviewers over many years. While not everyone agrees on these definitions, they are common.

Opinion: Make IBOC 'Right' the First Time
by David Noble
Ibiquity, to its credit, has been feeding us information all along, and now that we have a ruling from the commission, it looks as if everyone is ready to leap into the digital stream ... However, there is a whole lot of work still to be done on the new system.

A Look at Radio's Hottest Formats
by Lyssa Graham
With No Clearly Emerging New Formats, Radio Programmers Fight to Find an Edge

Editorial: ERI's Beeler Mourned
The broadcast supply community mourned the death this month of Scott Beeler, director of worldwide sales for Electronics Research Inc.

Opinion: The IBOC Fee Waiver
The big news for digital fans at the NAB Radio Show last month was that Ibiquity has bowed to reality and offered an audio licensing fee waiver to owners that place orders for HD Radio/IBOC transmission equipment by the end of this year.

'Craig, Donna' Plan Criticized
by R. Sparks Scott
So the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are shelving "Perfect Paul" and replacing it (him?) with Perfect Donna and Perfect Craig? Oh happy day, let's celebrate. (Not!)

Who Is SoundExchange and Why Do We Have to Write Them a Check?
by Craig Johnston
Maybe on Oct. 20, maybe later if Congress delays the deadline, many broadcasters that have streamed their programming over the Internet have to write checks to SoundExchange. Sound who?

Keeping an Eye on the Sky
For Radio Managers, the Impact of XM and Sirius Satellite Remains Uncertain
by Steve Sullivan

Group Chief Aaron Winski Defies the Stereotype
by Ken R.
A stereotype persists in the minds of many industry people about today's radio engineer.

AES Gets Back on Track in L.A.
by Brett Moss and Michele Kramer Peterson
Gory details and safety concerns notwithstanding, the AES committed to a December convention in New York. Although the event was understated, with not a lot of new products or selling, by all accounts the convention was deemed by organizers and most participants as a muted success.

Book Review: Richard Neer's "FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio"
by Peter King
Richard Neer's "FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio" tells the story of the birth, evolution and what he calls the eventual death of rock radio. Like most memoirs, "FM" comes with a point of view, but it appears Neer went out of his way to get the recollections of others rather than rely only on his memory and opinion.

Satellite Radio Falling to Earth?
by Frank McCoy
OK, so XM has maybe 350,000 subscribers now, and Sirius is trying to break out above 10,000 (a bit like the Dow in that respect). With about 100 channels apiece, that works out to 3,500 and 100 subscribers per program offering, respectively.

Station Battles Botanical Garden
In New York Dispute, Landmark Site Says No to Tower in Its Backyard
by Randy J. Stine

NPR Technicians Ratify Contract
NABET Contract Includes Job Guarantee in Wake of Jurisdictional Work Rules Change
by Randy J. Stine

Check With the Manufacturer First
A Supplier Worries That Free Information Online Can Sometimes Do More Harm Than Good
by Martin Sacks

Radio Show: Managers Divided on Value of Show
by Craig Johnston
Radio groups contacted by Radio World are divided over whether they will bring many of their engineers to the NAB Radio Show, while exhibitors express optimism about business at the Seattle convention.

Uncertain Revenue Streams and a Choppy Stock Market Likely to Be on Managers' Minds at Radio Convention
by Susan Ashworth
Whatever the future holds, few dispute that the last decade has been one of unprecedented change for radio.

Radio Show: Workshops for Engineers
by Michael LeClair
The NAB Radio Show will feature a lineup of technical workshops concentrating on the fundamentals of radio transmission systems.

Gonsett to California Broadcasters: Speak Up on Forest Service Campaign
by Robert F. Gonsett
The Cleveland National Forest is setting the table to ban or cripple broadcasting activities at all nine of its communications sites in the greater Santa Ana and San Diego areas of California. At best, broadcasting would be relegated to secondary status, putting the life of the facility in continuous jeopardy. At worst, broadcasting would be banned outright.

Tips for Planning 9/11 Anniversary
Vallie-Richards Consulting has offered its radio clients ideas for planning coverage of the anniversary of Sept. 11. The following is excerpted from the company's "Radio Focus" newsletter, with permission.

What Webcasters Must Do Now
by Craig Johnston
The long-awaited determination of Internet radio copyright royalty rates and procedures from the Librarian of Congress in June started the clock ticking for compliance.

Webcasting Fees Hurt College Radio
by Will Robedee
The copyright royalty rate determination released on June 20 by the Librarian of Congress provides virtually no relief for threatened college radio Webcasters.

Will PPM Deliver What It Promises?
by Susan Ashworth
Tests Show Potential, But Some in Broadcast Industry Call for More

How Safe Are You? Information Assurance and You
A Computer Security Expert Looks at Broadcast Security Architecture and the Consequences of Convergence
by Paul Flint

Bird Kills Scrutinized
Tired of Getting a Bad Rap for Dead Birds, Broadcasters Hope Research on Tower Lighting Provides Answers
by Randy J. Stine

Venture Capital: Tight But There
Many Financing Options Remain Available to Small Entrepreneurs Looking to Enter or Grow In Broadcasting
by Frank Montero

College Radio Program Suspended
In Minnesota, the Decision to Cut a Degree Track Reflects Larger Concerns
by Ken R.

Pirate Radio Is Still Afloat
Despite Enforcement Actions and Legalized LPFM, Hundreds of Unlicensed Stations Remain on the Air
by Naina N. Chernoff

A Radio Museum Is Born
Vintage Radio and Communications Organization in Connecticut Seeks Support to Build the Dream
by Chris Watts

KUSC Makes Digital Comeback
by Ed Ritchie
Classical music has a tough time surviving in today's radio market, especially in Los Angeles, which offers 50 stations representing virtually all the major radio formats.

To Beat the Cascading Bogeyman
With IBOC Coming, and More Codecs Than Ever Already in Use, Radio Struggles to Preserve Decent Sound
by Daniel G.P. Mansergh

EAS Planners Consider Overhaul
Many Are Refocusing on the Relevance of the System in Light of Sept. 11
by Randy J. Stine

NPR: Will Success Spoil the Mix? by Carl Lindemann
Commercial radio programmers might envy Jay Kernis' problems. As NPR's senior vice president for programming, Kernis is riding high with skyrocketing ratings.

Streaming's Future: Success, Uncertainty: by Susan Ashworth
As CARP Debate Expands and Bandwidth Costs Rise, Experts Look at What's Ahead for Streaming Radio Industry

LPFM and the Voice of Hmong People: by Ken R.
Most LPFM construction permits end up in the hands of churches and schools. But some are granted to small ethnic groups that sought licenses because they have few other opportunities to communicate with their own people.

'Digital' Is Different Globally: by Scott Fybush
Outside this country, the Eureka-147 standard for digital audio broadcasting is in various stages of development, ranging from countries that have functioning systems in several cities, such as the United Kingdom and Canada, to countries that are expanding their offerings, as is France.

'NPR West' Moves Forward: by Daniel G.P. Mansergh
Network's Culver City Production Facility Slated for September Completion

Decoding Radio's Codec World: by Skip Pizzi
A Flurry of Activity in the Audio Codec World Is Increasing Coding Efficiency But Could Confuse Some Broadcasters

Radio's Next Great Technology Trends: by Michael LeClair
What does the technical future look like for broadcasting a decade from now? How will broadcasting systems change over the next 10 years?

Hands-On FM Antenna Repair: by Mark Persons
More radio broadcast engineers are carrying RF spectrum analyzers these days. Analyzers are no longer the domain of television engineers and laboratories.

GUEST COMMENTARY: by Mark Byford
Shortwave Needs Differ by Nation
The BBC World Service Says It's Not Abandoning Shortwave Transmission in Countries That Depend Upon It, but It Must Respond to Changing Listening Habits

Proving Ad Copy Effectiveness : by Vincent M. Ditingo
Why did radio face such an uphill battle in 2001? The answer lies not only in a sluggish advertising economy, but in the inability of many radio sales managers to substantiate the effectiveness of radio ad copy recall, especially when compared to television.

Tips From Successful Streamers, by Craig Johnston
Internet radio may still be in its infancy, fishing for its precise business model. But Web streaming operators are certain that, no matter what the business model turns out to be, the medium will obey one of terrestrial radio's laws: to have revenue, you must have listeners.

Beasley Looks for Big-Market Move, by Damon Cline
As chairman and CEO of Beasley Broadcast Group Inc., George Beasley's to-do list is quite expansive. Near the top of his list are three cities: Philadelphia, Miami and Las Vegas.

Web Site Captures Radio History, by Skip Pizzi
Stations May Come and Go, But They Can Live On in Cyberspace
David Ricquish felt lousy. He was out sick from his Christchurch, New Zealand grade school with a bad cold, lying in bed and bored silly.

Bird's Popular Wattmeter Is 50, by Charles S. Fitch
Among the most valuable tools in any RF toolbox is the Bird Model 43 Thruline Wattmeter. Take it from a man who has fried endless number of IF transformers, transistors and dummy loads in an inept illusive quest for accurate RF information and tuning.

Listening in on Uncle Sam, by Gary Palamara
With the Right Equipment, You Can Hear America’s Defenders in the Skies Above.After years of listening to conversations just like this on my multiband radio scanner, I’m still drawn to the excitement and intrigue of monitoring military aircraft transmissions.

11 Stations, One San Diego Address for Clear Channel, by Paul McLane
Work is continuing on a huge facility project that is bringing 11 Clear Channel radio stations in San Diego under one roof. The project is a consolidation of four studio locations into a single, new 70,000-square-foot space, located on Serra Mesa north of downtown.