mediageek 13 August 2009: Citizens Utility Board Protects Consumers’ Rights

The Illinois Citizens Utility Board looks out for consumers’ rights when dealing with utility companies, including both telephone and cell phone companies. CUB’s communications director, Jim Chilsen, joins to explain more about how everyone can save money on land-line and cell phone bills by looking out for unnecessary charges and services.

Podcast/Download:
mediageek 13 August 2009 broadcast quality mp3

Listen Now:
[mp3]http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2009/mg20090813.mp3[/mp3]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

mediageek 13 August 2009: Citizens Utility Board Protects Consumers’ Rights

The Illinois Citizens Utility Board looks out for consumers’ rights when dealing with utility companies, including both telephone and cell phone companies. CUB’s communications director, Jim Chilsen, joins to explain more about how everyone can save money on land-line and cell phone bills by looking out for unnecessary charges and services.

Podcast/Download:
mediageek 13 August 2009 broadcast quality mp3

Listen Now:
[mp3]http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2009/mg20090813.mp3[/mp3]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

mediageek 6 August 2009: FCC Makes Inquiry into iPhone App Store

Recently Apple’s iPhone app store came under scrutiny again when news surfaced that the new Google Voice application had been blocked. Though no reason has been specified by Apple, there are strong suspicions that the company is attempting to prevent competition from AT&T’s voice service and other businesses that Google Voice might pose a challenge to. Now the FCC has stepped in with letters of inquiry to Apple, AT&T and Google. Free Press’ Tim Karr has been covering the issue of mobile device freedom and fills us in on the details and implications of this situation.

Download/Podcast:

mediageek 6 August 2009 broadcast quality mp3

Listen Now:
[mp3]http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2009/mg2090806.mp3[/mp3]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

mediageek 30 July 2009: Finally a Full FCC, Performance Rights Act & more

This week it’s a big news update as we cover the Senate confirmation of the last two new FCC commissioners, the progress of the Performance Rights Act in the Senate and take a look at NPR’s new website which looks like a bid to become a new web news portal.

Download/Podcast:
mediageek 30 July 2009 broadcast quality mp3

Listen Now:
[mp3]http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2009/mg20090730.mp3[/mp3]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

mediageek 23 July 2009: Matthew Lasar on Radio and the New FCC

Matthew Lasar, media historian and writer for ArsTechnica, joins again to discuss the future of radio and the new line up of commissioners at the Federal Communications Commission.

Download/Podcast:
mediageek 23 July 2009 broadcast quality mp3

Listen Now:
[mp3]http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2009/mg20090723.mp3[/mp3]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

mediageek 16 July 2009: The Value of College Radio

Jennifer Waits is a college radio enthusiast. From getting her start at Haverford College’s carrier-current WHRC to DJing at Foothill College’s KFJC Waits has worked at a variety of stations, always propelled by her love of independent music and media. She blogs about her passion at Spinning Indie where she posts reports from her tours of stations around the country, along with news of relevance to college radio. She joins the program this week to talk about the important place college radio has in our media environment.

Download/Podcast:
mediageek 16 July 2009 broadcast quality mp3

Listen Now:
[mp3]http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2009/mg20090716.mp3[/mp3]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

mediageek 9 July 2009: Commercial Radio Plays the Same Old Songs

Nearly four years ago the four largest commercial radio owners promised to play more independent music as part of a consent degree arising from the payola scandal. But still, not much has changed. The Future of Music Coalition has been tracking radio playlists to see if commercial stations have been keeping their promises. FMC’s Kristin Thomson joins to discuss the situation.

Podcast/Download

mediageek 9 July 2009 broadcast quality mp3

Listen Now:
[mp3]http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2009/mg20090709.mp3[/mp3]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

mediageek 2 July 2009: Retro Technology in a Down Economy

This week is an encore presentation of this program from January 22:

RetroThing.com is a website and blog dedicated to interesting and fun retro and vintage gadgets, electronics, toys and technology that might have been forgotten, but still have their uses. Co-editor of the site, Bohus Blahut, joins us to talk about the appeal of vintage tech, and how useful and fun stuff may be waiting for you in the back of your closet.

Podcast/Download:

mediageek 2 July 2009 broadcast quality mp3

Listen Now:
[mp3]http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2009/mg20090122.mp3[/mp3]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

mediageek 25 June 2009: FCC Chair Finally Confirmed

On the day that Michael Jackson died the other big news is that the Senate finally confirmed our new FCC Chair, Julius Genachowski. Also, we talk about how the debate over the Performance Rights Act is heating up.

Podcast/Download:
mediageek 25 June 2009 broadcast quality mp3

Listen Now:
[mp3]http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2009/mg20090625.mp3[/mp3]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

mediageek 18 June 2009: Inside the Consolidation and Decline of Commercial Radio

Jerry Del Colliano is veteran radio industry insider who watched as the industry consolidated at a rapid rate following the Telecommunications Act of 1996. He foresaw how that consolidation would jeopardize the business of radio built on local service and innovative programming, commenting in the industry newsletter Inside Radio. After leaving the industry to teach at the University of Southern California Jerry is back, publishing the blog Inside Media Media, where he covers the future of audio media. On this edition of the radioshow Jerry talks about the decline of commercial radio and how the industry lost an entire generation of new listeners.

Download/Podcast:
mediageek radioshow 18 June 2009 broadcast quality mp3

Listen Now:
[mp3]http://www.mediageek.net/sound/2009/mg20090618.mp3[/mp3]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download