Michiguide is back!

More proof that living in Iowa disconnects you with important developments: Michiguide is back! Mike Austerman created one of those rare websites that only a true broadcast fan would undertake. It is a compendium of station history, FCC info and media news that was an instant bookmark on every broadcaster's browser. When Mike's real world life started to intrude, he reluctantly made a deal to hand off the project. In time, his successor realized that nobody could do the job quite as well as Mike and now the IT ace and Oakland Press columnist is back at the helm. This time around, he's recruited some help to keep the site current, but the bottom line is that once again we have a great resource for news that's uniquely Michigan broadcast related. Welcome back, Mike!

Motown Remixes

Bob Berry sends this Freep link to a story about how Motown classics are getting a remix treatment

The Keener Podcast - 5/28/05

A Memorial Day salute to the troops with love letters from Richie Havens and Carly Simon. Plus Keener Quickies, a pair of songs that had brief runs on the WKNR Music Guide, featuring Tommy Reynolds before Hamilton and Joe Frank and a fogotten member of the cast of Hair. We do another Keener Music Quiz and bring you a May, 1971 aircheck starring Dan Henderson.

Hear the show 25:30 25MB MP3

One of the hottest selling albums of the year.. again

Seth Goden wrote a book called "All Marketers Are Liars" and writes a weblog of the same name. He notes that one of the top selling albums(CDs for you guys under 30) of the year was.. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. I remember reading Billboard during my years as a campus radio guy at Michigan State, marveling at that baby's staying power. And this was 1975. 30 years later, Dark Side still sells. It probably doesn't hurt that the same guys who bought the LP to play on their new Fisher systems back then are buying the high definition CD to play on their new digital surround systems now.

Seth thinks groups like Pink Floyd continue to be popular because, "..of worldview. Some people (most people) want to buy music they've heard before. It makes them happy to hear familiar music. The best new album in the world isn't going to change that worldview. Instead, what happens is that a great new album appeals to people who LIKE new music. Some of those folks work at radio stations or use Grokster. And they spread the song, playing it over and over (for free)to people who don't like new music. After awhile, it's not new to those people, so they buy it."

Don't know if I totally agree with this. I love Time Won't Let Me by the Outsiders. I like the Pietasters version too. But I also loved Stacy's Mom, 1985, What Would You Say and That Thing You Do. Sure, we love our faves. But good music is good music whether it's old or new.

The Keener Podcast - 5/21/05

We answer a request for a 1969 hit from the Newbeats. Jerry Trowbfidge (PBCLiberal) celebrates the 50th birthday of NBC's ground breaking Monitor program. What makes a great podcast? We learn the formula from Reel Reviews host Michael Geoghegan and play Keener rarities from Bob Seger and Ted Nugent.

Hear the show 23:30 22MB MP3

Post: IPods is a threat to radio.. but there's still time

The Washington Post echos the fears of a growing number of radio enthusiasts: Ipods are stealing listeneres. But the Post points out that the majority of us still depend on radio and there is time for broadcasters to react.

Frank Gorshin - The Riddler 1933-2005

He was a great impressionist and character actor who won a Emmy nomination as a two faced bigot on Star Trek. But Frank Gorshin's career got a rocket kick when he donned a skin-tight green suit with a black question mark on the front and became "The Riddler" on the Batman Television series. He never felt typecasted by the role that made him famous. The gig lead to a movie deal, numerous appearances in Las Vegas and a dead-on impression of George Burns in the 2002 one man show, "Goodnight Gracie." Gorshin died this week at 72.

Smokey Spins Magic

In this Detroit News Article, Susan Whitall tracks the amazing career of William "Smokey" Robinson as a new retrospective CD collection tracks his five decade musical career.

Xeni on NPR: Invasion of the Pod People

Wired's Xeni Jardin is featured on NPR's Day to Day program talking about The Invasion of the People and Radio's response.

The Keener Podcast - 5/14/05

Success breeds imitation. This week we look at how the Keener sound was exported to WKHM, WTRX, CHUM and others, using the vocal talents of Bob Green, Jerry Goodwin, Ted Clark and Scott Regen. Also, shouts to Adam Curry's Sirius debut, Todd Cochran's new Podcasting book and Mike Wendland's Freepcast. Plus, music from Detroiter Andre Williams, Witchi-tai-to, a new Keener Music Quiz and a lost middle-of-the-road classic from the Pozo Seco Singers.

Keener / Coverville get BMI Kudos

The Keener13 Podcast and Brian Ibbott's popular Coverville Podcast received kudos from Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) as being among the first to license music for use in podcasts. "These initiatives continue BMI's long tradition in breaking new ground for our creators and our licensees by harnessing the power of technology, said BMI Senior Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations Phil Graham. The Keener13 Podcast is licensed by both BMI and ASCAP, the two major organizations that distribute royalties to composers. We are in the process of adding SESAC, a third organization, to the list.

Monitizing Podcasts

From Spartanpodcast.com: An interesting look at the beginnings of streaming media on the Internet. On the heels of Sirius satellite radio's announcement that Adam Curry will produce a daily four hour compendium of podcasts on Sirius 148, we have an excerpt from Adam's "Strategy-Cast". He and partner Ron Bloom talk about their early efforts to stream the Grammys and evolution of podshow.com their new company that hopes to help podcasters produce, promote and monitize their programs. You can hear the full two hour version at Adam's Daily Source Code site.

Adam Curry to Podcast for Sirius

The announcement that Adam Curry and Sirius are teaming up to produce a four hour daily program on podcasting shows that, like it or not, Mel Karmazin continues to transform the lagging satellite radio service into a contender. The Sirius news release will frost Dave Winer. It calls Adam the father of podcasting, when in reality the concept had several early proponents, notably Dave. By many accounts, he and Adam had a falling out over how to monitize podcasting. Adam should have exerted a bit more influence to get the story straight in the release. The key question is: How much worthy podcast product is really out there? For every Todd Cochrane and Michael Geoghegan there are probably 50 wannabes with Powerbooks, microphones and rose colored glasses who want to grow up to be an Adam Curry. What ego wouldn't want their own wikipedia entry? To paraphrase Jonathan Wolfert, "Quality takes time." Listen to a cross section of what's on Podcast Alley and you'll find that there is still a lot more trash than treasure. But that's ok with us. Podcasting has opened up broadcasting to thousands of new voices. Like the days before voice tracking and megamedia, there is once again a place where it's ok to be bad while you're learning the trade. Even the Keener jocks have air checks they hide and will tell you that it took a lot of practice to find the rhythm. Podcasting gives us that vehicle. So kudos to Sirius for having the vision to showcase this emerging medium in all it's uneven glory. We'll be listening.