Recently in Terrestrial Radio Category

Oprah's BFF Gayle King, and trusted medical guru Dr. Mehmet Oz, are no longer exclusive to the satellite radio airwaves thanks to a deal inked with terrestrial radio broadcaster Westwood One.

FM radio stations across the country have been censoring the word "satellite" from the hit Black Eyed Peas song "Boom Boom Pow" according to a report by The State Press.

Instead of the lyrics "here we go, here we go, satellite radio" the radio-edited version of the song garbles the word "satellite" - censoring a word that is both family-friendly and unoffensive.

That is, unoffensive to listeners at least, but apparently offensive enough to warrant nationwide censorship by those in the terrestrial radio industry. If you needed further proof of the travesty that regular radio has become, this is it.

Microsoft has finally come clean on the rumors of its new touch-screen Zune HD, set to go on sale this Fall. The new Zune is an attempt to take on the iPod Touch, but it's not the interface I'm interested in - it's the "HD" in the new Zune HD.

Nearly three years ago, the old-school Microsoft Zune touted a built-in FM radio - not exactly a feature that would make it an "iPod killer" (as history shows, the Zune barely made a dent in iPod sales), but it was a feature nonetheless. Including a radio tuner gave consumers the choice to listen to their own collection, or live content from over-the-air radio.

And now, the new Zune HD will include an "upgrade" to its featureset: built-in HD Radio.

Sirius XM Radio Inc. chief Mel Karmazin said in an internal memo to staffers that the company now has the most revenue of any other radio company - not just in the United States, but in the world.

Following last week's rumor mongering, official word has come out that Bubba the Love Sponge will soon be heard on four more radio stations covering Miami, Orlando, Ft. Myers and Richmond, Virginia.

Clear Channel CEO Mark Mays had words about the FCC's approving of the merger between Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio at a panel during this week's NAB Radio Show.

"I don't know how they [the FCC] allowed XM and Sirius to merge into a monopoly," said Clear Channel chief Mark Mays (pictured left, next to his father and Clear Channel chairman, Lowry Mays).

Of course, that criticism didn't prevent Clear Channel from revamping their channels on XM following the Sirius XM Radio Inc. merger. The Clear Channel controlled channels are reported to earn the radio conglomerate "seven figure revenue" annually.

Mays continued his remarks about the FCC, "They clearly didn't have the backbone right now to do the right thing." Mays added that "the right thing" would be to mandate that HD Radio be included in all receivers.

I wonder if calling Chairman Kevin Martin, as well as Commissioners McDowell and Tate, as having no "backbone" will encourage the FCC to do "the right thing"?

"Negativity is pervading the radio business and threatens to paralyze us."

Those were the words from the NAB's el presidente David Rehr at the NAB Radio Show this week. He's right, of course. Negativity is pervading the radio business, and does  threaten to paralyze the industry.

And the NAB hasn't helped in propagating this negativity. In relentlessly fighting new technologies. In resorting to smokey-room lobbying tactics. In setting up front-groups to appear as "consumers." In resisting the current of change, as opposed to embracing it.

Los Angeles-based Mt. Wilson FM Broadcasters has filed the first petition for reconsideration with the FCC over the merger between Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.

Mt. Wilson is the licensee of L.A. radio stations KKGO and KGIL.

The broadcaster is asking the Commission to take a second look at the conditions imposed on Sirius XM Radio Inc. The company argues that the conditions are not adequate, and that the satellite radio companies should be subject to the same indecency regulations over "unauthorized frequencies" that terrestrial radio follows.

[View Petition (PDF)]

National Public Radio (NPR) is continuing the assault by terrestrial broadcasters in opposing the proposed merger of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.

In a letter sent to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin earlier this week, NPR called for an HD Radio capability mandate and 25% of the spectrum to be reserved for non-commercial programming - as opposed to the 8% proposed by the companies.

NPR, which is also carried on Sirius, touted that public radio has been at the forefront of HD Radio broadcasting and "a merger condition requiring the inclusion of HD Radio technology in all new satellite receivers would ensure a competitive market for digital terrestrial broadcasting, while preventing monopolistic market forces from squeezing out this growing service."

As for the spectrum set-aside requirement, NPR CEO Dennis Haarsager said, "Reserving an appropriate percent of the satellite radio spectrum for programming from non-commercial public and minority broadcasters will contribute to the multiplicity of voices that is an inherent component of the dialogue of America's democracy."

[FMQB]