Lecture Notes 9/28/09

Lecture Notes Ch. 10, 15

Chapter 10 – Radio Broadcasting

DQ: Where do you most often listen to radio?

DQ: Have you heard of HD Radio? If you have, have you had the chance to listen to it?

DQ: Do you have satellite radio, XM or Sirius?

DQ: What is the difference between AM and FM radio? AM modulates the signal strength while FM modulates the frequency.

DQ: When was FM radio created? In 1933 by Edwin Armstrong. When did FM finally surpass AM radio? 1978.

The Telecommunication Act of 1996 removed caps on ownership of radio stations and led to investment in new technology. Clear Channel owned 1,005 stations, which still only accounted for 9% of the U.S. market. Cumulus, second largest, only owned 336 stations. Currently operates over 800 radio stations according to their website http://www.clearchannel.com/Radio/PressRelease.aspx?PressReleaseID=1563&p=hidden

If you would like more information about the history of radio (or of any of the technologies we are studying), see Brian Winston’s Media Technology and Society.

HD Radio

DQ: What are some of the factors limiting the spread of HD radio?

Satellite Radio

DQ: What are some of the advantages offered by satellite radio? What are some of the factors that have helped satellite radio spread while HD radio continues to struggle?

Low-Power FM

DQ: Do you ever listen to low-power FM stations? What groups do you think would most benefit from this type of broadcasting?

New Competition

DQ: Have you ever listened to Internet radio, such as Pandora?

DQ: Do you like the personalization options offered by services like Internet radio and podcasts? What do you think people could miss out on by only using these services over traditional radio?

Chapter 15 – Digital Audio

DQ: What is the main advantage offered by digital recording over analog? No loss in quality even after numerous copies have been made.

DQ: What is one important thing that has negatively affected digital sound quality?

Regulation

Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA) and digital rights management (DRM) technology

DQ: What is the DMCA? DRM? How does DRM limit your access to digital audio?

RIAA lawsuits

DQ: Do you think the lawsuits by the RIAA have been effective? Do you know anyone who has been sued by the RIAA? Do you think of the threat of lawsuit when sharing music online?

Technologies

DQ: What are some of the most important technologies related to digital audio? Digital audiotape, compact disc (CD), super audio CD (SACD), and MP3.

DQ: What do you think of the move to DRM-free music? Do you think it’s a move motivated by a desire to make music more easily accessible to the widest number of people or simply a move to wrest control of digital audio from the largest music provider, Apple’s iTunes?

DQ: Have you downloaded music wirelessly to your cell phone?

DQ: Would you have any interest in subscribing to a service, like Napster or Rhapsody, which offers unlimited downloads which are limited by DRM?