Archives for August 2006

What Happens When Your Radio Station Switches Formats

August 22, 2006 by Rox

I’m probably opening myself up for non-stopping ribbing by admitting to this, but I listen to country music radio. At least I did until KZLA — who have always called themselves “America’s most listened to country station” — abruptly became “Movin 93.9” last Thursday.

I listened to KZLA’s morning show on my way to work Thursday morning but when I got back in my car to head home that evening I was shocked to hear “Mambo #5” coming out of my speakers. My first thought was that it was on the wrong station, however a quick glance and the pretty purple LCD screen told me that I was still on 93.9. Something was wrong. Very wrong. I promptly turned the volume down and called my husband on my cellphone. When I got home, I checked the headlines online only to find that it was even a surprise to the station air staff.

The Daily Loper – August 21, 2006

August 21, 2006 by Lopy

Today’s links of interest:

We hate to watch
Six shows the Salon staff nominates for cancellation. Their restraint is nothing less than admirable.
3 AOL workers depart over privacy breach
Hmm, accountability. What a concept.
iPods at war
Convergence hits the battlefield. War may be hell, but at least now you can take your mix along with you.

Watch Out For Falling Serpents!!

August 21, 2006 by Jim Connelly

So Snakes on a Plane didn’t do as well as expected. What surprises me is why anybody is surprised about this. But they are, and the backlash against the blogosphere has already started.

“It doesn’t create any sort of mandate for Internet promotion,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations, noting that all the Web hype for Snakes on a Plane didn’t translate into ticket-buying.

CBS Reaffirms Its Commitment To Appointment Television

August 21, 2006 by Kassia Krozser

Starting on September 5, you will be able to access the CBS Evening News from the comfort of your laptop. That’s the good news. The bad news? After a series of what seemed to be good moves, CBS is taking a step backward. This time, it’s a classic case of protectionism.

The question is, of course, who is CBS protecting?

With Katie Couric at the helm, CBS is hoping to attract a younger viewing audience. Setting aside the fact that the audience they’re gunning for — the net generation — isn’t likely to be swayed by the addition of Couric, except from a curiosity perspective, CBS’s move seems like the same old appointment television with an online twist.

The Weekly ‘Loper – August 20, 2006

August 20, 2006 by Jim Connelly

While you were using the Web to arm yourself with information about new cars — and still ended up paying more than you intended — here’s what we were looking at:

Why Zune & iPod Should Have the Radio On (Radio On!) – Hell, even the Prism DuroSport’s got the AM, so why aren’t Microsoft and Apple down with giving us as many listening choices as possible?
It’s Hard Out There For A Critic – In a world where critics aren’t the gatekeepers and tastemakers, what role will they end up playing?
Assessing The Impact Of the AOL Data Spill – Kirk takes an in-depth look at the impact of AOL’s leaked user search data.
10 Ways To Protect Your Privacy Before The Next Data Spill – This sort of thing is going to happen again, and you’d best believe that your data is being traded privately all of the time anyways, so here’s how to minimize the impact.
That’s What I Like: The Complete Peanuts – In the latest installment of our highly acclaimed* series, Jim looks at early days of the iconic comic strip and points out that, originally, they were just weird little kids.
Nothin’ From Nothin’ Leaves Nothin’ – It’s obviously going to take Billy Preston to convince John Lennon to let Yoko know that it’s time for The Beates to join the iTunes parade.

*To each other

The Daily Loper – August 19, 2006

August 19, 2006 by Lopy

Today’s links of interest:

FOX offers free shows on Web
Fox offers free programming via its affiliates rather than from the mother ship.
Office Pirates Hits Rough Seas
Office Pirates has apparently failed to go viral (making one wonder, once again, if media companies understand how viral works). Apparently more advertising is needed.
Consumer Satisfaction With Portals Declining
Blame the lack of innovation. We’re sure the portals will respond with something resembling, well, more stuff to distract users.
Round Two in the Great Commercial-Ratings Debate
For those who missed Round One, this article catches you up. For those who need just the highlights, commercial ratings are controversial. Advertisers have concerns, Nielsen says "don’t worry, we have your back". The rest of us wonder why commercials need

Nothin’ From Nothin’ Leaves Nothin’

August 19, 2006 by Kassia Krozser

A long time ago in a galaxy far away, we had a little something called “AM Radio”. On AM Radio, they played something called “singles”. These singles were sometimes just that — individual songs recorded by artists. Sometimes these singles came from a flat piece of grooved vinyl called an “album”.

This being the the olden days (think approximately the time that the wonders of electricity were fully explored), sometimes you’d hear a single on the radio and you’d go to the store and buy it. The single generally had two songs, on on the A side and one on the B side. Some people took the whole power of the purchasing dollar thing further and bought entire albums.

The Daily Loper – August 18, 2006

August 18, 2006 by Lopy

Today’s links of interest:

Amazon Video Sneak Peak?
Purported screenshots of the soon to launch Amazon video store. Looks like the service will support Windows Media-based portable devices. I guess Zune and iPod owners are out of luck.
On the Internet, No One’s Neutral
A look at the network neutrality issue from the perspective of artists. We like artists.
Harry Potter Loves Malfoy
The Japanese approach to copyright inspires creativity. Could this be a model for the United States? Don’t hold your breath…
Art Does Not Apologize
Ah, we love nothing better than an art snob defining art on his own terms. If you do not sweat blood, it is not art. Get real, dude.

That’s What I Like: The Complete Peanuts

August 18, 2006 by Jim Connelly

The Complete Peanuts is an ambitious project: starting with his very first strips in 1950, the plan is to reissue the entire body of Charles Schulz iconic strip over a 12-year period, with a new book every six months covering two years worth of strips.

It goes without saying that the books themselves are beautiful: hardbound, lavishly illustrated, with interesting tidbits and interviews with current pop culture figures. They are obviously designed to look good sitting on your shelf. But that’s not what makes them so great. What makes them so great is watching the evolution of something that fully permeated our culture.

The Daily Loper – August 17, 2006

August 17, 2006 by Lopy

Today’s links of interest:

Country’s Gone & Dees “Gets Movin” To Mornings At 93.9 LA
What does it mean when "America’s Most Listened To Country Station" goes pop? And brings back blowhard Rick Dees? We dunno, but at least one ‘Loper is gonna have to find something else to listen to on her daily commute.
InStore pact to send ABC grocery shopping
As if the wait in Ralphs ("Welcome to Ralphs, now get in line!!") isn’t bad enough. If an real-life desperate housewife waiting to checkout sees a promo for said show, will she enter a time/space loop?
Ebert Recovery May Take Months
Kind of the physical manifestation of the "Decline of the Critic."
Freedom of Information
More on the brewing copyright wars — what happens when copyright holders restrict creativity? Creativity rebels.