In a special segment of the Old School Radio this afternoon, host TG welcomes legendary DJ Jazzy Jay from the Zulu nation. Live in the studio today, August 31 with a replay tomorrow from 2-4 PM.  Reach out on the IM now: gtownradio

Tune in today at 4 PM as G-town Radio brings you more live programming you won't find on your radio dial.  At 4 PM you will hear the premiere edition of Passing the Torch hosted by Malcolm Cain Jr.  Each week Malcolm, age 15, discusses topics vital to the African American community such as health care, black on black crime, education and much more.  Passing the Torch is unique in that it looks at these topics from a youth's perspective.  Tune in today.  Join in the discussion by sending an Instant Message to gtownradio

Several other live shows are now appearing on G-town Radio.  Look for more info later today and throughout the weekend. 

Cutting the Cord is an ongoing series that explores the different ways you can listen to Internet Radio besides sitting in front of your computer.

Cutting the Cord, Pt 5: FM Takes a Backseat to WiFi

In this Tech Digest post a brand new Internet Radio by Freecom is previewed, the MusicPal (pictured at right).  The player will be available this August in the UK.  Wired or wireless, the player plays any internet radio stream or local mp3 library as well as supporting RSS / blog feeds.  Listen through built in speakers, plug in headphones or run a line into your stereo system.  Even use it as an alarm clock.

Even cooler looking are the new Tivoli NetWorks and NetWorksGo radios.  Both are interestingly positioned as Internet / FM radios where FM is considered a fall back for when a wireless signal is not available.  The NetWorks unit has the same great look of Tivoli's traditional AM-FM radios with a wood cabinet and elegant design in addition to the large multi-line digital display.  The NetWorksGo radio (pictured above) is a portable unit with FM and USB port for MP3 or flash memory connections.   Both units will be released late in 2007.  Pricing is not yet available.

Recently, David Pogue of the New York Times reviewed five new devices (including the Tivoli NetWorks and Com One Phoenix, pictured at right).  This tech site, Silicon Republic, from Ireland reviewed yet another (the Logik IR100) the same week in this article.  The variety of features and price points among them suggests the market is opening up as companies compete to produce the iPod of internet radio.  

If It Doesn't Do Digital I Don't Want It 

As we move into a post-iPod world the standard features on radios are rapidly changing.  Radio tuners and stereos have usb ports on the front of them for mp3 players or memory sticks.  Network jacks are appearing alongside RCA connectors on rear panels.  WiFi antennas are built into entertainment systems just like on laptops.  The younger generation doesn't own cds or cassettes or records.  Entire music libraries exist as digital files toted around on hard drives and flash drives.  New music is found online through internet radio, myspace and music sites.

All these changes are coming out at a trickle right now but much more is on the way.  The devices listed above are only the beginning.  The Tivoli units will most likely be a little too expensive for most but you can be sure someone is designing a better, cheaper music player as we speak.  Philadelphia is scheduled to be completely wireless by year's end.  You could very shortly be sitting under a tree in Fairmount Park listening to G-town Radio instead of anything on the FM dial.  It is not quite here yet but it is coming. 

See also:
The Revolution Will Now Be Mobile
Cutting the Cord homepage

A little bit of history today at G-town Radio as we hosted our first live show from our studio in the heart of Germantown.  Staf, Tyree, Sleeves, Ultraviolet & Luke Raws took control of the studio for Stereotronics.  Two hours of hip-hop that doesn't reach you on the radio.  Look the Stereotronics crew every Sunday and many more live shows as we roll out the new sound of G-town Radio.  Believe.

More pictures after the jump. 

By all accounts the Day of Silence was a major success.  Pretty much everywhere I looked I found some mention of it from USA Today to the BBC to NPR to major network news and just about every music or tech site on the web.  Basically, awareness of this issue took an exponential leap today which is a very good thing.  Kurt Hanson's Radio and Internet Newsletter reported that the SaveNetRadio site was overwhelmed by visitors and staffers on Capitol Hill were swamped with concerned supporters of Internet Radio urging their representatives to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act.

For all those who took action on this issue today we thank you a million times over.  For those who shared this story with co-workers, friends and family we thank you as well.  Even if you visited some of the sites listed below and took the time to educate yourself on this issue we appreciate it.  The more people are aware of and understand this issue the better Internet Radio's chance of survival.  Reversing the CRB's royalty ruling is the right thing to do and the vast majority of you agree.

To those who suffered in silence today we are sorry we left you hanging.  G-town Radio is back on the air and hopefully will be for the long run.

Let the music continue.

Do not attempt to adjust your computer.  You won't hear G-town Radio today, June 26, because we are participating in a nationwide 'Day of Silence' to protest the impending royalty rate increase that will effectively force the vast majority of webcasters off the air.  On July 15, the new royalty rates are due and will be retro-active for the past 18 months.  The billions (yes, billions) that will be owed far exceed all of the money made by independent and corporate webcasters.  In yet another short sighted money grab by the music industry they refuse to recognize the value internet radio brings to underplayed artists of all types.

On this day thousands of webcasters will silence their streams to give you an idea of what life would be like without this unique media outlet.  Hobbyist stations, community outlets (like G-town Radio), terrrestrial stations that also stream (like WXPN, xpn.org) and streaming services like Live365 will go dark.  The point is that FM radio blows.  To FM stations you aren't a listener, only a target market they try to narrowly define with boring and insultingly small playlists.  Internet radio fills the immense void created by radio.  Underplayed artists and entire genres ignored by the radio have enjoyed the air play and appreciation of internet radio.  Silencing this new medium with crippling royalty fees hurts everyone.  It hurts artists. It hurts music lovers.  It hurts you at your computer today wondering how the hell you are going to pass the day at work without anything new and interesting to hear.

I started G-town Radio a year ago because I had a problem.  I loved music but I hated the radio.  I wanted local content that wasn't generic and boring.  I wanted to hear all the artists, past and present, that I never heard anywhere else.  I wanted to hear real voices sharing their ideas and passions with their neighbors.  In many cases that passion is expressed with music.  The CRB's royalty decision says our passions will cost too much to share so now we are silent.

The cause is not lost.  As you read this two bills are moving through the U.S. House and Senate that would repeal the new rates to reasonable levels everyone can live with.  If you miss internet radio today spend a little time checking out the links below and learn how you can lend your voice to this cause. 

Fear not, G-town Radio will be back on the air tomorrow and everyday for the immediate future.  As you can see below we even have a new home and are actively training people in the community to bring you live programming you most definitely won't find anywhere else.  If you have thoughts or comments about the future on internet radio please write us at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it   We'd love to hear from you.

Have a productive (and quiet) day,
Jim Bear 

Visit these sites today:
SaveNetRadio.org

Day of Silence Participants

Internet Radio Equality Act

Radio and Internet Newsletter (RAIN)

KCRW

WXPN