Friday, January 29, 2010
Heaven's Jam
©2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A Child’s Love
Can you believe that January is almost over? I’ve always seen the first month of the year a bit slow; not this year though. To quote Bryan Duncan from a 1980’s CCM tune, A Child’s Love, “…I see the pages fall from the calendar like the leaves falling from the trees.”
I first played that song in 1986. It spoke to me in a way few songs have ever done. At the time I didn’t have children but very strongly identified with its message. “Teach me, dear LORD, to have a love for you, a child’s love” These days are filled with lessons learned from my 4 kids foreshadowed by a song from 25 years ago. I am blessed. Allow these words to soak into your spirit:
I see the pages fall from the calendar
Like the leaves falling from the trees
Feel a chill in the fear of the future
As I weather this autumn breeze
I watch my red-haired inspiration
Playing games out on the lawn
Such an innocent joy of living
He's his father's only son
Don't let me live without a child's love
Like the love in this child of mine
Teach me, dear Lord, to have a love for you
A child's love
I let the changes in my season
Steal the passion from my heart
Like the roses fade in the winter
All the petals fall apart
Until a young voice gives my withered soul
A rejuvenating smile
And those small hands clasped around me
Erase the hardship for awhile
Don't let me live without a child's love
Like the love in this child of mine
Teach me again about a child's love
And sharing the best of my time,
Oh, and don't let me live without a child's love
Like the love in this child of mine
Teach me, dear Lord, to have a love for you
A child's love
Don't let me live without a child's love
Like the love in this child of mine
Teach me again about a child's love
And sharing the best of my time,
Oh, and don't let me live without a child's love
Like the love in this child of mine
Teach me, dear Lord, to have a love for you
A child's love
A child's love
A child's love
A child's love
Stay tuned
Saturday, January 23, 2010
The Peanut Explained
Once a man named Riddle called a small town radio station a peanut whistle. With a chuckle I adopted it to mean any scruffy enterprise.
Originally, a peanut whistle was a miniscule ham radio (shortwave) transmitter with only a single watt or two power output that the “hams” (amateur radio operators) used. It was also Bob Riddle’s humorous semi-offensive metaphor for a low power, usually AM, radio station; those at which I spent most my broadcast career. By the way, Bob was a newsman who worked for me at radio home three where I was program director.
In the USA radio stations are limited to a maximum of 100,000 watts on FM and 50,000 watts on AM. Most of my radio homes have been 5,000 watts or less. I feel the power “disadvantage” made me more inventive than those big budget facilities ever could.
Well, the Peanut Whistle Audio Podcast is coming very soon. The equipment is up and running; I just need to find the time to get some episodes recorded. Ideas for new shows are appreciated.
Stay tuned
©2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
We're Back!
Gospel Rewind Webcast Returns
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Pandora’s Box
Many music fans with high speed Internet already know of the vast streaming audio choices the web offers. Today I am listening to Pandora radio. The service is awesome and it is free; you can tailor according to your own tastes. Type in your favorite song or artist and, voila, it chooses a mix of selections especially for you with very minimal ads. To me; as soon as most Americans have a computer, Wi-Fi or WiMax receiver or web enabled cell phone, traditional radio is dead. That may be sooner than most people think. I hardly ever listen to AM or FM for anything more than news or the occasional talk show. I suspect many others have similar listening habits. Unfortunately, the market cannot withstand the infinite choices available and needs to be sifted because no company can make money when the audiences are so diluted. When any average 16 year old can start an on-line radio station in his basement and can pull away just one listener from more traditional media who knows what kind of Pandora’s box we’ve opened.
Stay tuned
copyright 2010 the Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The GRIN returns
copyright © 2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.
The GRIN Aircheck
copyright © 2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Change of Season
New GRIN
Friday, January 8, 2010
LPFM & Internet Radio
Ok, so I’m on this new kick. Why couldn’t I combine a terrestrial Low Power FM signal with an Internet radio station? Last December the U.S. congress passed H.R. 1147 or Local Community Radio Act of 2009. The bill will now move on to the Senate then to the president’s desk for approval.
This is seen as a victory for small time broadcasters, myself included. As soon as possible we will get the ball rolling on an actual radio station home for the GRIN. I am optimistic the bill will be passed into law with all the full support of the broadcast community and the FCC.
A 100 watt FM radio station in a major population center, Atlanta Metro, would potentially reach a large population. Previous LPFM’s were not allowed in a major market such as Atlanta. The new bill reverses the FCC’s previous restrictions on major market penetration. The good news is that the FM dial here is not overcrowded either. Obtaining a good frequency should be a painless process.
There is talk now of repurposing the vacated analog TV frequencies on channels 5 and 6 for both troubled local AM facilities and future LPFM’s. Audio quality, especially for the AM’s would become 100% digital stereo thus producing an even playing field when compared to conventional FM. I am not too excited about this due to the non-existence of receivers. Although; as a former AM broadcaster myself, pristine digital quality would be heavenly. It would take years for the electronics industry to catch up. (Frankly, I hope that AM disappears entirely. It is 80+ year old technology 30 years past its prime.)
Internet radio faces many hurdles as well. Most listeners are tied to a PC. Live streaming over the Internet must become more portable before it catches up with terrestrial AM & FM. WiMax and Wi-Fi show promise. But, I would wager that most folks would rather have their radio free of a monthly fee. I have reasoned that combining both LPFM and Internet steaming are a great strategy for a budget minded broadcaster such as myself. The GRIN will return. Just what type of carrier or simulcast combination is yet to be decided.
Stay tuned
Copyright © 2010 Gospel Aircheck. All rights reserved
Flashbulb Elvis
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Confirm Me
August 6, 1995
It’s been 14 years since I last made an appearance on real radio. It was an honest to goodness frequency modulated signal emanating 3,000 watts in stereo out of Carrollton, Georgia. Sorry, you new age Internet radio types, but nothing compares to an actual FCC license pinned to the control room bulletin board along with your fellow DJs’ operators permits, telemetry readings, etc.
Having my own Internet radio station last year was a great learning experience; but it would have never passed as a legitimate station, no matter how many listeners were “tuned” in, I felt like a pirate. To quote a comic hero, Jerry Seinfeld, “I don’t wanna be a pirate!”
That brings me to a very interesting development in the world of broadcasting LPFM or Low Power FM. The FCC has passed legislation (Which I will research for a later blog in full detail.) that will allow us enterprising programmers an honest to God FM radio station that will serve a 7 or 8 mile radius. While that may not sound like much, a suburban Atlanta area like mine has a population concentrated enough that I could reach a considerably diverse base. As I figure it, my future low power station could potentially reach far more listeners than my last radio home did with 3Kw out in the boon docks. That first Sunday in August of 1995, I never envisioned the options available today. There are almost too many choices, but that is another story.
Stay tuned
Monday, January 4, 2010
Finger Nails on a Chalkboard
Stay tuned
copyright ©2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The Holiday Road (to recovery)
The Turning Point
Blog in Transition
© copyright 2010 The Peanut Whistle / Gospel Aircheck. All rights reserved.