MediaVoice Blog #9

This week; Radio Pause & Play, Radio changes on Agricola, Sack-Vegas Radio, The White Goat and What was the real 'Apple' story this week, even bigger than the iPad? This is DB’s MediaVoice Radio Blog # 9

Several months ago I talked about how valuable dash board real estate is becoming in new cars and I pondered where the FM Radio is going to fit in the rapidly changing interior design of what’s now become the automobile entertainment centre. Well, score a big one for General Motors. I’ve lost count of how many times I’d be listening to a Radio feature, a newscast or a great Radio conversation and upon arriving at work or home, I’d miss the end because I had to leave the car. It happens at gas stations more than you’d think. Finally, and it’s about time… designers at GM will begin to promote what they call the ‘Pause and Play’ with their 2010 Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain, the Chevy Cruze, the Buick Regal and the Cadillac SRX and JTS. Think of ‘Pause and Play’ exactly as you would your TV’s DVR..but this is for Radio. The first beta versions actually appeared 2 years ago in 2008. Pause and Play records the station you're listening to for ‘later’ playback, any 20 minute audio file from your FM radio. And yes, it also works while the car is turned off. For news junkies who stop to fill up the gas tank or rush into a store.. just hit Pause, exit the car, fill’er up, and when you get back in, hit Play and the entire section you missed replays. Now on the downside, with audio taking up smaller percentages of space on even larger storage hard drives these days, why does this feature only save a mere 20 minutes worth of audio. The Cadillac versions on the other hand each save any 60 minute period of Radio you desire. That’s more like it. Look for future updates of this feature to include much larger capacity. I would easily use this ‘Pause and Play’ feature several times per week. On a related note… I test drove the 2010 Equinox a few months ago at Cornwallis Motors in New Minas and I admit, I was really impressed with it. Had sales rep Garnet Mason told me about that Pause and Play feature, that might have been the clincher and I’d have driven it home that day. Btw, we ended up choosing the GMC Envoy. Remember the name, ‘Pause and Play’ from GM and while it’s quietly been around since 2008, it soon will get the marketing push it needs and look for other automakers to follow in 2011.

By now I’m sure you’ve seen or read about the new Apple iPad. Did anyone else notice how slow the speed on the Internet was in the few hours during and after this past weeks ‘Key Note with Apple CEO Steve Jobs. I tried to download the video and I gave up after 10 minutes of waiting. I heard last night on a podcast that over 200,000 viewers checked out the live ‘keynote’ which may be a new record for an internet webstream. While somewhat impressed with the new tablet and it’s $499 price, I suspect in the year ahead, Apple will add several of the features that many were hoping would originally be included. (i.e Phone capable and a camera for video calls & video conferencing.) One feature I really like…it’s data plan will be available ‘without’ a locked -in contract. Now…while it only received limited exposure during the keynote, I think the ‘real’ story here was actually the launch of Apple’s new iBook store. Just as digital music downloads are off the chart with iTunes, E-Books are going to explode with this new central source of digital books , magazines and newspapers. And, just as encyclopedias disappeared after the arrival of DVD’s…the iBook store combined with the iPad will radically alter the billion dollar + Post Secondary Education Textbook industry. I can see in just a few years or sooner…students at the NSCC no longer visiting the Bookstore to purchase heavy hardcover college textbooks. Instead, they’ll simply carry an iPad with their downloaded textbooks in full color on their tablets. Chiropractors may not be enthused however as student back injuries (due to those 50lb knapsacks) will dramatically decline. In a recent interview on CBC, one Textbook industry expert predicted that along with new digital downloads of textbooks, you can expect Audio versions too. And as for the Amazon ‘Kindle’.…sorry but without a major re-tooling I honestly believe you’ll see Kindles at local Flea Markets within 20 months.

It was great to host a visit from the CHUM Radio Halifax PD’s a week ago at the NSCC. ( yeah, I know.. but it will always be CHUM to me) PD Rob Basilie from 101.3 The Bounce and C100’s Earle Mader along with Promotions Director Matt Cleveland (RTA Alumni,02) dropped by for an intimate visit with the NSCC’s Radio TV Arts students. During a session in the Campus Theatre, all three outlined their inspiring career paths and invited Radio students to dive in and get involved in the local HRM market. It’ll be interesting to listen this spring as the Bounce (formerly 920 CJCH) evolves after Halifax says goodbye to Rob Basilie. While Mader has had his hands full fending off new format challenges from within the metro market, Basilie has had his finger squarely on every minute of the Bounce’s sound from morning til night. Now he’s preparing to head home to Toronto to pursue new projects. I personally want to thank Rob for his support of many Nova Scotia Radio students and of the NSCC’s RTA program. His passion for the business is obvious and speculation is high about what station changes might be in store on Agricola Street after his departure. Launching a Radio station requires both careful planning and a highly meticulous marketing plan and Basilie’s launch of the Bounce a year and a half ago was almost textbook. Now.. about that marketing term, “the New 101.3", yes … times up.

While we’re on radio signals…. Watch for a new FM signal in Sack-Vegas in the months ahead. The drive to bring Classic Country back to Metro after the sale and sign-off of Newcap’s AM-680, KIXX Country is taking a step….well okay… maybe a half step ahead. Al Hollingsworth is one of the driving forces for what is being called a Sackville Community & Volunteer driven Low Power Service playing traditional C & W. No surprise really at all that his is happening. If Traditional Classic Country is your flavor and you’re over the age of 50 .. you’ve been pretty much left out in the cold since the day Frank Lowe got all choked up when he signed off (CFDR) KIXX along with funny man Country BOB.

Finally this week as always…..let’s end with some imagination and innovation…Remember those TPS Reports from the movie Office Space ? Well now thanks to the growing surge of green environmental products, you can now actually change those TPS reports into.. you guessed it… TP. The ‘White Goat’ goes on sale in a few months and after seeing this new ‘green’ office product, my only question is.. just who came up with this idea…and just what were they doing at the time that light bulb flicked on in their head. Check out this short Video for the new ‘White Goat’, coming this May. I have to admit, we should order one for the Waterfront campus.

Thanks for reading,

David 0db Bannerman
Great Audio is Visual.

MediaVoice Happy New Year BLOG #8

This week, Radio and Tech Predictions for 2010. Happy New Year ! This is DB’s Multimedia-Radio Blog # 8

Ok, I’m the first to admit, it’s been too long since my last Blog but even I didn’t expect it to be this hard to simply find time to update my pages. So why the long break…ok… I underestimated the work-load at College during the back half of the 1st semester and other projects including this blog ended up on the backburner. One new process I implemented this fall at school was ONLINE testing. Think of it the way you might think of entering Music into a Scheduling program, or building a database…a lot of time and effort up front so that you can reap the time savings down the road. Here’s hoping.

So much to cover…..… so let’s jump right in with 5 items to wrap up 2009.

5) For Christmas…….Santa Leigh-Anne gave me a Tom Tom GPS Navigator, which I have to admit is a gadget I’ve never thought of before. What’s cool is how eerily accurate it is. My GPS is the voice model that talks as you drive. As we were zipping down the 101, I noted on the screen some non-existent sideroads I thought had to be errors..wrong... they were actually old logging roads, and yes they were cleary visible on the GPS navigator. Until I’m actually lost, it’s a cool novelty but I’m sure that day will come soon enough. Check it out. Oh and from voiceskins.com I’ve already downloaded Homer as my Tom Tom Navigators Voice..along with Snoop Dogg…know what um sayin !

Now as you read this we may be in the early days of 2010 so it's time to take a quick look ahead. Everyone loves PREDICTIONS so let’s have some fun and look into this bright but really fuzzy Radio & Audio Crystal ball for my top 4 for the year ahead.

4) Low Power FM will make another big leap ahead this year. Though Canada still lags way behind the U.S., we’ll see more CRTC applications for Low Power FM’s in 2010. It’s all being driven by a huge thirst for micro-local programming both in the air and online. Stateside, the American Senate recently passed the 2nd last hurdle for a wave of new Low Power FM Commercial Radio Stations. Yes, ‘commercial’ LPFM stations, to serve small communities and large neighborhoods. While large American corporate interests are scoffing at the idea, it’s clear that the Micro-Local programming sector will mark a healthy growth curve for terrestrial and online Radio. Only in the states you say, don’t bet on it, this trend will head north.

3) Don’t panic, but in the first half of 2010, expect several corporate Radio bankruptcies in the states. Widely proclaimed by several industry critics, most of these meltdowns were predicted over a year ago. In almost all cases, these are large scale operations involving companies with hundreds of Radio stations, most of which over the past decade were 1) hugely over-valued and 2) strongly embraced network feeds from large centre’s into smaller cities and towns with repeater style doses of voice tracked non-local programming. Expect to see the first of these stories in the U.S. financial pages in January. Now why should this even interest those in Canada? Because for decades, many Canadian Broadcasters have invested heavily in either American Consultants or in training top management using resources from the most competitive radio market in the world, that’s right… the Red White and Blue. Just like Apple’s Steve Jobs.. if we’re really smart, we’ll watch and listen.. and then we’ll act on others mistakes applying what we have learned. Hmmm…then again, how many of us think like Steve Jobs ?

2) Speaking of Apple, this could be the biggest year yet for the propellerheads on the Infinite Loop in California. Real simple…it’s the iPad or maybe they’ll name it the MacBook Touch or the iTablet. I think iPad. I wrote about this months ago and I believe it’s going to be huge. Watch for the announcement and it could be as early as the last week in January. This new product from Apple is going to dominate the geek podcasts in 2010 and it has the potential to be bigger than the iPhone. As I write, the Apple iTunes site is being revamped in preparation for the arrival of this new tablet device. Why will this be THE tech-story of 2010 ? This device’s screen will be physically bigger than the iPhone but smaller than the Notebook, with the highest resolution for a screen it’s size and with eye-friendly text for reading what will be a coming torrent of online books. But Dave, what about the Kindle ? Are you kidding ? And by using a new revamped iTunes store, it will become THE portal for Video, Audio, Text and yes even PDF’s. Now imagine, no more heavy textbooks to haul around with all those expensive new text editions to buy every second year. Simply purchase online through the new iTunes store and download the entire textbook in beautiful color to your iPad. And yes, watch for Newspapers front and centre when the new Itunes and the iPad launches. Apple I'm sure has been sealing deals with the top papers for months and I’m guessing with Network Television too. Finally, if you thought Apps for the iPod was an industry unto itself, just wait until this new product launches. My biggest regret, Jerry Rideout told me to buy Apple stock back when it was around $150 a share.. Dang it !! Watch it soar toward $300 and beyond in 2010.

And finally my number one augury for 2010.

1) Online Content will be King. And simply put, who is in a better position than anyone else to dominate audio content in 2010 and into the next decade ? …Creative Radio professionals that’s who. And I don’t mean just the radio program streaming online, actually the ‘live-stream’ is simply the foundation on which everything else needs to be built above. Too many in the radio industry know that Radio has got to move online and fast but our medium remains sitting on it’s hands. How many can name 3 Radio Stations consistently podcasting their top features every single day….my point exactly. 2 weeks ago at Future Shop, one salesguy told me their biggest seller in the large iPod accessories section were the iPod Charge & Play Docking kits for automobiles. How many Radio stations have a full time Webmaster, or a full or even P/T Videographer ? What local information is your favorite Radio station capable of creating that no one else has AND that an audience would be willing to pay for? I know of one service in Halifax I'd pay for right now...that no one has jumped on…with a HUGE growth potential for listeners and profits. You can see some of the many questions we need to be asking right now, and there are so many more.

By the way.. on a final personal note to NSCC Radio students. Thank you to those I have the pleasure of working with each and every day for providing the inspiration to remain excited and passionate about the craft of Audio Production and Radio. Those students who have the R factor and for them this is exactly what they have chosen to do. It’s unfortunate that too often they're overlooked or not recognized for what they truly are, and that’s an energetic creative force and a tremendous resource who own the power to push and move Radio where it needs to move in this new decade. Tap in..cut them loose and listen to their ideas. They are the future…and ‘their’ technology, which is now ‘our’ technology is now driving the Radio bus.

Raise a glass of Merlot & Happy New Year ! I sincerely hope 2010 is a prosperous, safe and an exciting year for each of you. Let’s go !

Great Audio is Visual.

David '0db' Bannerman

MediaVoice BLOG #7

This week, Internet Radios in Stores for Christmas, the Picket line, Amazing Numbers and a Memo to Me. This is DB’s Multimedia-Radio Blog # 7

As one who truly loves learning something new every day about media platforms and technology… I remind myself often how fortunate I am that I get to teach others about the evolving and incredible world of New Media, Radio and Audio Convergence. It’s amazing to see the latest statistics and numbers. Every now and then an inside look at our changing technological world comes along that really catches our attention. Well, if you haven’t had a reality check lately, then let me direct you to one. Hold on because there are lots of numbers here and they come at you very quickly...actually too fast. That being said, the numbers are astounding.. sit back for a few minutes and be prepared to be amazed. This is our ‘Wow’ presentation of the month.

Shifting 180 degrees, a sentence or two about a potential strike at NSCC is inevitable in this week’s column. This past Friday Oct 2^nd, an anticipated day of negotiations ended with no settlement for the 1000+ Community College Faculty and Professional Support Staff across Nova Scotia. The last place I would ever expect to find myself is on a picket line so I continue to hope that a potential work stoppage can be averted, and quickly. I really hope that a speedy resolution will address the very important issue of fairness for so many hard working and truly dedicated NSCC employees. Like so many of my colleagues, I really love my job ‘and’ being a part of the amazing NSCC success story. In fact, probably just as much as our students love being in the Radio TV Arts program.

A month or so ago, I told you about the 20+ manufacturers meeting in Berlin to hammer out international standards for new Internet Radios. No sooner had they completed that task and already we’re beginning to see the rollout of several updated Internet Radio models. Let me put it in as simple a term as possible… the gate is about to open and that day that many of us saw coming years ago has arrived. If nothing else, in the months ahead, we will perhaps start moving forward with a new respect for homegrown LOCAL Radio programming. One of the first new models out is the Aluratek Internet Radio. It’s marketing promises over 10,000 possible program sources from all over the world and it comes complete with automatic Wi-Fi search and lock. Did I happen to mention this is FREE programming.…No subscription fees here. Weeks ago I received an e-mail from a friend who asked if I thought this would be the death of terrestrial Radio as we know it. In a word…NO… not at all. It likely however will as Dad used to say when I was young “deliver a swift kick in the pants” to Satellite Radio and also for those broadcasters continent wide who are overdoing generic fill Voice Tracking. So far no sign of these new Radios at Future Shop or Best Buy yet…but check this.. more than 5 of them are now available at the old Radio Shack (The Source) including the Aluratek for $169. We’ll be reading a lot about IR in the trades over the next 12 months so sit back and prepare yourself as the Internet Radio columns start to fly. Also, this internet radio movement really shouldn’t be any surprise to anyone who’s seriously into their Radio craft…. and by the way, if you consider yourself really ‘into’ your Radio craft, you shouldn’t worry about Internet Radio. Only three things will drive listeners to Internet Radio; 1) an almost limitless variety of music genre sources 2) innovative and new creative niche programming designed first and foremost for the listener and 3) a lack of relavent local content on your existing FM Radio. Yes, there are lots of new opportunities in that last sentence for a lot of content providers...know what I mean Verne ?

Finally, if you’re anything like me, there aren’t enough hours in the day to stay as organized as I need to be. I need reminders. Don’t even go there about age. I like no hassle reminders that don’t take any time to set up. Lately I’ve been using two methods and both are working quite nicely. One is the Notes App on my iTouch. It’s pretty simple. Type in a reminder and it stays there until you check it off. The other method is one I recently discovered, an online 'cloud' application called “Memo to Me’. Now here is an example of a great domain name (URL) for the exact service they provide. This desktop application is so easy to use. Just type in the reminder you want, and ‘when’ you want to be alerted. You can use this for everything from Birthdays, Bill Payments, Meetings…you name it. Best of all it’s FREE..and you only pay a small premium ‘IF’ you want to access their enhanced features like having memos sent to your mobile as text messages. I’ve been using it for a few months now and I’m really starting to like it. Check out the free program at MemoToMe.com

Until next time, enjoy the world famous Nova Scotia Fall colors. I’m heading to Cape Breton soon for Celtic Colors and can't wait….time to shoot some flora, fauna and foilage with the D50. As always I welcome your feedback and comments.

David ‘0db’ Bannerman

MediaVoice BLOG #6

This week, the Wharf Rat Rally, Ducklings at NSCC and why those in Radio should pay attention to the IIMDA.

Can you believe Summer 09 is coming to a close ? Yes.. it technically wraps on Sept 21st but you have to admit, Fall is in the September air and the tips of leaves are starting to curl and losing their lustre. Also, in what may soon be a new bookmark for the end of summer in Nova Scotia, it’s Wharf Rat Rally time in Digby. One of the reasons my Blog is late this week is due in part to WRR. Just got back tonite from my 3rd annual trek to Digby town for the Bike rally. It’s something I thought I'd never see this soon, but the ABF (Apple Blossom Festival) has now lost it’s title as Western Nova Scotia’s biggest tourism event. I’ve been involved in Apple Blossom one way or another for so many years I’ve lost count but one thing is certain… there were more people in Digby today than I have ever seen at any Apple Blossom Festival in 30 years of memory. What a great event WRR has become and I only see one drawback on the horizon…. that if this Rally gets any larger, it will physically outgrow the town of Digby which is literally ready to burst at the seams on this Saturday night. Talk about a good problem to have as Rally organizers sit down next week to look over their figures. I’ll close on WRR with only one thing to say. ** NOTE to self…use iTouch to set reminder for next week to book a room in Digby for 2010.

School is back on Sept 8th for another new NSCC semester and as Yvonne Colbert says with endearing charm each year at this time..… “the new ducklings arrive on Tuesday.” With student and station stats now in for the summer, this year marks the 4th year in a row that radio employment amongst NSCC Radio majors is hovering above 95%. Radio employment is rockin right now and it’s very strange to think that 16 years ago, it was almost impossible to find work. By the way, that was 1993 and Voice Tracking Automation was just 5 years old with most stations ..but not all.. falling over themselves downsizing to save cash. How times have changed. And really in the next few years I see the industry having to evolve again as we move toward a multi-platform delivery system of creative audio content. Be that as it may, one thing’s for sure.. no one is in a better position to fill all that content that'll be required than terrestrial Radio 'IF' we make the right moves. And on that note…let’s segue right to this.

Last week, buried about 6 levels down in an obscure technical web-link, I stumbled onto a story about the IIMDA…it’s a world body of techies that see a very bright and growing future for Internet Radio. The I.I.M.D.A. which stands for the International Internet Media Device Aliance has called a Press Conference this week in Berlin, Germany. The reason.…. to unveil plans in order to harmonize standards for the growing number of manufacturers who plan to build stand-alone and mobile Internet Radios. The IMDA Tech Summit will follow and this is where the top international geeks get together to discuss the future of Internet connected media devices. This new association is a pretty interesting group with an even more intriguing mandate. Here are a few of the promotional hilights as the IMDA looks to attract new members. From their official website, they are offering new members a chance to:

1) jointly promote the idea of Internet radios to retailers and consumers.
2) influence the direction of the coming internet radio industry – and to be a part of it.
3) stay on top of internet radio market trends and future developments.
4) influence soon to be drafted technical specifications for new internet radios.
And most importantly to….
5) give key players a chance to avoid sitting on the sidelines as this new industry takes real shape.

Now if you're a part of the terrestrial radio industry, you’ve got to be intrigued, excited and a bit curious about this latest new media development. IF however you’re not interested, could care less or don’t see any relavence of this in your future.. then my friend your days in Radio are probably on the downward slide toward a quiet uneventful end. This small technical story, buried in the back pages of Engineering and IT journals marks another step in the next and potentially greatest evolutionary leap that our Radio medium will face since Fessenden sent that first Christmas message out to sea in 1906. The big question is… that as an industry, depending on if we either embrace this or ignore it... will determine if we lead, follow or simply get pushed out of the way. By the way, here’s an early model sample of what’s on the way for an in-home listening device. I know where I stand on this subject, and as one who’s never stopped studying the Radio medium, I’m curious about your thoughts.

As always, I welcome your comments and thanks for reading.

David 0db Bannerman

MediaVoice BLOG #5

This week... Hurricane Bill, Car Radios and a FREE app for tracking your cash.

So what happened to Hurricane Bill? Here in West Hants Nova Scotia, Hurricane Bill turned out to be little more than just another windy rainy day. Valley Orchard owners however breathed a huge sigh of relief as there was widespread fear the hurricane could have literally wiped out what many are calling a ‘bumper’ crop of Valley apples this year. Thankfully the storm stayed far enough south to simply skirt the Annapolis valley. It’s strange to have access to Environment Canada’s data to monitor from your own home. One site I bookmarked and I find is accurate is the local radar image that shows all forms of precipitation. You can literally follow the rainclouds as they approach your town and it’s pretty cool to watch the rain approaching on your desktop, then see it start raining minutes later in your backyard. Here is EC’s Radar Image page that you can customize to your own local area. And if you really want to stay on top of storm developments, here’s the Nova Scotia Power Outage Map. A great site that is, until you ..uh…lose power. Why is it 30 years ago, I hardly ever remember a power outage, they were extremely rare? Today..not so much…it’s almost expected whenever bad weather is forecast. For a colorful answer to that question, just ask any Nova Scotia arborist.

I happened to be out car shopping with LA this past last week and we hit a number of Metro Car lots. It was amusing how long it took from the point of arrival on each lot to when a salesperson would appear from the door heading straight in our direction. I haven’t seen ‘The GOODS’ yet but one salesguy told me it was quite funny. One of the lots we visited was O’Regans KIA in Dartmouth. What surprised me the most was how far the KIA brand has come in the past 3-5 years. We tested some awesome new vehicles and KIA has really made huge strides in the quality and design of their brand line. What amazed me the most however was how far the traditional AM/FM Car radio has come in just the last 2 years. Every vehicle we tested included a virtual digital entertainment centre up front. All were Sirius Satellite radio equipped along with CD/MP3 players with auxiliary inputs for iPods plus USB ports for loading up a Flash Drive worth of Music and all of it Blue Tooth capable for fully automated hands-free Cell Phone use. As well, more power connections for laptops than I could count. What was once the one part of every car literally owned by terrestrial radio is now a buffet of audio content choices. I’ve calculated that in the past year alone, the number of audio podcasts that I’ve listened to in my Rav 4 probably add up to about 6-7 hours a week. Why ? That’s easy. Unique informative or entertaining programming both music and talk based and this trend you know is going to continue. Curious about what we ended up buying ? It surprised even me that we actually left the Toyota brand for the first time in 6 years and we decided on ( no check that... Leigh-Anne wanted ) a GMC Envoy. Though now after a test drive on Friday night, I'd really like a new Kia Soul for zipping back and forth to the Campus. Wow, those Kia Souls really can fly and what a cool interior with a totally solid ride.

Finally this week, a FREE software suggestion for those of you who may be either starting your own small home based studio business...or simply looking for a way to track your money both coming and going. Years ago I was into a program called Quicken...it was the rage back in the 90's but over the past few years I just can't keep up with all the details in it that you have to stay on top of. Look... an accountant I'm not and beancounters are worth their weight in gold. But recently I found a really cool program that tracks all your $. It's called Expenseview and you can access it online from any PC or Mac from anywhere. It's a breeze to set up and I had it up and running in just minutes. I think I checked out 20 different programs on the Apple.com site before I found it. Did I say ExpenseView is free, and so simple to use. It tracks your expenses, budgets and income. And for students this little app will really show how you're spending or not spending your money. If you'd rather create than count, then give it a spin for a week. I think you'll really like it. We're back to the campus next week....and as my colleague Yvonne Colbert noted, to prepare for the arrival of 32 new ducklings. I can't believe summer is coming to an end so soon.

As always, I look forward to your comments and feedback.

David '0db' Bannerman

MediaVoice BLOG #4

This week, Africville's Radio Play, PDF's the easy way, Gordon Mclendon and Online Radio.

I noticed that SeaView Park under the Mackay Bridge in Halifax was the scene of an Africville Reunion a few weeks ago. It reminded me of one of the best Radio Dramas I’ve heard in years and one that was written by fellow DHS Alumni David Woods. Trying to track down David Woods is a major challenge at the best of times as he’s always travelling Nova Scotia roads working on a new project. Anyway.. a number of years ago David wrote a Radio play called ‘Part of the Deal’ which was produced and aired on CBC. A small tip for CBC Halifax…it's time to air it again. The Africville story is a captivating and interesting history lesson that needs to be taught in Nova Scotia Schools. Growing up in Crichton Park, I had heard about Africville but knew very little about it. It wasn’t until David Wood’s gave me a copy of ‘Part of the Deal’ on cassette no less, that the whole Campbell Road Settlement story finally came to life and it all made sense to me. I’m going to have to check the CBC program guide because I have to admit, I can’t remember the last time I heard a Radio Drama on CBC Radio One, specifically a Radio Drama written and produced here in Nova Scotia. What I'd like to know however is who owns the Movie rights to his play? Yes it is that good. If you happen to run into David Woods, tell him I said hello….and that it’s time he uploaded ‘Part of the Deal’ to iTunes. Nova Scotia, no check that..... the world needs to hear it again.

Let’s do a quick check on some cool multimedia. My free software ‘Pick of the Week’ is for creating your own PDF’s. Ever need a PDF…well here’s a great way to do it and so easy. A PDF which stands for a Portable Document Format was created 16 years ago by Adobe Systems. It was developed so documents could be exchanged regardless of your software, hardware, even your operating system. I use them all the time and especially when transferring sensitive documents to MediaVoice clients. The CutePDF Writer makes it easy to create your very own PDFs. After you install it, you’ll find it located in your list of Printers. After you create a new document, simply hit PRINT and then scroll down and choose the CutePDF writer. It will then ask you where you want to save it. Could it be any easier? For Windows 98 all the way to Vista, CutePDF is a FREE download available at www.acrosoftware.com

My ‘quote of the week’ was triggered after I happened to read J. Colliano’s recent column about Radio stations making the huge mistake of promoting themselves as ‘commercial free’. It comes to us from the late radio pioneer Gordon McLendon. Mclendon made KLIF in Dallas one of America’s first “Top 40” stations. It was fast-paced and polished with a heavy dose of local news and on-air personality. Gee, that sounds like either CJCH or CHNS in the 1970's. Gordon's broadcasting credo. “You can have the greatest sales staff and signal in the world and it doesn't mean a thing if you don't have something great to put on the air. Always keep your eyes on your programming first and your station’s advertising sales will take care of itself.” On that note, a quick note to young on-air jocks… ALWAYS credit the source. Years ago I was taught that if you used someone’s words on-air from your own town, that it was stealing…. but if it was from another province or state that it was research. Not so today in 2009. The other side of the planet is only a mouse click away. Always give credit when those words you’re speaking aren’t your own.

Finally, some exciting news that I hope to be able to tell you about in the weeks ahead. MediaVoice recently completed our first extensive design of an online Radio Studio. Ok, so that in itself may not be earth shattering news however what's really worth noting is 'who' approached us to do it. Let's just say it will be a great Maritime news story and I suspect even a national story when it happens. Coincidentally, the phone call immediately followed my previous Blog #3. Scroll down and read the 2nd section and you'll realize why I wasn't totally surprised when I got the call. I have to admit however that even my eyebrows twitched a bit with wonderment when I realized who is planning this innovative business venture.

As always I welcome your comments and thanks for reading.

Dave ‘0db’ Bannerman

MediaVoice BLOG #3

This week, the other Black Crows, iPads and Fearless Fred. Ok, so my first quick story isn’t about Multi-media but it is of major importance. Well, it is if you live near crows. We do and crows can be a major pain. Stay with me… there’s a multi-media connection to this. This summer I built a big swing-playground set without plans and it’s actually quite a monument. It’s been so popular that about 5 crows make a point to land on it daily and drop their crap everywhere. Twice in the past month, I’ve had to ascend to the upper platform with a pressure washer and that was enough, the crows had to go. I searched the internet to no avail to find any real solution for deterring crows from landing, except for $495, I can install a Sonic Boom Cannon. However I doubt my neighbours would appreciate that. I did read they tend to avoid things that reflect like shiny ribbons but try finding shiny ribbons that will last more than a week in our strong winds. So, I started thinking and here’s my Multimedia solution. So far it’s worked beautifully, CD’s. CD’s are becoming obsolete and I’ve already transferred my entire library to hard drive. Want to get rid of Crows ? Take a CD, drill a small hole near the edge, then using 30 lb fishing line, tie the CD where it can swing freely in the wind. Yes, it works! The crows haven’t touched down anywhere near them..and I have to admit, the sight of spinning discs dancing on the wind looks pretty cool too. It’s been 2 weeks and not one crow has landed anywhere near Joy’s Play-Set.

I’ve never hidden the fact that Radio is undergoing some incredible transformations but the newest paradigm shift that’s clearly now in sight is going to leave many way behind the pack if it’s not brainstormed, welcomed and embraced at the earliest point. This afternoon in the midst of 30 degree muggy sunny skies I found myself outside in the backyard doing yard work while at the same time listening to an internet based radio station. No power cords, totally mobile and the fidelity near CD quality. I recently started using a WIFI powered iPod Touch and I have to admit, this device is totally cool. It continues to amaze me at how subtle the long armed reach of Apple has permeated our lives. It’s actually a bit scary when you think about it. Only because they have done it so quietly and effortlessly by studying the market, watching others fail and then stepping up to the plate with a media solution that generally grand slams the ball right out of the park. What’s next as the iTunes juggernaut continues to advance…. I’m guessing it will be the Apple iPad. Bigger than an iTouch, smaller than a notebook and capable of storing all your favorite books, websites, Audio and Video content. Just imagine, every College or High School textbook downloadable from iTunes on your very own iPad. So what does this have to do with Radio? Think about it. The iPad has all the makings of far surpassing the popularity of both the iPod and the iPhone and it has the potential of becoming THE main mobile portal for entertainment and information. If you’re not online and that means supplying a whole lot MORE than simply a streaming audio feed…you’re going to be left behind. Watch and listen as the American consultants begin singing this chorus. This advice right now is free. It’s coming and you can count on it. Online multimedia and online LOCAL content will be king..and Radio needs to step up fast (as Bill Spurr-Dog always used to say) in a HUGE way. Not later... but sooner. Don't get me wrong, I love radio... and that's exactly why Managers and Programmers within the industry need to brainstorm, research and move on this immediately. Up until only a few years ago, and for too many years, Radio has largely ignored the internet. Big Mistake....Huge! To remain a spectator with basically just an 'Audio Stream' is simply not an option.

Finally this week, I‘d like to send sincere congratulations to NSCC RTA Alumni, a good ol' Valley boy and Horton High School graduate 'Fearless' Fred Kennedy. Fred began hosting the Drive Show on one of Canada's most powerful and influential Radio stations this week at the EDGE in Toronto. You did it. And Fred you deserve all the credit. To think it all started in the B wing at Kingstec and as a Radio intern at what was then CIGO, now Bob MacEachern's HAWK 101-5 in Port Hawkesbury. Way to go Fred. You told everyone you would do this many years ago.. and you did ! Oh and you have to check out this Radio Promo video, here is Fred doing what he does best arriving in TO. It's Klassic Kennedy !

I welcome your comments...and as always, thanks for reading.

David '0db' Bannerman