Wednesday, May 4, 2011

AMPB REPORT #101

Dear Readers,

Since the last dispatch (#100), things have been pretty lively. We’ve seen full-scale revolution in the Middle East, a huge earthquake and sunami in Japan, and the near shut-down of the US government. May you live in interesting times, indeed! On the micro-radio scene, supporters gathered in Boston this month for the National Conference on Media Reform. Chuck Rosina gives us the 411 in this edition. Pirate Cat Radio is a shell of its former self while the founder, “Monkey” has left the area. Read all about it! Here in Berkeley, we have recovered from our saboteur and have resumed 24/7 operations. It’s good to be back! Also, we have the latest about how the iPhone keeps track of everywhere you go. All that and the usual music updates. Thanks to everyone who supports our efforts and we’ll be back with another edition when we have something to say.

-Paul Griffin (for the AMPB)


Media Reform Conference Report-Back

by Chuck Rosina

For 3 days in early April, the bi-annual National Conference on Media Reform came to Boston, MA. It brought thousands of media activists together in one location to share ideas, strategies and organize for the future. Sponsored by Freepress.net, the conference featured an impressive array of speakers, workshops, concurrent sessions, activist booths, book signing, and festivities. The conference opened with a live broadcast of Democracy Now. Amy Goodman was in her glory at the conference, chairing panels, delivering a keynote address on Saturday evening, doing independent media interviews and book signings. That woman never stops. She is an inspiration to behold. One of the bigger problems was figuring out which concurrent sessions to attend. There were an average of 10 concurrent sessions at a time, and I wanted to attend at least half of them. Plus I wanted to go around and talk with various vendors at their booths to get up close on what other activists were doing. It was quite a challenge. There were of course lots of media activists, impossible to meet them all. I met up with Pete Tridish of A-info Radio Project. They host the web site Radio4all.net. It was formed in 1996 by grassroots broadcasters to provide means to share radio programs via the internet. The web site allows for community radio producers from around the world to share content. I have posted 2 of the concurrent sessions in full at this web site.

They are:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/50849

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/50956

Boston is fertile ground for activism, and there were many local groups represented. In fact, there was a local host committee to help plan the event and welcome the out of towners. Jason Pramas is editor and publisher of Open Media Boston, an on-line news weekly. He was also a member of the local host committee, and part of the panel discussion in the concurrent session “Building a Media Reform Network in Boston.”

He said that group consisted of grassroots to public media, and even a member of the straight corporate media in town. Jason was impressed that someone from that realm was honestly interested in media reform.

Samantha Clemens, host of a liberal talk show on a commercial AM station also attended that group.

She had high praises for her colleague, Jeff Santos, who started the concept of liberal commercial AM talk radio, called “Revolution Boston.” It is molded after the now defunct Air America for the local market.

I also talked with friend and media cohort, Linda Pinkow. She hosts the public affairs radio show, “What’s Left” on WMBR from the campus of M.I.T. in Cambridge, MA.

Several thousand people all to talk about Media Reform, was very exciting to her. She quoted a comment from Laura Flanders of Grit TV (on the Free Speech TV Dish Network), at one of the concurrent sessions:

“People come here because they want to meet people who look and sound like us. And indeed there were those sort of people here.” Another local group was the MIT Center for Future Civic Media. Regan St. Pierre, is the Community outreach coordinator. She told me they are a joint venture of the MIT Media Lab and the Department for Comparative Media studies. Their mission is to look at civic media, weather on line or texting, or billboards, any medium that strengthens social bonds. “We’re creating media tools and projects that not only allow people to share info, but to do so in a way to inspire them to act on it as well.” Said St. Pierre. The weekend was about media, technology and Democracy. It was about transforming frustrations with the current media system into a vision and action to create a better one. Thousands of people converged on Boston from different backgrounds and experiences because they all believed that an informed citizenry is essential to Democracy, and that better media is key to advancing that cause.

-Chuck U. Rosina

Independent radio producer, Boston, MA.


STATION ALERT

Pescadero radio station moves on

By Julia Scott and Carina Woudenberg

As fledgling Coastside radio station KPDO prepares to sail through its anniversary, its captain has been replaced by his crew -- and they're not looking back.

Station director and chief visionary Daniel Roberts, aka "Monkey Man," abruptly left town for England back in November to attend to some family problems. He left the station without access to its bank account, and he also left behind a lot of questions about the station's relationship with Pirate Cat Radio. The staff of Pirate Cat was shocked to learn that Roberts had sold the cafe to an investor and "transferred" the Pirate Cat Radio stream to Pescadero Public Radio Service, a foundation that operates KPDO, where Roberts was president of the board of directors. Then he suspended the operations of Pirate Cat. "Rather than setting up a new corporation and organize another board of directors, it was easier and cheaper to merge PCR into PPRS," Roberts said in a recent news release. The volunteer staff of Pirate Cat Radio challenged Roberts' right to merge, transfer or suspend the station, and they formed a breakaway group, called the Pirate Cat Radio Collective, which continues to broadcast the station's signature blend of underground arts coverage, eclectic music, in-your-face politics and live guests in Roberts' absence. When he resurrected KPDO last May -- a defunct frequency with a frail signal -- with his vision of creating a truly local community radio station, he made no secret of his plans to broadcast much of Pirate Cat's musical content on the air at KPDO. KPDO founder Maggie Celeste Worden claims Roberts never effectuated any "transfer." "There's no legal way for KPDO to own Pirate Cat," Worden said. "Pirate Cat has a separate account they pay into. We do not co-mingle funds." Roberts' lawyer, Michael Couzens, said there had been an attempt to combine the two radio operations, but it never transpired. "In my view, that transfer was null and void," he said. Roberts did not reply to an e-mail seeking comment. The station's staff recently took control of its operations in a similar vein to the Pirate Cat Radio Collective, albeit with Roberts' tacit consent. After Roberts signed a waiver, the board of the Pescadero Public Radio Service shifted him to vice president. Worden, who acquired the station's FCC license in 2003, is assuming her original position as president. Shannon Bowman-Sarkisian, a KPDO DJ who has also been operating as station manager in Roberts' absence, is assuming the role of secretary. Catherine Peery, host of the station's weekly "Pescadero Pesos" segment, is now treasurer. The station also opened a new bank account since the old one was solely controlled by Roberts, and they couldn't access it. Now focused firmly on its future, KPDO is planning a major fundraising campaign to coincide with a celebration of its anniversary on May 7. Perry said the station sits comfortably "in the black" on a monthly income of $1,500 -- mostly from local businesses that supply underwriting and $25 in monthly dues from each volunteer DJ. In the long term, Worden would like to raise $25,000 in operating expenses and hire one or two staff members. The station is also working to expand its reach. It is in talks to buy a radio frequency down the coast in Boulder Creek, which could open up the airwaves in Santa Cruz. Worden is holding discussions with the La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District about moving KPDO into Pescadero High School, which would allow the station to set up a separate production studio geared toward teaching high school students all aspects of radio. KPDO already has several student DJs as young as 16. Worden would like students from local community colleges to mentor the high school kids. The station will give them a creative outlet, teach them how to write, and instill a sense of pride, she said.

"The vision is to allow the kids who live in a strangely isolated rural environment, in the midst of a major metropolitan area, to recognize they are not isolated as it seems," she said.


iPhone Tracking Only Tip Of Security Iceberg

By Thomas Claburn InformationWeek

Revelations that the iPhone stores data about where users have been on the device and on the computer used to sync the iPhone turn out to be less revelatory than claimed. Alex Levinson, a senior engineer at Katana Forensics and the developer of a leading iOS forensics application, says that the purported discovery put forward at the Where 2.0 conference on Wednesday has been known for months. Levinson himself contributed to a book--iOS Forensic Analysis for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, published in December, 2010--that details the database used to store location data on the iPhone and in iTunes. We spoke with Chris Sather, Product Management for Network Defense at McAfee about McAfee's next generation firewalls that analyze relationships and not protocols. Yet, if the privacy risk presented by the presence of this data on iPhones and in iPhone database backups may be less than the researchers reporting the issue this week have suggested, it's nonetheless prompting concern among regulators and businesspeople. Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) has penned a letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs seeking clarification on how iPhone location data is handled, why the data is not encrypted, and whether Apple's handling of this data is permissible under the terms of its privacy policy. Congressman Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has sent a similar letter to Jobs, asking for an answer by May 12--this despite the fact that Apple already explained its location data policy to Markey in a letter sent last July. And Germany's Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection has expressed interest in clarifications from Apple, according to Reuters. Apple has legal cover for its actions under its iPhone 4 software license agreement, which states, "Apple and its partners and licensees may transmit, collect, maintain, process and use your location data, including the real-time geographic location of your iPhone, and location search queries." Nonetheless, the company is likely to be forced to change its ways and/or provide a more specific explanation for keeping location data in unencrypted form on iPhones and iPhone database backups, if only because maintaining this information about minors may be legally risky. Apple has not responded to requests for comment. Though queries from regulators sound like political opportunism more than anything else, Apple's data storage scheme deserves a closer look. For companies that issue iPhones or iPads to their employees, or that allow employees to use such devices to conduct business, the issue goes beyond Apple's failure to provide specific notification about how and where its software stores unencrypted location data. The issue is that the iPhone, just like other mobile devices, isn't all that secure. For example, security firm Zscaler security researcher Michael Sutton on Thursday revealed that JotNot Scanner Pro, an iOS application, stores passwords for other applications unprotected in the iTunes backup database. In a blog post, Sutton explains, "Unfortunately, the authentication credentials stored for Evernote, Google Docs, Apple's iDisk and any WebDav enabled server are stored in plain text. Therefore, anyone that gained access to this backup file, would then have your username/password for these services." Mobile devices present a unique security challenge, particularly because they are often simultaneously consumer and business devices. It's not an insurmountable challenge, however. Frank Kenney, VP of global strategy for Ipswitch, a maker of network security software, says that his experience with companies that implement iPhones leads him to believe that access to users' location data is pretty well covered when organizations lock down computers carefully.


CAPTAIN FRED’S WORLD CRUISE #101

(download from radio4all.net or archive.org)


http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/51367


State Run Radio-Lupe Fiasco

Desencabulada-Luísa Maita

Quick Money-Jahdan Blakkamoore

The Model-Seu Jorge And Almaz

Daddy Loves You-Dead Prez

I want the one I can't have-Janice Whaley

Paddy's Got A Brand New Reel-Black 47

Abstract Relations-Dream Aria

Ahoulaguine Akaline-Bombino

Lágrimas mexicanas-Vinicius Cantuária/Bill Frisell

Creep-Scala & Kolacny Brothers

Esperanza-Salsa Celtica

Ana Maria-Pacifika

Wherever You Are-Steve Krause

Every Day Is Yours To Win-R.E.M.

Detroit City-Macy Blackman & The Mighty Fines

Menina Moça-Dusko Goykovich

The Irish Rover-The High Kings

One Tribe-The Black Eyed Peas

Punky Reggae Party-Bob Marley


RECORD CHART FOR THE WEEK ENDING:4/23/2011


# TITLE - ARTIST - LABEL

1 PUTUMAYO PRESENTS BOSSA NOVA AROUND THE WORLD PUTUMAYO

2 LAGRIMAS MEXICANAS - CANTUARIA/FRISELL EONE MUSIC

3 THE EXCITEMENT EXENE CERVENKA BLOODSHOT

4 LIVE FOREVER BOB MARLEY ISLAND

5 THE SOUND OF SUNSHINE MICHAEL FRANTI BOO BOO WAX

6 THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY LOREENA MCKENNITT QR

7 ALMAZ SEU JORGE AND ALMAZ NOW-AGAIN

8 THE SMITHS PROJECT JANICE WHALEY THE SMITHS PROJECT

9 YEAHWON YEAHWON SHIN ARTISTSHARE

10 WOMAN'S WORLD VARIOUS WOMEN SIX DEGREES

11 PUTUMAYO PRESENTS YOGA VARIOUS ARTISTS PUTUMAYO

12 LERO LERO LUISA MAITA CUMBANCHA

13 SONGS FOR JAPAN VARIOUS ARTISTS UNIVERSAL

14 KISS EACH OTHER CLEAN IRON AND WINE WARNER BROS

15 SUNDOWNER EDDIE SPAGHETTI BLOODSHOT

16 A FUNKY CEILE BLACK 47 BLACK 47 RECORDS

17 LOUD FAST RULES THE STIMULATORS ROIR

18 MEMORY LANE THE HIGH KINGS EMI

19 LIVE LIKE YOU WANNA LIVE GREENSKEEPERS OM

20 SOMETHING GOOD CHARMAINE CLAMOR FREEHAM

21 TWIST-O-LETTZ HOLMSTROM/LOGAN/HODGES MOCOMBO

22 LONELY AVENUE BEN FOLDS FIVE NONESUCH

23 BROKE DOWN BEAUTIFUL STEVE KRAUSE (SELF-PRODUCED)

24 AGADEZ BOMBINO CUMBANCHA

25 PROVENANCE MAYA BEISER INNOVA

26 COMMITMENT SEAL REPRISE

27 DEATH OF A DECADE HA HA TONKA BLOODSHOT

28 COLLAPSE INTO NOW R.E.M. WARNER BROS

29 DON'T YOU JUST KNOW IT MACY BLACKMAN MAMARU

30 SUITE KEVIN BURKE/CAL SCOTT LOFTUS

31 HAVEST THE BEAST BAD COP ROIR

32 ANOTHER APRIL DAY MARIE-THERESE McCARTIN MTM RECORDS

33 SKY POINTING GARRETT WALL BAND COSMIC TRIGGER

34 SOLDIER 2 SOLDIER DEAD PREZ REAL TALK ENT.

35 FIRST MELANCHOLY... RICK CUTLER NEW DUDE

36 MY LAND ORLA FALLON ELVATION

37 PUTUMAYO PRESENTS RUMBA MAMBO CHA CHA CHA PUTUMAYO

38 ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN CAROL EMANUEL ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN

39 FALLEN ANGEL DREAM ARIA (SELF-PRODUCED)

40 ROSLER'S RECORDING BOOTH VARIOUS ARTISTS FINGERS CROSSED



AMPB REPORT

ASSOCIATION OF MICRO-POWER BROADCASTERS

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