While the work of radio stations using terrestrial transmitters is a typical discussion topic on Radio Survivor, for this episode we find ourselves examining music and talk beamed down from satellites orbiting the earth. Satellite radio as we know it began in the 1990s, with its major players launching satellite radio services in the early 2000s. Brian Fauteux, Associate Professor of Popular Music and Media Studies at University of Alberta joins us on the show to discuss the fascinating history and relevance of satellite radio to both radio culture and the music industry. Brian is the author of the new book, “Music in Orbit: Satellite Radio in the Streaming Space Age,” released in 2025.

The post Podcast #344 – Music in Orbit: Satellite Radio in the Streaming Space Age appeared first on Radio Survivor.

Several years ago, Radio Survivor had the pleasure of speaking with artist and restaurateur Alice Brock, the woman who provided much inspiration for Arlo Guthrie’s inadvertent Thanksgiving Day radio staple, “Alice’s Restaurant.” Sadly, Alice Brock passed away on November 21, 2024 at the age of 83, just a week before the classic rock radio airwaves will be blanketed with the song that made her famous.

This year, in honor of Alice, we are presenting the Radio Survivor episode that we recorded with her in advance of Thanksgiving 2020, which was the most unusual of holidays, as the COVID-19 pandemic kept many of us separated from friends and family. During our discussion, Alice Brock shares with us not only some insight into the 18-minute anti-war epic “Alice’s Restaurant”; but also stories about her life and holiday traditions. For 2020, Brock was inspired to create a special introductory message for radio stations to play in advance of “Alice’s Restaurant,” and she explains why she was moved to offer up these words of thanks during that pandemic year in particular.

As we approach another holiday, our thoughts go out to Alice Brock’s friends and family. We are so grateful to have had the chance to chat with Alice and share Thanksgiving 2020 with her through the magic of podcasting.

The post Podcast: Remembering Alice Brock of Alice’s Restaurant appeared first on Radio Survivor.

Journalist Marc Masters joins us to discuss his book, High Bias: the Distorted History of the Cassette Tape. We dive into how the oft-maligned cassette influenced the music industry and our culture by inspiring musicians, taking music to the streets and returning power back to listeners.

The post Podcast #341 – The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape appeared first on Radio Survivor.

On this week’s program, we turn our attention to the history of industrial music – not the noisy music genre – but music played in industrial settings for workers. A variety of services offered (and still offer) background music for workplaces. Muzak and the RCA Plant Broadcasting System are just a few of the products that were sold to companies in the hopes of increasing morale and/or efficiency. Our guest, Alix Hui is associate professor of History at Mississippi State University and has been studying the history of industrial music systems, as well as background music generally.

• Alexandra Hui profile at Mississippi State University website
• Alix’s paper at the Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference: “Laboring Sound: Industrial Music Systems, Worker Morale, and Pan-Aural Listening”
• Walter Van Dyke Bingham, industrial psychologist (Wikipedia)
• Muzak history (Wikipedia)
• Mood Media website
• Attention K-Mart Shoppers: K-Mart radio/audio collection on Archive.org
• Muzak to Get Mutated To: E-Z Listening with DEVO (article on Dangerous Minds)
• Scholar Emily Thompson

The post Podcast #327: Industrial Music Systems and Workplace Broadcasts appeared first on Radio Survivor.

On this week’s show, we return to the topic of hip-hop on the radio. While on Radio Survivor, we typically focus on non-commercial radio, like college and community stations; in this episode we look at why certain types of commercial radio stations were important to the growth in popularity of hip-hop music. Our guest, Amy Coddington, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Music at Amherst College and is writing a book about the history of hip-hop on commercial radio.

• Amy Coddington’s website
• Podcast #145: Hip-Hop Radio Archive with guest Ryan MacMichael
• Podcast #152: The Longest Running Hip-Hop Radio Show in the World? with guest DJ A-L
• Community radio station KGNU is home to The Eclipse Show
• Racial Formation in the United States by Michael Omi and Howard Winant
• Backstory on “Walk this Way” from the Atlantic: “How Aerosmith and Run-DMC Begrudgingly Made a Masterpiece”
• Power 106 Los Angeles radio station
• Jason Tanz wrote the book: Other People’s Property: A Shadow History of Hip-Hop in White America
• Public Enemy’s “Rebel without a Pause” in the HipHop Archive and Research Institute
• Chuck D
• Paula Abdul’s Opposites Attract
• Amber Ruffin on rap lyrics being cut from radio edits of songs
• Snoop Dog
• Hot 97 radio station in New York
• Sugarhill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight (1979)
• Blondie’s Rapture (1980)
• Wham’s Wham! Rap (1982)
• Influential DJ Frankie Crocker of radio station WBLS
• The Pharcyde

The post Podcast # 320 – How Hip-Hop Made it to Top 40 Radio appeared first on Radio Survivor.

On this most unusual of Thanksgiving weeks, we are honored to speak with Alice Brock, the woman who provided much inspiration for Arlo Guthrie’s inadvertent Thanksgiving Day radio staple, “Alice’s Restaurant.” Brock shares with us not only some insight into the 18-minute anti-war epic; but also stories about her life and holiday traditions. For 2020, Brock was inspired to create a special introductory message for radio stations to play in advance of “Alice’s Restaurant,” and she explains why she was moved to offer up these words of thanks this year in particular.

• Thanksgiving Radio Tradition withstands the Pandemic as “Alice’s Restaurant” Hits the 2020 Airwaves
• Alice Brock’s Message for Radio Stations (NFCB)
• Alice Brock Fundraiser (GoFundMe)
• Alice Brock’s website

The post Podcast #273: Thanksgiving and Radio Traditions with Alice Brock of “Alice’s Restaurant” appeared first on Radio Survivor.

On this week’s show, we take a trip back to the early 20th century to learn about the recording industry’s intertwined relationship with radio and music culture. Our guest is Kyle Barnett, Associate Professor of Media Studies in the Department of Communication at Bellarmine University.

Barnett’s forthcoming book, Record Cultures: The Transformation of the U.S. Recording Industry, looks at the early history of the recording industry in the United States. On the episode, Barnett shares tidbits from his research and reminds us of the complexity of the media landscape, calling for scholars to not neglect exploring how industries are interconnected. Along the way, we learn about phonograph parlors, the differences between public and private listening, and why some record labels asked their artists to stay off the radio.

• Record Cultures: The Transformation of the U.S. Recording Industry
• Kyle Barnett on Twitter
• Radio Survivor Podcast #186: African-American Preachers on Wax
• Radio Preservation Task Force

The post Podcast #221 – The Intertwined History of the Radio and Recording Industries appeared first on Radio Survivor.

This episode is dedicated to the compact disc. Paul recently published an article outlining 10 reasons why CDs are awesome, and it seems to have hit a nerve, turning out to be one of our most popular. So we dive into these reasons, and even talk to a Millennial, Jacob Choplin, who also loves CDs (though not as much as vinyl).

We’re not arguing against LPs, downloads or streaming music, just advocating for the lowly compact disc. They still sound great. We hope to inspire you to dig out your collection and enjoy some tunes.

• 10 Reasons Why CDs Are Still Awesome (Especially for Radio)
• This post received some feedback on Facebook

The post Podcast #179 – Don’t Throw Your CDs Away in 2019 appeared first on Radio Survivor.

Jewell is Associate Professor of History at Fitchburg State University and a Fellow at the University Connecticut Humanities Institute. She joins the show to talk about how college broadcasts triggered conservative community reaction and outrage, and how stations internalized the cultural controversies that dominated the zeitgeist from the 1960s through the turn of the century.

The post Podcast #164 – College Radio and the Culture Wars appeared first on Radio Survivor.

KEXP’s Media Asset Librarian Dylan Flesch and Libby S. Hopfauf, Audiovisual Archivist for Moving Image Preservation of Puget Sound, guest to tell us about the event. They explain why it’s vital to preserve these music memories right now, and give some advice for folks and organizations who want to join in the effort.

Jennifer, Eric and Paul also discuss National Radio Day, which happens August 20.

The post Podcast #154 – One Tape at a Time: Preserving Music Memories appeared first on Radio Survivor.