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* * WFMU's STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2000 * *
edited by Station Manager Ken <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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The brand new periodic e-mail newsletter for internet listeners of
freeform radio station WFMU, the station that doesn't take a penny from
"The Man." (Although we occasionally use his software.)
We apologize if you prefer not to be on this list. We're trying to
communicate with the folks who listen to WFMU on the net, and it's
possible that your name was submitted erroneously by one of the WFMU
DJ's who helped compile our list of WFMU net listeners.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the
word "unsubscribe" (no quotation marks) in the body (not the subject
line!) of the message. Subscription and other info is at the end of this
e-mail, but if you received this message from [EMAIL PROTECTED], then you're
already subscribed. However, you may wish to pass on the subscription info
to others you know who listen to WFMU on the net. If you have any
problems unsubscribing or subscribing, please e-mail
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
* * * * * * * * * *
We're contacting you, a presumed WFMU web listener, so that we can begin
to plan the next phase of WFMU's netcasts.
Even if you don't read on, please take our web listener's survey, at:
<http://www.wfmu.org/cgi-bin/vfsm.pl>
We take our internet broadcasts very seriously, and we're now planning an
expansion of our archiving and streaming activities. You'll soon be able
to listen to WFMU in your choice of either the RealAudio format *or* the
Windows Media format, and we also hope to add a streaming MP3 format, plus
a better sounding RealAudio stereo stream and more RealAudio program
archives in the next few months.
We're curious to know how YOU would like us to expand our netcasting
activities, and the poll on our website is our first attempt at finding
out. We understand that you're probably busy, but if you've ever listened
to us on the net before, please take the poll so we can better plan our
future netcasts.
We value ALL of our internet listeners, regardless of whether
they use Windows, Macintosh or Unix/Linux computers. Although FMU's
finances are limited, we're going to offer our audio in various
formats, and at various bit rates. Although we can't do *everything* we
want to do, we're using this survey to help establish our priorities
so we can better serve you, the WFMU web listener.
We wish we could archive the entire station, 24 hours a day, in five
different formats, at three different bit rates, but that is beyond our
means. But maybe we can add a second bit rate for broadband users, add
some additional program archives (let us know which programs you want!),
and offer our live stream in maybe two or three formats. If we can pull
that off, then we'll move on from there.
Now, on to the background of what's been going on with WFMU's webcasts..
WFMU's been a freeform broadcaster for many decades now (on the air in
1958, and we went freeform in 1968), and our stream has been available on
the web since 1997. We believe in giving our DJs as much freedom as the
law allows to play and say whatever they want. We believe in giving our
listeners a *very* wide sonic choice, and we give them enough credit to
decide what to listen to, or whether or not to listen at all. WFMU is the
kind of station that you have to turn off once in a while. We don't
strive to appeal to any particular demographic group all of the time.
Though our programming may make you occasionally lunge for the STOP
button, it's our hope that what you dont turn off, you may love. And much
of what we play just isn't available elsewhere, even with the huge range
of music and radio now available on the net.
Up to now, our audio stream has been offered under the auspices of
Broadcast.com, which is now owned by Yahoo. Since 1997, we've had one
mono stream available in the RealAudio (RA) format. In the next few weeks,
we hope to renew our contract with Yahoo. Yahoo has indicated that they
would serve our stream simultaneously in two different formats - RA and
Windows Media Player (WMP). And in the next few months, we also hope to
offer even more streaming audio options through the WFMU website
at wfmu.org.
Recently we had a scare when Broadcast.com indicated that they were
replacing the RA format with WMP. You may have read about this on our
website, or heard some of our DJs talking about it on the air.
We're happy to report that after many weeks of confusion, Broadcast.com
has now committed to keeping WFMU's RA stream up. They will also be adding
a second stream in WMP, so people will have a choice of listening to our
live stream in either format. Meanwhile, we would like to also serve our
audio in a streaming MP3 format such as Icecast. Icecast is a free, cross
platform format (like RA, it works on Mac, Windows or Linux). It offers
improved sound quality over either RA or WMP. But for most people, Icecast
is more difficult to install than either RA or WMP.
WFMU's internet listeners run the gamut from first time computer users to
expert programmers. We want everybody to be able to hear WFMU on the net,
regardless of their experience or equipment. What makes it all complicated
is that there is such a huge range of expertise among our listeners, and
also a large range of equipment and net connections. And now that the
convergence wars are underway, things are changing even faster on the
internet radio front.
Internet radio now appears to be headed towards *more* fragmentation of
formats, not less. This is partly due to developments such as Microsoft
trying hard to increase the market share of its own WMP, or AOL's
recently announced affiliation with the Liquid Audio format. Some people
with all-Microsoft systems (ie, Win 98, Internet Explorer) may prefer to
use WMP, since it does come pre-loaded on most Windows machines, which is
a major advantage for some users. WMP is also reportedly better to
use if you're computer is protected by a network firewall. But some
people who use Microsoft's competitor's products (ie, Netscape,
RealAudio, Macintosh, Linux) may be wary of importing Microsoft's products
into anything less than a 100% Microsoft environment.
So things are getting more complicated, not less, but we're very happy
that we will be able to offer our web listeners a choice, and may the best
products prevail in the end.
Based on the early, preliminary returns, 30% of our web listeners use
Macintosh and Linux machines (and we use both operating systems internally
at FMU). 70% primarily use The Man's Operating System (and yes, we use
that, too). Over 70% of our early responding web listeners prefer
RealAudio, 9% prefer WMP, and 15% prefer a streaming MP3 format.
The above results are based on a fairly small sample, which is why we
would like you to also register your preferences at the survey, which
again, is found at:
<http://www.wfmu.org/cgi-bin/vfsm.pl>
Don't forget that you can find the most current information about the
state of WFMU's stream at our audio page, which is found at:
<http://www.wfmu.org/ssaudionet.shtml>
I'll be back with another streaming update in a few weeks, and I'll tell
you then what our exact plans are for expanding our streaming activities.
Thanks for reading, thanks for listening, and thanks for taking part in
our web listener's poll.
(The poll only allows for a very short comment. Feel free to e-mail me
directly with more comments and suggestions.)
-Ken Freedman, Station Manager
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ken Freedman [EMAIL PROTECTED]
WFMU (201) 521-1416 ext 225
PO Box 2011
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2011 http://www.wfmu.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Addresses you may want or need:
WFMU Page at Yahoo:
<http://www.broadcast.com/radio/Public/WFMU/>
WFMU Audio Page:
<http://www.wfmu.org/ssaudionet.shtml>
WFMU Audio Poll:
<http://www.wfmu.org/cgi-bin/vfsm.pl>
A demo of streaming MP3 formats:
<http://www.live365.com/splash2.html>
RealPlayer G2 7.0 for Windows:
<http://proforma.real.com/real/player/player.html?src=downloadr,991228choice&dc=11111019>
RealPlayer G2 7.0 (beta) for Mac:
<http://proforma.real.com/real/player/g2player.html?src=&lang=en&dc=11111019>
RealPlayer G2 6.0 (alpha) for Linux:
<http://proforma.real.com/real/player/linuxplayer.html>
Windows Media Player for Mac:
<http://www.microsoft.com/windows/mediaplayer/en/download/allplayers.asp>
Windows Media Player for Windows:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/mediaplayer/en/default.asp
# WFMU's Stream of Consciousness Update is a periodic report on WFMU's
# internet audio stream. For more info, e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
# with these words in the body of the message:
# info netcast
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# For information about WFMU's audio stream, please visit:
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