Paul McLane at Radio World reports that a lobbying group for community radio stations does not want the Federal Communications Commission to mandate that the mostly small stations take extreme cybersecurity defensive measure to prevent the next Joni Mitchell song to be interrupted by propaganda from Russia or pornography. “Any effort by the commission to impose mandatory cybersecurity requirements on community [community] NCE radio stations in this proceeding would have the inevitable impact of diverting already severely limited resources away from the core mission of serving their communities,” wrote Sally Kane, chief executive officer of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, in comments to the FCC. Extensive cybersecurity risk management, reporting, and infrastructure improvements could cost too much in money and labor for small stations run by tiny staffs. The FCC's interest in the issue mostly concerns the nationwide Emergency Alert System, or EAS. That system allows one government message to be broadcast on many stations live at once to quickly pass on emergency information such as tornado alerts. FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said of the proposal to mandate cybersecurity upgrades that, “This effort will help ensure the function of these essential systems in emergencies and that the public can trust the warnings they receive." The commission will need to weigh the importance of that issue with the cost to the stations. “Community radio’s role is to educate, inform and entertain the public. Its role is not to anticipate or investigate criminal activity leveraged against it or its systems,” Kane said. “That is the role of government, law enforcement, and legal professionals. It is an undue burden to require this of NCEs.”

Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that both Democrat Pat Ryan and Republican Marc Molinaro agree that there should be an independent investigation after the discovery of classified information stored in the home and former office of President Joe Biden. Ryan said, “Our last two presidents have issues with this,” referring to Biden and former President Donald Trump, who stored hundreds of documents with classified markings at various locations in his Mar-a-Lago resort. Biden has cooperated with investigators, while Trump has not. “I don’t think we can give equivalency when one individual not only refuses to cooperate but is suing to stop the National Archives from taking possession of the documents; and Biden, who has been cooperative, has taken responsibility and proactively disclosed what’s happened,” Ryan said. Molinaro agreed with Ryan that Biden needs to be investigated. Molinaro said in a prepared statement, “We need to conduct an honest and independent review to understand what went wrong in both of these cases and ensure our nation’s secrets are better protected going forward.” Ryan represents the 18th Congressional District, while Molinaro lives in that district, but represents the 19th Congressional District. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Elle Kehres reports for Radio World that two radio towers belonging to WSJS, an AM Christian broadcaster in North Carolina were brought down by vandals recently knocking the Class B station and its FM translator station off the air. Radio World explains about the stations, "WSJS is the flagship station for 'The Truth Network,' a conglomerate of 17 stations owned by Christian broadcaster Truth Broadcasting Corporation that broadcast predominantly Christian and Bible-based topics in North Carolina, Virginia, Iowa and Utah." Stu Epperson, the owner of The Truth Network, wrote this statement, “Today has been one of the toughest days of my broadcasting life … someone has destroyed several of our towers. Criminal investigation is underway. The FBI is involved since it’s a federal crime. Can’t share the details, but please pray for the person responsible to come to faith in Christ, for law enforcement and for our team as they rush to get us back on air.” The North Carolina Association of Broadcasters suggested that the tower-dropping could have been to steal precious metals, releasing a statement reading, in part, “NCAB has recently heard reports from several association members of perpetrators intentionally damaging communications towers and stealing copper from broadcast facilities/tower sites. As has been reported to us, at least three radio sites in the Triad area have been vandalized; in one instance, a tower’s guy wires were cut, leading to a tower collapsing. These recent incidents coincide with a dramatic increase in metal thefts, with copper, bronze, brass, and aluminum all being targeted, according to law enforcement.” Read the full story at Radio World.

The Associated Press reports that six-decade long radio career ended last week after 98-year-old Hong Kong DJ Ray Cordeiro died. The Guinness Book of Records claimed he was the world’s longest-working disc jockey. He worked at Radio Television Hong Kong until 2021. He began with Hong Kong’s public broadcaster in 1960 after being employed earlier as a prison warden and bank clerk. His “All the Way With Ray” radio show of easy listening music was on RTHK Radio 3 for 51 years until his retirement. “The audience followed me, grew up with me, and they’re all over the world now,” Cordeiro told The Associated Press in 2021 after his retirement. “They still listened to me on the internet.” He interviewed The Beatles in 1964. and also Elton John and Tony Bennett. Here is a short clip of Cordeiro being interviewed by the South China Morning Post a few years ago. Read the full story at Associated Press website.

Jon Brodkin reports for Ars Technica that Nevada's Democrat senators claim that the Federal Communications Commission's new, more detailed broadband map unveiled in November is full of errors, overstating coverage. "Nevada’s Office of Science, Innovation, & Technology (OSIT) has found over 20,000 purported broadband-serviceable locations on the map that they believe overstate coverage. They also have found incorrect information on the quality of service available to some locations and in some cases, missing serviceable locations," Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto wrote in a letter to the FCC last week. The FCC's broadband map cost at least $44 million to produce, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The complaints about the map come from all over the country, with the newspaper reporting that the State of New York found 31,000 missing, unserved, or underserved locations. In Vermont, things are worse. "The map is missing or incorrectly lists the location of over 60,000 broadband-serviceable locations. The map also lists service availability levels far beyond what the state has found through its mapping and what we are hearing about from residents," said Vermont Community Broadband Board Executive Director Christine Hallquist said in a press release. The new map allows citizens to type in any address and find out broadband availability. But since there are so many reported errors, it is fairly useless. Both the FCC and Congress have rules requiring internet service providers to submit accurate data for the map. The FCC has a Jan. 13 deadline for consumers to challenge what is wrong about the map, but Rosen and Cortez Masto, the Nevada senators, want the FCC to "work with NTIA to extend the availability and location challenge process by an additional 60 days to give our state broadband office and others the time needed to verify and submit accurate data." Billions of dollars of broadband grants depend on the map, so hopefully the FCC can make corrections. Read the full story at Ars Technica.

T. Carter Ross reports for Radio World that Cuban radio broadcaster, journalist, and DX-er Arnaldo de Jesús Coro Antich died at age 80 on Jan. 8, 2023. Radio listeners knew him as Arnie Coro on his twice-weekly program “DXers Unlimited” on Radio Havana Cuba, Cuba’s English-language shortwave service. Coro also co-founded Radio Havana, and was a professor of broadcasting at the University of Havana. He joined the Radio Club de Cuba amateur radio association at the age of 12, and then, in 1957, began working as a journalist at Canal 7 (CMBF-TV). He was one of the founders of Radio Havana Cuba in 1961, setting up the station’s first transmitter before the Bay of Pigs Invasion. State broadcaster Radio Cubana gave him the National Radio Award in 2017. Coro's amateur callsign was CO2KK. Read the full story at Radio World.

Tim Cushing reports in TechDirt that Apple is now offering users the option to fully encrypt data stored in its cloud service. Previously, when law enforcement could not access information on a cell phone, they could get around that in some situations by accessing what that locked cell phone had uploaded to the cloud. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was not happy about that announcement, as they would prefer a compromised encryption that only law enforcement can utilize, that does not exist. If one creates a gate for law enforcement to get in, then hackers can use that too. Interestingly, the FBI was the only law enforcement with a statement against iCloud encryption. Cushing writes that the FBI, "has spent much of the past half-decade lying about the extent of the problem encryption poses to investigators and insinuating that a solution could be had if only the people smart enough to make it happen would stop playing dumb." Still, Apple made a concession to the FBI, not giving managed Apple IDs and child accounts the option to fully encrypt data. But that might be against the law in the United Kingdom and California. When that gets sorted out it may be that child accounts are required to be fully encrypted, against the FBI's wishes. And, finally, another party that is very much against allowing encryption on phones that would prevent governments from spying on constituents, is the Chinese government. They surely won't like Apple's announcement, as it said the encryption "will eventually be offered in China," which seems unlikely. But even if Chinese citizens won't have encrypted data, it appears residents of the United States will. Read the full story in TechDirt.

WGXC adds this week:
Negativland, "Speech Free" (Seeland)

Mirage Station hosted by Mayuko Fujino, every other Wednesday at 11 a.m.
1. Gamelan Sekar Tunjung “Gending Corobalen, minggah ketawang Basonto, laras pelog, patet enem” from The Music Of K.R.T. Wasitodiningrat Performed By Gamelan Sekar Tunjung (CMP Records 1992)
2. 細野晴臣 Haruomi Hosono “マブイ・ダンス #2 Mabui Dance #2” from Medicine Compilation From The Quiet Lodge (Epic 1993)
3. Otto Sidharta “Gamelan” from Indonesian Electronic Music 1979-92 (Sub Rosa 2017)
4. Kiln “Burl” (Self-released 2023)
5. Samuel Rohrer “Body of Lies” from Codes Of Nature (Arjunamusic Records 2023)
6. Rian Treanor & Ocen James “Bunga Bule” from Saccades (Nyege Nyege Tapes 2023)
7. Francis Bebey “Di Sengi” from Akwaaba (Original Music 1984)

Global A-GoGo, Fridays 10 a.m.
Top 10 New Singles & EPs of 2022
1. Systema Solar (Colombia) | "Comer De Verdad" | self-released
2. Amaru Tribe (Australia-Colombia-Chile) | "Candela Viva" | Vibrating Planet
3. Cumbiamuffin (Australia) | Cumbiamuffin EP | Peace & Rhythm / Hyperopia / Sounds & Colours
4. Renee Goust (México-USA) | "La Muchacha Alegre" (feat Nancy Sanchez) | self-released
5. The Hempolics meet Macka B (England UK) | "One Law Fi Dem" | Zee Zee
6. João Selva (Brazil-France) | Se Acabou EP | Underdog
7. Lucidvox (Russia) | "Burn The Grief" / "Swarm" | Glitterbeat
8. Bomba Estéreo & Manu Chao (Colombia-France-Spain) | "Me Duele" | Elegancia Tropical
9. La Sonora Mazurén (Colombia) | "Charanga Mazurén" / "Cachicha" | Names You Can Trust
10. Reggaesta (Italy-Jamaica-England UK) | "Cocaine" (feat Earl 16) | Echo Beach
Honorable Mention
Balimaya Project (England UK-Nigeria-Gambia-Guinée Conakry) | "Seasons Of Baraka" | Jazz Re:freshed
Captain Planet (USA-Brazil-France) | "Moqueca" (feat Zuzuka Poderosa & Raphael Futura) | Bastard Jazz
Cigarbox Man (Chile) | "Mírame" | self-released
El Combo Batanga (Spain-Cuba) | "Ají Gua Guao" / "El Barrio En La Mirada" | Lovemonk
Kimi Djabaté (Guinée Bissau-Portugal) | "Alidonke" | Cumbancha
Fanfare Ciocărlia (Romania-Germany-Austria) | "First Aid Klezmer (Dunkelbunt remix) | Asphalt Tango
Marco Flores Y La Jerez (México) | "Ahora Es Cuando" (feat Grupo Legítimo) | Nacional
Yohan Le Ferrand (France-Mali) | Yeko EP | self-released
Superfónicos (USA) | "Primera Luz" | self-released
Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek (Turkey-Germany-France-England UK) | Dost 2 EP | Bongo Joe / Catapulte
Artist | Country | Song | Recording | Label | Year
Oliver Lake | USA | Separation | Matador Of 1st & 1st | Passin' Thru | 1997
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros | England UK | Global A Go-Go | Global A Go-Go | Hellcat | 2001
Reggaesta | Italy-Jamaica-England UK | Cocaine (feat Earl 16) | Cocaine (feat Earl 16) - Single | Echo Beach | 2022
Richie Spice | Jamaica | Shootie Shootie | Shootie Shootie - Single | Riddim Force | 2022
Black Am I | Jamaica | Jah In My Corner (feat Kabaka Pyramid) | Jah In My Corner - Single | Ghetto Youths International | 2022
The Hempolics meet Macka B | England UK | One Law Fi Dem | One Law Fi Dem - Single | Zee Zee | 2022
El Combo Batanga | Spain-Cuba | Ají Gua Guao | Ají Gua Guao / El Barrio En La Mirada - Single | Lovemonk | 2022
Superfónicos | USA | Primera Luz | Primera Luz - Single | self-released | 2022
Cumbiamuffin | Australia | Cabezona | Cumbiamuffin EP | Peace & Rhythm / Hyperopia / Sounds & Colours | 2022
La Sonora Mazurén | Colombia | Charanga Mazurén | Charanga Mazurén / Cachicha - Single | Names You Can Trust | 2022
Stephanie Santiago | England UK | Alma Carnavalera | Alma Carnavalera - Single | Movimientos | 2022
Bomba Estéreo & Manu Chao | Colombia-France-Spain | Me Duele | Me Duele - Single | Elegancia Tropical | 2022
Systema Solar | Colombia | Comer De Verdad | Comer De Verdad - Single | self-released | 2022
Amaru Tribe | Australia- Colombia-Chile | Candela Viva | Candela Viva - Single | Vibrating Planet | 2022
Delgrès | France | Mwen Vlé Maché | Mwen Vlé Maché - Single | Le Label / PIAS | 2022
Renee Goust | México-USA | La Muchacha Alegre (feat Nancy Sanchez) | La Muchacha Alegre - Single | self-released | 2021
Marco Flores Y La Jerez | México | Ahora Es Cuando (feat Grupo Legítimo) | Ahora Es Cuando (feat Grupo Legítimo) - Single | Nacional | 2022
Fanfare Ciocărlia | Romania-Germany-Austria | First Aid Klezmer (Dunkelbunt remix) | First Aid Klezmer (Dunkelbunt remix) - Single | Asphalt Tango | 2022
Jaakko Laitinen & Väärä Raha | Finland | Lapikasta Lattiaan | Lapikasta Lattiaan - Single | Playground Music Finland | 2022
João Selva | Brazil-France | Bozo Vaza | Se Acabou EP | Underdog | 2022
Captain Planet | USA-Brazil-France | Moqueca (feat Zuzuka Poderosa & Raphael Futura) | Moqueca (feat Zuzuka Poderosa & Raphael Futura) - Single | Bastard Jazz | 2022
Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek | Turkey-Germany-France-England UK | Bal | Dost 2 EP | Bongo Joe / Catapulte | 2022
Cigarbox Man | Chile | Mírame | Mírame - Single | self-released | 2022
Lucidvox | Russia | Burn The Grief | Burn The Grief / Swarm - Single | Glitterbeat | 2022
Yohann Le Ferrand | France-Mali | Konya (feat Mamani Keita) | Yeko EP | self-released | 2022
Kimi Djabaté | Guineé Bissau-Portugal | Alidonke | Alidonke - Single | Cumbancha | 2022
Balimaya Project | England UK-Nigeria-Gambia-Guinée Conakry | Seasons Of Baraka | Seasons Of Baraka - Single | Jazz Re:freshed | 2022

Deep Threes, Mondays, noon-2 p.m.
Objets/Decalages - Trio Gaman - Glerup: Dust Encapsulated
Vertical Staves of Line Drawings and Pointillism - Illuha - Akari
Mess Hall (Merrin, San Diego, CA) - Vijay Iyer/Mike Ladd - Holding It Down: The Veterans' Dreams Project
Zach's Back - Carter Burwell - Seven Psychopaths
Glyph: III. Ecstatic - James Dunham - Time to Burn
Symphonic Poem on Three Notes, for orchestra - Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra - Tan Dun: Concerto for Orchestra
Menace of the Army Wings - Howard Shore - Soul of the Ultimate Nation [Original Soundtrack]
Roses - Keefe Jackson's Likely So - A Round Goal
Terranium - El Portal - Slow Grind
Songs (feat. Chris Potter & Scott Colley) - Freddie Bryant - Dreamscape: Solo, Duo, Trio
Winds of Time: Maestoso/Allegro - Todd Oxford - Synaesthesia
Interlude - Bob Florence - Friends, Treasures, Heroes
The Pilgrim and the Stars - Enrico Rava - The Pilgrim and the Stars
Shakin' It Down - Lynn Manning - Clarity of Vision
Pebble To A Pearl - Nikka Costa - Nikka Costa
Get Up Offa That Thing - James Brown - Get Up Offa That Thing (A-Side)
Cigarettes & Coffee - Etta James - The Dreamer
Futures - Gary Burton - Like Minds

Tracklist for Vital Weekly 1367:
0000 Tune
0014 Eric Random - Premonition Hooligan
0324 Bourbonese Qualk - Workover
0625 Hunting Lodge - Astral Bell
0935 Krylon Hertz - Extraction
1251 Ensamble Kaafka - Le Bateleur
1547 orchestramaxfieldparrish - Island Of Memories
1859 Bourbonese Qualk - Suburb City
2207 Annie Lewandowski & Fred Frith - My Winter Condition
2517 Column One - Religious Tools, Part Two
2825 Asmus Tietchens - Coniin 8
3122 Jac Berrocal & David Fenech & Vincent Epplay
3428 VO - Ephiphanies
3737 Hands To - Heone Trach
4048 Jarl - Part 3: Mind-Symptoms
4358 Harutaka Mochizuki - Eugene
4707 J.J. Gregg - external electron transfer
5016 Rent Romus
5327 Lugola - Better Cancel Yourself
5637 Tune

David Oxenford at Broadcast Law Blog predicts the biggest airwave regulation stories in the coming year with the Federal Communications Commission. President Joe Biden's so-far going-nowhere nomination of Gigi Sohn to break the 2-2 Republican-Democrat votes on the FCC continues to be the largest story. Because most issues at the FCC will either be in a stalement or leaning to the Democrats depending if Sohn gets confirmed and tips the balance on the board. The 2018 Quadrennial Review, for instance, could relax local radio ownership rules if conservatives have a tie at the FCC, but would probably continue to favor local ownership if Sohn is confirmed. And, "The Quadrennial Review also looks at the dual network rule that currently forbids the common ownership of two of the Top 4 TV networks," Oxenford writes. More media consolidation and monopolies could be allowed if the FCC remains in a two-two tie, but if Sohn is confirmed companies could see break-ups. There is also a proposal for a Class C4 FM radio service before the commission. The new stations are essentially midway between the power limits of the current Class A stations and Class C3 FMs that are limited to 25 kw. So mostly for small, rural stations, or to fit small stations in urban areas. The opposition on this issue is mostly from current broadcasters who fear more stations will clutter the FM band and perhaps remove existing FM translators from the airwaves or block new translators for both AM and FM stations. So far, the FCC has only issued a Notice of Inquiry on the proposal, but a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking may come this year. Read the full story at the Broadcast Law Blog.

Makena Kelly reports in The Verge that on Jan. 3 President Joe Biden again nominated Gigi Sohn for a seat on Federal Communications Commission. The FCC has been deadlocked with two Republicans and two Democrats, and critics say Biden did little to get the nomination approved by the Senate. Sohn co-founded the Public Knowledge activist group in 2001 and was chief there until taking a position as counselor for then-FCC Chair Tom Wheeler in 2013. She was nominated in October 2021, but never got a vote. Corporations such as Comcast have lobbied against Sohn in fear of facing more regulations, and Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz claims Sohn would censor conservatives even if executives at radical right-wing news networks Newsmax and One America News Network support Sohn's nomination and praise her longtime commitment to free speech. There is more optimism now about the approval of Sohn's nomination with an extra Senate seat for Democrats after this fall's election. But Democrat Sens. Mark Kelly, of Arizona, and Catherine Cortez Masto, of Nevada, have yet to come out in favor of Sohn's nomination. Read the full story in The Verge.

Andrew Cunningham reports at ARS Technica that New York Governor Kathy Hochul did sign the The Digital Fair Repair Act before the Dec. 29 deadline, making it the first right-to-repair bill in the nation. For years, consumers, if they want new electronic devices, have been forced to buy them with no way to fix them without involving the company that made the product, The new law requires companies to provide the same diagnostic tools, repair manuals, and spare parts to the public that they make available to their own repair technicians. Hochul made a few changes, weakening the bill before signing, on "technical issues that could put safety and security at risk, as well as heighten the risk of injury from physical repair projects.... I am pleased to have reached an agreement with the legislature to address these issues," Hochul wrote. The law will not affect any electronic device anyone currently owns. Instead, only devices manufactured and sold in New York on or after July 1, 2023 will be required to meet the law's requirements. And only the public, not businesses or the government, will benefit from the law as "business-to-business" and "business-to-government" equipment that isn't sold to consumers is excluded from the law. Even with all the exceptions, consumer advocates are crowing. “This is a huge victory for consumers and a major step forward for the right to repair movement," wrote iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens. "New York has set a precedent for other states to follow, and I hope to see more states passing similar legislation in the near future.” Still activist Louis Rossmann explained how bad the changes to the bill are for consumers. "It getting passed without being tainted or screwed with would actually be good for society, and that's not something that [the] New York state government is going to allow to happen," Rossmann said. Read the full story at ARS Technica.

Commercial Carrier Journal reports about how the Federal Communications Commission's expansion of citizens band radio from AM and single-sideband to include FM frequencies will impact truckers and others who use CB radios. Currently the 40 channels on CB radios are on the 11 meter band, from 26.965 MHz to 27.405 MHz, considered AM radio. Upper and lower single-sideband modes can be selected on higher-end CBs among those 40 channels to provide improved AM transmissions with greater power and range. The FM frequencies being added will come in clearer. The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley says that FM frequencies will provide an “improved signal to noise ratio (about 25dB) with regards to man-made interference” over the current AM frequencies. “This is going to bring a lot of good things for professional users of the CB radio band like truckers because a lot times when the skip’s really rolling and the [solar] cycle is at its peak, sometimes it can interfere with truckers communicating up and down the highways. FM is really going to cut that down,” amateur radio expert Matt Kaskavitch. FM signals won't travel as far, but will be much clearer. “[FM] is going to provide for better clarity of signal and better short-range communication without having to worry about people from all over the country and really all over the world when the cycle is at its peak interfering as you’re trying to talk a few miles up and down the interstate,” Kaskavitch said. Read the full story in the Commercial Carrier Journal.

Elle Kehres reports for Radio World that according to Edison Research 38 percent of Americans aged 12 and older listened to a podcast in the last month. Many radio shows are also podcasts, and the subscribable audio shows all use internet radio signals to deliver programming. That's an estimated 109 million Americans tuned in to podcasts, at least sometimes. But a higher percentage of listeners in England, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand tune in to podcasts than in America. Perhaps because of the popularity of the mostly-talk podcasts, there has been a 45 percent increase in America in the time spent listening to spoken word audio since 2014. For those aged 13–24, Edison Research reported an 117 percent increase in listenership in the last eight years. Read the full story in Radio World.

The Broadcast Law Blog reports that comments are due by January 9 for the Federal Communications Commissions new rules about foreign government sponsorship identification. Questions about foreign ownership of the airwaves of America usually pop up in times of paranoia, misinformation, and propaganda, so there is little surprise the FCC’s Media Bureau would consider this issue now. The bureau wants comment on proposed rules for all buyers of program time on any broadcast station (or those who provide any pre-produced programming received for free) to provide verification if programming comes from a “foreign government entity,” i.e., a foreign government or one of its agents. Then, shows from a foreign government entity would be subject to extensive public disclosure obligations. Read more about this story at the Broadcast Law Blog.

Kevin Purdy reports at ARS Technica that the folks who cheered months ago when New York's legislature passed The Digital Fair Repair Act, the first right-to-repair bill to entirely pass through any state legislature are now waiting nervously. The nation's largest technology interests are lobbying for New York Governor Kathy Hochul not to sign the bill. And, so far, Hochul has held the bill aside until Dec. 16, when a thirty-day clock began ticking, and if the governor takes no action by then the bill fails to become law. For several months her press flacks will only say, "Governor Hochul is reviewing the legislation." Very few people anywhere are against the bill, which allows consumers to fix products they pay for. Advocates for the measure say many companies do not provide documentation or spare parts, or lock access behind software restrictions that thwart repairs outside companies' networks, limit consumer choice, raise ownership costs, and add to a growing e-waste stream. The Digital Fair Repair Act passed the state assembly 147–2 and the senate 59–4. Yet, despite all that popularity and bipartisan support, if Hochul sways to the lobbying interests of a handful of corporations, the bill fails and would have to start again from the beginning of the legislative process next term. Aggressive lobbying worked earlier in the process, as trade groups forced a slimmer version of the bill, taking out lawn equipment, gaming consoles, and appliances through a "burst of end-of-session lobbying from companies worth billions and their affiliated trade associations." The bill on Hochul's desk will now only apply to small electronics, according to the Times Union. But since the bill would be the first in the nation signed into law it would set a precedent for other states. Both ARS Technica and the Times Union report that state filings show that the trade group TechNet, and corporations Microsoft, Apple, Google, and HP, are all lobbying against the bill at the legislative and executive levels in New York. Read more about this story at ARS Technica.

Acra, NY—Wave Farm announced today twelve grantees for the Fall 2022 round of the MAAF Forward Fund for Organizations, a regrant partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts. MAAF Forward Fund grantees: Allied Productions, American Documentary, Aubin Pictures, Blank Forms, CultureHub, Film Forum, Franklin Furnace Archive, La Kaje, Maker Park Radio, Stockade Works, The Center for the Holographic Arts, and The Picture House Regional Film Center.

The Media Arts Assistance Fund (MAAF) supports electronic media and film organizations, as well as individual artists, in all regions of New York State. For organizations, MAAF Forward Fund provides funds to support technical strategies for online development as well as to hire outside consultants to support organizational and professional development. Eligible organizations have missions specific to the media arts, dedicate the majority of their programming to technology as an art form, and are current NYSCA grantees. Organizations are eligible to receive a maximum of $2,500. The biannual application deadlines for the MAAF Forward Fund are May 1 and October 1.

Information about the twelve 2022 Fall MAAF for Organizations funded projects is available below.

GRANTEES AND PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS

Allied Productions (New York County) - Implementation of Live-Streaming Technology for Allied Production Events in 2023
Allied Productions will purchase the remaining audio and video equipment needed to complete a comprehensive live-streaming station that will be used to broadcast live performances, panels, and other in-person events. This live-streaming station will be used in 2023 for presentations of over 55 interdisciplinary events including outdoor film screenings, live and virtual music performances, multimedia installations, and gatherings that seek to engage local arts communities within Lower Manhattan and the greater NYC metropolitan area.

American Documentary (Kings County) - Increased Organizational Capacity in 2023
American Documentary (AmDoc) will hire an HR consultant to support their internal team in providing direct services, training, and coaching on a range of human resources and employee relations such as staff onboarding, senior team consulting, preparation for performance reviews, reference checks, and exit interviews.

Aubin Pictures (New York County) - Website Upgrades
Aubin Pictures will use MAAF funding to support an updated infrastructure for their website. They will work with a consultant who will advise Aubin Pictures on UI and UX throughout the organization’s website, with a focus on better showcasing each film project to engage audiences to learn more about the independent filmmakers and grassroots organizations that Aubin Pictures collaborates with. Aubin Pictures will also complete an accessibility audit to improve accessibility features throughout the site.

Blank Forms (Kings County) - Web Architecture Consultation for an Entangled View of Time-Based Art Practices
Blank Forms will work with a consultant to advance the second phase of a web development project that will evolve their website into a broader resource for artists and audiences. This project will allow Blank Forms to more fully engage the multifaceted practices of the artists they serve while drawing out the critical interconnection of their programs across commissions, performances, exhibitions, publications, archival and legacy initiatives.

CultureHub (New York County) - Experiments in Digital Storytelling
CultureHub will work with a developer in support of LiveLab+, CultureHub’s open-source media router for collaborative performance. The organization aims to streamline the LiveLab+ code base to make it easier for other artists and organizations to customize the open-source platform. The consultant will work with CultureHub’s in-house technical team to strengthen and diversify the skillset of the organization’s staff.

Film Forum (New York County) - Capacity Interactive Boot Camp 2022
MAAF funds will support staff Professional Development through the boot camp hosted by digital marketing and consulting firm Capacity Interactive. Film Forum aims to gain the tools and resources to keep up to date with digital marketing through workshops including: the obsolescence of third-party cookies; developing a first-party data strategy; creating a social media audience through user-generated content; and leveraging existing patron data to optimize campaign performance with new Google tools.

Franklin Furnace Archive (Kings County) - Digital Accessibility
Franklin Furnace Archive (FF) will use MAAF funds to support technical assistance to upgrade their website and publicly released images with Alt Text. FF aims to refine its accessibility strategies by establishing protocol for Alt Text use, ultimately increasing accessibility to their website and accompanying digital platform for media performances, the FF Loft. FF will produce an in-house How To Deploy Alt Text guide/manual, with a working template and assessment rubric.

La Kaje (Kings County) - Guidance Around Organizational Strategy and Sustainability
La Kaje will engage a non-profit consultant to help evaluate their current management and governing structures, administrative systems, and business model. As an emerging organization, La Kaje aims to design a 12-18 month strategic plan for organizational development and advancement.

Maker Park Radio, Inc. (Richmond County) - Developing Online Access
Maker Park Radio will engage a web developer to better design closed captioning for the audio player on their website and app. Maker Park Radio aims to increase accessibility to their website and app with better navigation features, increased text visibility, and more responsive playlist and schedule loading.

Stockade Works (Ulster County) - Stockade Works Professional Development: Communications
MAAF funds will enable Stockade Works to hire a communications consultant to support organizational growth and professional development of its staff. The consulting firm will lead Stockade Works staff in digital communications workshops and provide staff with training to build their audiences, provide greater access to programs, and foster inclusion.

The Center for Holographic Arts (Ulster County) - Strategic Planning Assistance for the HoloCenter Programs
The Center for Holographic Arts (The HoloCenter) will work with a development consultant to research and identify major development opportunities to support the building of the organization’s studio space for the holographic arts and their online Virtual Museum of Holography. The consultant will help create the HoloCenter’s plan for funding projects that include capital and capacity building, education, programming, general operations, and exhibitions.

The Picture House Regional Film Center (Westchester County) - Major Gifts Strategy Development with Coaching for Board and Staff
The Picture House Regional Film Center will work with a development consultant to create a major gifts strategy and train their Board of Directors and staff in best practices. The Picture House aims to build donor relationships and multi-year sustainable gifts as the backbone of their fundraising portfolio.

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The New York State Council on the Arts is dedicated to preserving and expanding the rich and diverse cultural resources that are and will become the heritage of New York’s citizens. The Council believes in artistic excellence and the creative freedom of artists without censure, and the rights of all New Yorkers to access and experience the power of the arts and culture, and the vital contribution the arts make to the quality of life in New York communities. http://arts.ny.gov

Wave Farm is a non-profit arts organization driven by experimentation with broadcast media and the airwaves. A pioneer of the Transmission Arts genre, Wave Farm programs provide access to transmission technologies and support artists and organizations that engage with media as an art form. Major activities include Artist Residencies and Fellowships; a Public Transmission Art Park; Wave Farm Radio, including WGXC 90.7-FM: Radio for Open Ears, a creative community radio station based in New York’s Upper Hudson Valley; a Fiscal Sponsorship program; and Regrant Partnerships with the New York Council on the Arts. https://wavefarm.org

MAAF Forward Fund is a Regrant Partnership of NYSCA and Wave Farm, made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. For more information about the The New York State Council on the Arts in Partnership with Wave Farm: Media Arts Assistance Fund (MAAF) visit https://wavefarm.org/grants/about.