Nate Anderson at Ars Technica reports that a Haitian pirate radio station near Miami, Radio Touche Douce (90.1-FM), has received the largest possible fine from the Federal Communications Commission, $144,344. The Miami Herald says, the station is, "the pulse of the Haitian music industry in Miami, organizing some of the most popular big-ticket parties while promoting bands and guiding konpa music fans to the next hit." The station has a website, Facebook page, and an internet webstream on the TuneIn app. FCC records indicate they've been chasing the station's signal at least since 2012. DJ Polynice was fined $25,000 in 2013 for the station's illegal signal. The Miami Herald reports that the Radio Touche Douce studio is "located in a North Miami storefront," while the transmitter is nearby in a backyard shed that belongs to Harold and Veronise Sido. The trio were hit with the joint fine of $144,344 this past September. FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn supported the fine but gave reasons why the three might have taken to the pirate radio movement. "According to US Census data, there are 213,000 foreign-born Haitians living in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area," she wrote. "This represents nearly four percent of the metro area population yet, research by my staff found just a single FM station serving the Haitian community of the almost 60 FM stations in south Florida. If these unlicensed operators were ever afforded the opportunity to transition to a licensed station, would they take it? Unfortunately, in most large media markets, that opportunity may never exist, both because of the lack of an available license and high financial hurdles." A local musician agrees in the Miami Herald. “We need it,” said Wilky “Kikko” Saint-Hilaire, a songwriter for several konpa musicians. “This was probably the only station that played our music genre, konpa, exclusively on a daily basis.”

Radio World reports that there is a new search engine designed for audio, called Audioburst. “Our system’s core technology listens in real-time to online sources of audio content, and processes it on two levels,” said Assaf Gad, Audioburst’s vice president of marketing and strategic partnerships. “In the first level, the audio is fully transcribed to text using our ASR (automatic speech recognition) software engine. This text then goes through our NLP (natural language processing) algorithm: It allows us to understand what is being said, and to use this information to categorize, classify and store each topic for online searching.” Audio becomes text, which is simpler for searching, and then that text search reappears to the user as audio. While text and video have been easily shared and searched for years, audio is more inscrutable, and the computing technology to search live audio was not available until now. Whether the mass public wants to search for audio or not is still an open question, there are certain audio aficionados who will certainly be testing Audioburst.

When the Federal Communications Commission rolled back net neutrality rules Dec. 14, they also added a "Blue Alert." While Amber Alert's detail missing children, Blue Alert's relay "information related to a law enforcement officer who is missing, seriously injured, or killed in the line of duty." Soon cell phone notifications and radio emergency sounds could be more common, though, there is "a 12-month implementation period for Blue Alerts to be delivered over the Emergency Alert System and 18 months for delivery over the Wireless Emergency Alert system." Tim Cushing at TechDirt writes that, "There's nothing out there that suggests distributing this information outside of law enforcement networks will have any net safety benefit for the public. Taking it nationwide only adds to "Alert" market saturation. Cops have strong support systems and plenty of firepower on their side, unlike missing seniors (Silver Alert) or kidnapped children (Amber Alert). And, unlike targeted weather alerts, a Blue Alert offers up almost no information usable by the general public."

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Dick Orkin, the man behind the "Chickenman" radio serial and other shows, died Dec. 24 in California. “He had been struggling with health issues for a while and lately was on the mend, but Saturday night he had a stroke and Sunday evening he passed away,” Lisa Orkin, posted on Facebook. “He was an incredible father and we all feel blessed that we had him in our lives as long as we did.” Orkin, 84, created the "Chickenman” radio series as a production director at WCFL in Chicago. The show, usually about two minutes long, featured a deadpan superhero who lacked any special powers, It started in 1966 and lasted into the late 1970s, and was syndicated to more than 1,500 stations worldwide at one point. The character was the alter-ego of shoe salesman Benton Harbor, who fought crime in Midland City in a chicken costume. The show evolved the character to an environmental warrior in "Chickenman vs. the Earth Polluters" and finished up in 1977, as "Chickenman Returns for the Last Time Again." In 1996 Orkin explained about the show, "I was never clear about what 'camp' meant, except that I guess it had something to do with the sacredness of absolute values that, when extended to irrational limits, became just plain silly... Thank God I hadn't known 'camp' was later considered a literary technique, or that would have killed the doing of it for me."

Paul Riismandel at Radio Survivor reports that while social media feeds that many people saw recently suggest Norway is shutting down its FM radio band, that is decidedly not the case. The government there did shut down some state-run FM radio stations last week, but got all sorts of resistance. There are many reports of unlicensed FM broadcasts in Bergen, Tønsberg, Ålesund, Fredrikstad, and Førde. Norway is shutting down analog broadcasters, to have them switch over to digital signals that need new receivers to be heard. In Norway's largest city, Oslo, the CEO of a radio company and the chairman of the Norwegian Local Radio Federation told the CBC’s “As It Happens” show that he has not turned off his transmitter. While he is facing $10,000-a-day fines for staying on the air, he said, "The main question is, why do you switch off a system in Norway where we have 10 to 15 million radio receivers? And you just say to the public, you’re not going to use this anymore because you need to buy new ones. What sort of logic is that for media companies to operate that way? I mean, you operate on behalf of the listener. Here, the big players are saying to the listeners: 'No. You need to go out and buy new radio receivers.'" A recent poll found that 56 percent of Norwegians are “dissatisfied” with the conversion to digital radio. The country has a little more than five million residents, but 15 million FM radio receivers that, until last week, could receive all the signals. Another poll found that half of Norwegians don’t have a Digital Audio Broadcasting radio in their car, and have no plans to buy one. So while, from a glimpse at a social media story, it may seem like Norway is doing away with FM radio, it is really involved in another attempt to sell something. In this case, a different sort of radio. And, so far, Norwegians aren't buying.

Gabriel Bell at Slate rounds up scientific opinion on the dangers of radio frequency radiation. The Federal Drug Administration, the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control, the Mayo Clinic, the American Cancer Society, the European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks and other scientists say that high levels of electromagnetic frequencies may not be good for humans, but there is no evidence that the EMF frequencies from cell phones pose any sort of physical risk. Still, with all those scientists on one side of the issue, last week the California Department of Public Health took the other side and issued a series of guidelines on "reduc[ing] exposure to radio frequency energy from cell phones." California's health department now says, "research suggests long-term, high use" of the cell phones "may impact human health." California did not mention anything about humans being bombarded by FM radio signals, baby monitors, Wi-Fi routers, or any of the hundreds of other radio frequencies that humans encounter every day. Of course, most people don't keep transistor radios in their pockets anymore. But many people do carry car door openers in a pocket in their pants that beam electronic signals. Those are weak signals, but most cell phones also emit less than a watt of power. Many AM radio stations send out 50,000-watt signals. Microwaves, can clearly do damage to human tissue, but are a different part of the radio spectrum. So far, the International Agency for Research on Cancer is about the only respected scientific organization saying that the radio waves produced by cell phone use are "possibly carcinogenic to humans."

Ars Technica reports that now that the Federal Communications Commission has killed off net neutrality, Republicans in Congress are readying a replacement. And while the "Open Internet Preservation Act" might sound benign, the bill would not stop Internet service providers from charging websites or online services for prioritization. So Netflix or YouTube or Spotify may get charged more, and those costs will eventually get passed onto consumers. Blackburn's bill would define broadband Internet access as an "information service." Under net neutrality, the internet was considered a utility. This allows Republicans to further deregulate the Internet. And states won't be allowed to pass their own version of net neutrality, if the bill passes. "Blackburn's bill would explicitly allow Internet providers to demand new fees from small businesses and Internet users, carving up the Web into fast lanes and slow lanes," Fight for the Future Campaign Director Evan Greer said.

The "A Prairie Home Companion" radio show announced Dec. 16 that it changed its name to "Live From Here" after former host Garrison Keillor was forced off Minnesota Public Radio after a sexual misconduct accusation or two. Keillor retired as host of the radio show in 2016, after starting it in 1974. He was dismissed from MPR completely Nov. 29 after the radio network announced a single accusation; Keillor said later in the day, that he has to respect the privacy "of the two employees who made the allegations." No more allegations have surfaced since then. Chris Thile, who took over hosting the show after Keillor’s retirement, announced the name change during a live performance of the show from New York City.

As of Dec. 13, the Federal Communications Commission reports that 17.6 percent of cell phone service is still out in Puerto Rico, since Hurricane Maria hit the island in late September. In the Virgin Islands, 21.4 percent of cell phone service is still out. So a fifth of the island, roughly, is still without personal communication. The public communication situation is worse. Just five television stations are working, according to the FCC, while two stations "are suspected to be out of service," and "70 TV stations have been issued Special Temporary Authority to be offline" and "30 TV stations have unconfirmed status." In the U.S. Virgin Islands, no television stations are broadcasting. On the radio just "42 AM radio stations are confirmed operational," in Puerto Rico while 32 AM stations are not broadcasting. On FM, 55 stations are working, while 56 are off the air or have an unknown status to the FCC. The ones that are on the air are struggling, Radio World reports. Because of constant electrical outages, many stations are running on backup generators, and are spending a lot of money on fuel. And since the entire island is devastated, there aren't a lot of advertising dollars coming in to pay for that fuel, and other costs. “There’s no business for radio stations, and when there’s no business there’s no money,” said Jose Ribas Dominicci, executive director of the Puerto Rico Radio Broadcasters Association. The National Association of Broadcasters has sent 10,000 portable radios for listeners on the island, but they might be getting a lot of static.

The Communications Law blog reports that it is official. AM, FM, and broadcast television stations no longer have to have a studio in the area where they broadcast, as of Jan. 8, 2018. In October the Federal Communications Commission voted to eliminate the Main Studio Rule, saying listeners and viewers could now contact broadcasters through the internet. The FCC did not address the fact that, without studios, there might be no programming originating from the area. So beginning Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, expect less local programming and fewer broadcasting jobs around the country, as more content is beamed in from elsewhere.

Dell Cameron and Rhett Jones report at Gizmodo a week before the head of the Federal Communications Commission votes to eliminate net neutrality, Ajit Pai joked about being a shill of the telecommunications industry. Pai spoke Dec. 7 at the Federal Communications Bar Association, what is known as the telecom prom. Gizmodo got leaked video of Pai ending his "monologue" with a video skit about how he got to be FCC chief that works as wonderful radio theatre. It takes place at “Verizon’s DC Office” in 2003, where Pai was as an attorney. Kathy Grillo, Verizon senior vice president and deputy general counsel, tells him: “As you know, the FCC is captured by the industry, but we think it’s not captured enough, so we have a plan.” “What plan?” Pai asks. “We want to brainwash and groom a Verizon puppet to install as FCC chairman,” the executive says. “Think ‘Manchurian Candidate.’” “That sounds awesome,” Pai responds. Click here to hear a short excerpt of Ajit Pai Radio Theatre.

A Stuff.NewZealand report indicates that Radio New Zealand may soon stop AM radio broadcasting. "RNZ considers it is now time to work with stakeholders to develop plans to, either partially or completely, exit AM broadcasting over time," the company said in a report last week. The company thinks some of the stations are worth more for the real estate they sit on then the airwaves they use. RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson said it would take more than a decade to sell of its transmission sites, and noted that the company recently invested "millions" on a new AM tower in Titahi Bay, Wellington. Currently, some of Radio New Zealand tower sites also broadcast other signals. "We think we're an audience and content organisation, not an infrastructure organisation," Thompson said. The new Labour-NZ First Government may have different ideas, but there is clearly talk in New Zealand about the end of AM radio for the state broadcaster.

Sean Gallagher reports at Ars Technica about the U.S. Air Force's Counter-electronics High-powered Microwave Advanced Missile Project, or CHAMP, which would shoot bursts of microwave energy to disable electronic devices such as computers, communications, and air defense radar systems. NBC News first reported about the project Dec. 4, saying it could help stop North Korean nuclear attacks. But that is not a very effective use of the weapon. It heats up semiconductors so electronics fail. It would probably be most effective in knocking down a swarm of radio-controlled drones. As a weapon, the range is not far, as the CHAMP would need to go off in relatively close proximity to heat up a semiconductor enough so that it fails. And a Faraday cage blocking the radio waves, or reflectors, would stop the heating. So far, the best result for the military was a "2012 test, [where] pulses from the CHAMP cruise missile disabled computers and even the video cameras monitoring them as the missile flew over them," according to Ars Technica. If the weapon is made more powerful and aimed at humans, it could cause burns or cataracts. Gallagher guesses the story leaked now to give North Korea another reason not to attempt a missile attack.

Beth Mole at Ars Technica reports that authorities don't know how 24 Americans were injured in mysterious attacks in Cuba recently. In August, U.S. authorities reported that American diplomats and their spouses stationed in Havana were targets of puzzling attacks for months. At first, the term “sonic attacks” was used, as some of the victims heard noises. Now, though, scientists have, "largely ruled out the possibility that sounds could cause traumatic brain damage," according to the story. Sometimes the attacks were completely imperceptible. Victims have complained of dizziness, nausea, headaches, balance problems, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), nosebleeds, difficulty concentrating and recalling words, permanent hearing loss, and speech and vision problems. Doctors have identified mild brain injuries, including swelling and concussion. Cuba says they have nothing to do with the attacks. U.S. officials now have the Cuban embassy operating with just emergency staff. On Dec. 6 the Associated Press quoted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying, "What we’ve said to the Cubans is: small island. You’ve got a sophisticated intelligence apparatus. You probably know who’s doing it. You can stop it. It’s as simple as that."

John Anderson at DIYmedia.net reports that the Workers Independent News radio segments are no more. The segments, often heard on the evening "All Together Now!" show on WGXC and many other stations, began in 2001 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison by Anderson, professor Frank Emspak, and others with daily newscasts, and feature stories for radio on over 100 stations worldwide. It was a lone voice for news from a workers perspective anywhere, not just on the radio. Emspak stepped down with health issues last year. "The new CEO had no meaningful background in labor or independent media, and looked at his role in the organization as more of a mogul than a working stiff," Anderson writes. "Problems making payroll began again over the summer, and incrementally most of WIN’s staff was let go save for its two main producers, Doug Cunningham and JoAnne Powers, who soldiered on. But earlier this month they, too, received their layoff notices, and production of WIN ceased on November 17."

Harper Neidig reports at The Hill that 28 Democrats in the U.S. Senate are calling for a delay on the Dec. 14 vote at the Federal Communications Commission to repeal its net neutrality rules. Saying that the agency's public comment file is poisoned with millions of fake comments, the senators, including Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand from New York, want to delay the vote. “A free and open Internet is vital to ensuring a level playing field online, and we believe that your proposed action may be based on an incomplete understanding of the public record in this proceeding,” the senators wrote in a Dec. 4 letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “In fact, there is good reason to believe that the record may be replete with fake or fraudulent comments, suggesting that your proposal is fundamentally flawed.” So far, just one Republican senator, Susan Collins from Maine, has expressed opposition to rolling back the rules that keep an even playing field on the internet, rather than allowing fast lanes for those with more money to spend. On Dec. 4 New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel held a press conference about fake net neutrality comments. Schneiderman says the FCC is refusing to turn over evidence to his investigation of the millions of fake comments in the names of people both dead and alive that have appeared in the FCC's public file on the issue.

New York Attorney General Schneiderman And FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel gave a press conference Dec. 4 about fake net neutrality comments.

Todd Shields reports at Bloomberg that 7.75 million comments were submitted to the Federal Communications Commission about net neutrality from email domains attributed to FakeMailGenerator.com. Another 444,938 of the 22 million comments came from Russian email addresses, according to a Pew Research study. There’s “clear evidence of organized campaigns to flood the comments with repeated messages," the Pew study found, saying 94 percent of comments were submitted multiple times. About 7.6 million comments used the phrase, “I am in favor of strong net neutrality under Title II of the Telecommunications Act.” A study by Emprata reported that the comments that were personalized, or those with phrases that appeared only once in the docket, favored retaining the net neutrality rules by a margin of 1.5 million versus 23,000 for repeal. Clearly, the FCC commenting system has been hijacked.

Dahlia Lithwick in Slate reports that the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Nov. 29 about a court case that focuses whether law enforcement can get access to the records of where anyone's cell phone has been without a warrant. Detroit police thought Timothy Carpenter was tied to a string of Radio Shack robberies in 2011. Without a warrant police were able to get the cell site location information that showed Carpenter's phone was at 12,898 locations over 127 days. Some of those locations were the Radio Shacks in question, and that led to 116 years in prison time for Carpenter. But shouldn't the police have faced a judge for permission to find out exactly where his phone was? Does that mean government officials have access to the records that show where you have been? Carpenter says he has the Fourth Amendment right to be free of warrantless government searches; the police say the Stored Communications Act allows them access to any personal papers and data turned over to a third party. Justice Samuel Alito says those cell phone records are just like bank records that police are allowed to access, saying everyone knows cell phones can be tracked. “Well, I mean, that’s a debatable empirical point whether people realize what’s going on. There’s reason to think maybe they do. I mean, people know, there were all these commercials, ‘Can you hear me now?,’ our company has lots of towers everywhere. What do they think that’s about?,” Alito said during arguments Nov. 29. Chief Justice John Roberts said there was a difference, in, “that you really don’t have a choice these days if you want to have a cellphone.” In the spring, expect a ruling on whether the records of the cell phones that everyone is expected to have, are accessible to law enforcement officials without a warrant.