Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Akron/Canton's First Commercial Streamer

It's been around for a month and change, but we just stumbled onto the first commercial radio streaming audio feed - of a main over-air signal - in the Akron/Canton area. Well, at least the first in some time.

It's from Clear Channel hot AC WKDD/98.1, which put up its live Internet audio feed back in early June.

WKDD follows non-commercial outlets like the Akron Public Schools' WAPS/91.3 "The Summit", the University of Akron's WZIP/88.1, Streetsboro Public Schools alt-rock/oldies outlet WSTB/88.9, and Kent State University-based NPR outlet WKSU/89.7 into the streaming pool.

It's actually a return to streaming for 'KDD, which was online from 1997 until about 2000, until high music rights fees forced many music stations to stop their online feeds.

OMW hears that WKDD's sister stations in the Akron/Canton cluster - right/left talk pair WHLO/640 and WARF/1350 - will soon follow with streaming audio feeds...adding yet another piece of new technology to WARF midday host Joe Finan's arsenal. If you'd have told Joe about five years ago that he'd be heard around the world both in live and recorded form, he'd have looked at you like you had lost your senses...

We're reminded that Rubber City Radio's WQMX/94.9 has an excellent secondary streaming audio feed on its website.

The feed offers up classic country tunes to complement the station's contemporary country on-air format. As of yet, 'QMX's main on-air feed is not available online...

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Re: Third paragraph...it's the University of Akron, not Akron University.
Signed - An Alumn

Ohio Media Watch said...

Well, maybe it is on Spicer Street. :) Colloquially, people still call it Akron U...

But, no matter, it's been changed. And we'll be watchful for items having to do with ***THE**** Ohio State University, or "Metro Parks, Serving Summit County" as well... (not like they'd have much to do with media!)

-OMW

Anonymous said...

Maybe you should clarify what you mean by "main signals"....WCER has been streaming since summer of 2003. Although the stream has been down for the last 2 days - we're working on getting it back up ASAP.

Anonymous said...

Keith,

Thanks for the info on the classic streaming. Quite big of you, seeing you are a competitor. I'll tell my wife about it.