Oh dear, oh dear. Hello Zoneheads. And there were we wanting to bring you some good news. Not so today. But don't worry, dear regulars, we're looking at ways to get round this - but it's not easy. Basically, we've lost our 24/7 service via Live365 (but hey, we're still on both RTI and Radio Seagull, don't forget that).
Now, we don't want to bore you with the technical details, but we'll briefly try to explain exactly why, and that's not easy to do, in laymans terms. But we'll try.
The new RIAA and DMCA rules state that everything we broadcast, now has to have an Artist, Track Name, Album Title, etc etc visible in a player window for each second we are on air via Live365.
But we can't do that ! We don't just broadcast Tracks, like thousands of people do - we broadcast actual Presented Programmes - not just a bunch of songs, thank-you very much.
Now, herein lies the problem, because how can we put Artist, Titles etc in when there are up to 14 titles per hour plus presented links, for about 16 hours in total ? We can't. Why ?
Well, to do this would take longer than making the actual Shows themselves.
Therefore, because we want to do 'proper' presented Radio programmes, we are 'not compliant' in their eyes because the information does not automatically flash up on screen, and therefore, we are illegal.
So, we are switched off. Unbelievable. (Can I add that this is not Live365's fault - it's the new law that they must abide to - they themselves have lost many Stations because of this).
Meanwhile, all those other stations who just have a bunch of labelled tracks going round and round, remain on the air, untouched.
Rather ironic, don't you think, that you try to do Radio which is informative, with details of the artists, their history, upcoming gigs by them etc - in otherwords, promoting them, and paying for the privilege, yet we end up off the air. Hey, Big Brother is watching, and listening, folks.
We will NOT be beaten. If we cannot broadcast via Live365 with a 24/7 service, we will do it another way. We are already in contact with other broadcasters who are experiencing the same problems. There is no overnight solution, this may take quite a few days - sorry about that. But we did not start our own freeform radio station way back in 1997 to be told 9 years later what to do, and when to do it, by the very people who we are actually paying money out to, to be on the air in the first place.
We could understand if we were doing something wrong - but we are not.
So, please be patient.
The Album Zone continues to broadcast on Wednesday and Saturday nights, at 10pm UK time, via our good friends at www.rti.fm. Worldwide. Also, on many FM and AM frequencies throughout Europe at these hours, just check the RTI Website for full details.
We can also be heard now on the Sky Satellite (from RTI) across Europe at these times - we will publish details of how to find us there, right here in this Blog, before the next AZ programme goes out on Wednesday.
We are also on air via Radio Seagull, Wednesday nights, at www.radioseagull.com, between 18.00 and 00.00, and again, that's UK time. At the same time too, on 1602AM in northern Netherlands.
Normal service will be resumed shortly. Where ? We don't know. But it will be 24/7. We promise you that.
Do check back often to this Blog for further details.
Steve Lloyd PR The Album Zone
AZ mail : music@albumzone.net
