From wollman@bostonradio.org Thu Nov 30 14:30:41 2023 From: wollman@bostonradio.org (Garrett Wollman) Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:30:41 -0500 Subject: Shutdown of boston-radio-interest list Message-ID: <25960.58081.894201.847880@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Hi, all, This mailing-list was originally created in 1997, at a time when both radio and the Internet were in a very different situation than they are now. Broadcasting was experiencing paroxysms of consolidation, which has largely now ended, but was still quite vibrant and the medium through which many if not most people were exposed to news, new music, and political views. In the Internet, it was still reasonably possible for anyone to operate public services like web and mail servers on pretty much any machine that had a full-time network connection. We no longer live in that world, and people no longer view mailing-lists like this one as an easy and low-effort way to exchange news and views. So too has local radio largely gone by the wayside, as consolidation has led to more national programming and a continuous push to cut expenses like staffing (both on-air and behind the scenes). Many of the industry pros who joined this list have retired; several are deceased, including Bob Bittner, whose "Let's Talk About Radio" show was one of the inspirations for this list. Traffic here has dwindled to a trickle, with six months this year seeing no legitimate submissions at all. It's time to hang up the cans. The archives will remain publicly accessible on bostonradio.org for as long as I'm able to keep it going, but this mailing-list, which depends on the unmaintained GNU Mailman 2.x, will be shut down on December 31, 2023. I am sending this advance notice to allow those who wish to post any final words or reminiscences. It's been nice knowing you all; do keep in touch. -GAWollman From ecps92@earthlink.net Thu Nov 30 14:45:55 2023 From: ecps92@earthlink.net (~Bill) Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:45:55 -0500 Subject: Shutdown of boston-radio-interest list In-Reply-To: <25960.58081.894201.847880@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> References: <25960.58081.894201.847880@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: <001f01da23c5$d6255030$826ff090$@net> Hold on till 30 yrs, only 4 more to go :) A nice run, considering some of the other venues that hosted List-servers have been bought, sold, retired E-List, One-List, YahooGroups. As an outsider, the list was fun to watch and the few times I did participate, was welcomed. Each and Everyone left, Stay/Keep Safe Bill - N1KUG Boston, Mass Cruise Ship Frequencies http://scanmaritime.com/ -----Original Message----- From: Boston-Radio-Interest [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@lists.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Garrett Wollman Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2023 2:31 PM To: boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org Subject: Shutdown of boston-radio-interest list Hi, all, This mailing-list was originally created in 1997, at a time when both radio and the Internet were in a very different situation than they are now. Broadcasting was experiencing paroxysms of consolidation, which has largely now ended, but was still quite vibrant and the medium through which many if not most people were exposed to news, new music, and political views. In the Internet, it was still reasonably possible for anyone to operate public services like web and mail servers on pretty much any machine that had a full-time network connection. We no longer live in that world, and people no longer view mailing-lists like this one as an easy and low-effort way to exchange news and views. So too has local radio largely gone by the wayside, as consolidation has led to more national programming and a continuous push to cut expenses like staffing (both on-air and behind the scenes). Many of the industry pros who joined this list have retired; several are deceased, including Bob Bittner, whose "Let's Talk About Radio" show was one of the inspirations for this list. Traffic here has dwindled to a trickle, with six months this year seeing no legitimate submissions at all. It's time to hang up the cans. The archives will remain publicly accessible on bostonradio.org for as long as I'm able to keep it going, but this mailing-list, which depends on the unmaintained GNU Mailman 2.x, will be shut down on December 31, 2023. I am sending this advance notice to allow those who wish to post any final words or reminiscences. It's been nice knowing you all; do keep in touch. -GAWollman From ssmyth@alumni.psu.edu Thu Nov 30 15:38:09 2023 From: ssmyth@alumni.psu.edu (Sean Smyth) Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:38:09 -0500 Subject: Shutdown of boston-radio-interest list In-Reply-To: <25960.58081.894201.847880@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> References: <25960.58081.894201.847880@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: Garrett, Thank you for providing us the forum to exchange ideas, meet interesting people, and honor those who?ve since left us (specifically thinking of Bob Bittner, although there are a number of others). I never took up the vocation of broadcasting as I?d hoped, but I learned a lot from this place. There were times where I asked many stupid questions or said many stupid things, and the response was always polite and professional. I probably didn?t deserve that much, honestly. With this news and Fybush maybe giving up NERW, or at least that?s how I?ve read notices in some recent columns, it?s the end of an era for us earlyish Internet adopters. Lastly: indeed, bottom posting would make life so much better ? but Google and Microsoft have deemed otherwise, and I?ve adopted the path of least resistance. Thanks, Sean P.S. Apologies for the repeated use of I. Sent from my iPhone On Thu, Nov 30, 2023 at 2:30?PM Garrett Wollman wrote: > Hi, all, > > This mailing-list was originally created in 1997, at a time when both > radio and the Internet were in a very different situation than they > are now. Broadcasting was experiencing paroxysms of consolidation, > which has largely now ended, but was still quite vibrant and the > medium through which many if not most people were exposed to news, new > music, and political views. In the Internet, it was still reasonably > possible for anyone to operate public services like web and mail > servers on pretty much any machine that had a full-time network > connection. > > We no longer live in that world, and people no longer view > mailing-lists like this one as an easy and low-effort way to exchange > news and views. So too has local radio largely gone by the wayside, > as consolidation has led to more national programming and a continuous > push to cut expenses like staffing (both on-air and behind the > scenes). Many of the industry pros who joined this list have retired; > several are deceased, including Bob Bittner, whose "Let's Talk About > Radio" show was one of the inspirations for this list. Traffic here > has dwindled to a trickle, with six months this year seeing no > legitimate submissions at all. It's time to hang up the cans. > > The archives will remain publicly accessible on bostonradio.org for as > long as I'm able to keep it going, but this mailing-list, which > depends on the unmaintained GNU Mailman 2.x, will be shut down on > December 31, 2023. I am sending this advance notice to allow those > who wish to post any final words or reminiscences. It's been nice > knowing you all; do keep in touch. > > -GAWollman > > From dlh@donnahalper.com Thu Nov 30 16:52:09 2023 From: dlh@donnahalper.com (Donna Halper) Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:52:09 -0500 Subject: Shutdown of boston-radio-interest list In-Reply-To: <25960.58081.894201.847880@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> References: <25960.58081.894201.847880@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: <90851910-4f77-4cee-87f1-2e1888ebd00b@donnahalper.com> On 11/30/2023 2:30 PM, Garrett Wollman wrote: > Hi, all, > > This mailing-list was originally created in 1997, at a time when both > radio and the Internet were in a very different situation than they > are now. I was a late adopter, and got online in late 1995. One of the earliest surviving emails I have in my files from you, Garrett, is from May 3, 1996, in which you and Scott kindly made me a contributing editor of the Boston Radio Archives. In that email, you noted that from then on, there would be a notification that "The Boston Radio Archives are edited and maintained by Garrett Wollman and Scott Fybush.? Contributing editors: Peter George, N1GGP Donna Halper, and Dan Strassberg." As I look back on those 1996 files, I am struck by how many people we have lost, and how many are still alive but no longer involved with radio. I too had to reinvent myself, thanks to media consolidation, and I was forced to leave the industry I loved. I reinvented myself and became a professor and a media historian. But I will always love radio, and I am always grateful when I can be a guest on Morgan White Jr.'s show on WBZ or on some of the other live and local shows that still exist-- sad to say, they are becoming fewer and fewer. Radio changed my life for the better. I had a four-decade career, and met some amazing people because of it. Contributing to this list was something I've truly enjoyed doing for the past 26 years. But I too have noticed that participation was dropping off. I understand your decision to end the list, but I admit I'm a bit nostalgic about it. For so many years, we all united at certain times to talk about radio. I miss doing that. And I miss Bob Bitner. And I miss the days when radio stations ruled, and getting airplay could make or break a band. Times change, and I understand that. But I will miss this list, and the people on it. Thank you for all you did and continue to do, Garrett. -- Donna L. Halper, PhD Associate Professor of Communication & Media Studies Lesley University, Cambridge MA 2023 Inductee, Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame From tgordo49@gmail.com Thu Nov 30 15:28:08 2023 From: tgordo49@gmail.com (Tim Gordon) Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:28:08 -0500 Subject: Shutdown of boston-radio-interest list In-Reply-To: <001f01da23c5$d6255030$826ff090$@net> References: <25960.58081.894201.847880@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> <001f01da23c5$d6255030$826ff090$@net> Message-ID: Well put! Ditto!! Y'all will be missed. --Tim On Thu, Nov 30, 2023 at 3:23?PM ~Bill wrote: > Hold on till 30 yrs, only 4 more to go :) > > A nice run, considering some of the other venues that hosted List-servers > have been bought, sold, retired > E-List, One-List, YahooGroups. > > As an outsider, the list was fun to watch and the few times I did > participate, was welcomed. > > Each and Everyone left, Stay/Keep Safe > > > Bill - N1KUG > Boston, Mass > Cruise Ship Frequencies > http://scanmaritime.com/ > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Boston-Radio-Interest > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@lists.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of > Garrett Wollman > Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2023 2:31 PM > To: boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org > Subject: Shutdown of boston-radio-interest list > > Hi, all, > > This mailing-list was originally created in 1997, at a time when both radio > and the Internet were in a very different situation than they are now. > Broadcasting was experiencing paroxysms of consolidation, which has largely > now ended, but was still quite vibrant and the medium through which many if > not most people were exposed to news, new music, and political views. In > the Internet, it was still reasonably possible for anyone to operate public > services like web and mail servers on pretty much any machine that had a > full-time network connection. > > We no longer live in that world, and people no longer view mailing-lists > like this one as an easy and low-effort way to exchange news and views. So > too has local radio largely gone by the wayside, as consolidation has led > to > more national programming and a continuous push to cut expenses like > staffing (both on-air and behind the scenes). Many of the industry pros > who > joined this list have retired; several are deceased, including Bob Bittner, > whose "Let's Talk About Radio" show was one of the inspirations for this > list. Traffic here has dwindled to a trickle, with six months this year > seeing no legitimate submissions at all. It's time to hang up the cans. > > The archives will remain publicly accessible on bostonradio.org for as > long > as I'm able to keep it going, but this mailing-list, which depends on the > unmaintained GNU Mailman 2.x, will be shut down on December 31, 2023. I am > sending this advance notice to allow those who wish to post any final words > or reminiscences. It's been nice knowing you all; do keep in touch. > > -GAWollman > > >