An internet radio station for Sheffield!

[punk 10]

But how do you pipe live vocals through winamp? Cos it would be handy if we could do a simple how-to for DJs and hosts.

 

The Winamp shoutcast DSP plug-in, has a "push to talk" button that opens up the Mic socket on your system (complete with a dedicated volume mixer). You can also select to have the input socket of the sound card as the sound source instead of MP3s, so you can record/broadcast from any external source. You can plug in a mixer, a couple of sl1210s, couple of CD mixing decks and a laptop (for mp3s), and of course plug in a mic direct to the mixer instead of into the mic socket.

 

Personally I wouldn't use shoutcast, get yourself a copy of Windows 2k server and use the included Windows Media Services server.

 

Most PCs can play the stream from WMS without installing codecs or third-party programs (most media players support it by default, not just media player). You can also add video streaming should you ever need it (for example to watch a dj mixing or watch a live band).

[Pooch_1 10]

I'm not sure that SAM3 is still available....and I'm not sure you can do a live broadcast with winamp, but I'm happy to stand corrected.

 

You can do a live Broadcast with Winamp:) , but not for the magnitude you are talking of here, With Winamp, I think 30 - 50 listeners is the max. But I am not too sure about that either, I know you can get a plugin that allows you to play Winamp through a SAM3 station. I used to do live broadcasts with Winamp to around 30 listeners sounded good too, with no buffering. And yes Sam v3 is still available from spacialaudio, the second link in my previous post.

[Fingers 10]

People keep saying that there may be "room" for another radio station in Sheffield but is there really? Sheffield Live! isn't the only "community" radio station to win a full-time licence: Burngreave Community Radio also won one (and since Burngreave is within Sheffield Live!'s target area that means Burngreave has two "community" stations). Add on locally-based student, hospital and internet radio stations and that's a lot of competition for listeners (who can also listen to many BBC and commercial stations), for volunteers (in order to run on a genuine full-time basis a station needs a three-figure number of volunteers) and for funding.

 

If the stations run mainly by volunteers compete with each other some or all of them could struggle and collapse. If they compete with the likes of Radio 1, Hallam and Galaxy in an attempt to survive they could lose the characteristics that set them apart in the first place which, for stations reliant on funding from taxpayers, could lead to their collapse. Even if the stations with FM licences make it to air after a year people who are dissatisfied with them could try to set up their own stations, increasing the competition further.

 

There may be "room" for a new radio station but I doubt that there is. However, if people are talking about setting up a new station which is very similar to an existing one that has been struggling for years that suggests to me that something has already gone badly wrong and a new station may not be the solution.

[JoeP 11]

Fingers, I hear what you're saying but that's not a reason to not try something new.

 

You know as well as I do that there's lots of politics in Community Radio, and quite often the demise of stations and the creation of 'spin offs' from existing stations is more due to negative influences than positive ones.

 

I would say that any project that's kicked off from a perspective of 'We don't know what we DO want but we know that we DON'T want what they're doing' is almost guaranteed to fail. Create something for a positive purpose and you're more likely to succeed.

 

And is it necessarily a bad thing for existing stations to falter, be they volunteer or commercial? If they're delivering teh goods, and looking after their audience and volunteers / staff - then there is no reason why a newcomer should eat in to that volunteerbase or audience. And if they're NOT meeting the needs of the stakeholders, then it's Darwinian / Market Forces that will operate.

 

Finally - we're in to micro-markets here. Audiences are being carved up in to smaller and smaller sections. The advent of the 'Daily Me' is already here n the Internet and I think that a similar approach is feasible on Internet Radio.

[Fingers 10]

Fingers, I hear what you're saying but that's not a reason to not try something new.

 

It isn't but even if what is proposed is new (and apart from names I haven't seen anything new) the existence of competitors (some of whom have significant advantages) is a factor which should be taken into account.

 

You know as well as I do that there's lots of politics in Community Radio, and quite often the demise of stations and the creation of 'spin offs' from existing stations is more due to negative influences than positive ones.

 

I'm not sure "politics" is the right term: based on my experience I think "vested financial interests" and "conflicts of interests" are more appropriate. Besides, who decides what is positive and what is negative? Asking questions about leadership, honesty and accountability might be positive to people who want those things but negative to others such as dishonest unaccountable management who show no leadership.

 

I would say that any project that's kicked off from a perspective of 'We don't know what we DO want but we know that we DON'T want what they're doing' is almost guaranteed to fail. Create something for a positive purpose and you're more likely to succeed.

 

In that case the whole "community" radio sector could be built on dodgy ground.

 

And is it necessarily a bad thing for existing stations to falter, be they volunteer or commercial? If they're delivering teh goods, and looking after their audience and volunteers / staff - then there is no reason why a newcomer should eat in to that volunteerbase or audience. And if they're NOT meeting the needs of the stakeholders, then it's Darwinian / Market Forces that will operate.

 

It isn't necessarily a bad thing but as a sum in the region of one million pounds of taxpayers money has been spent on "community" radio in Sheffield in recent years I suggest that an entirely avoidable failure costing the majority of that sum is a very bad thing.

 

Finally - we're in to micro-markets here. Audiences are being carved up in to smaller and smaller sections. The advent of the 'Daily Me' is already here n the Internet and I think that a similar approach is feasible on Internet Radio.

 

Maybe but whilst the Internet can create new markets and new services for audiences there is the danger that what this interactive communications system is creating is a space in which many many millions of people have freedom of speech but talk only to themselves.

[purdyamos 10]

I'm Brett, the manager of Chrystal Radio @ the children's hospital. I did Forge FM in 1996 for my work experience, ended up having 2 and a half hours on air with 2 guys who didn't get along, and then a half hour show of my own at night too. It was exhausting fun!

 

I know a few people at Sheffield Live, and have 2 of the people who did Forge with me actually working for me now!

 

 

Brett! Hi!

 

I was your programme controller. I remember thrashing out the daily problems on that show. I was determined to make it work! Good to see you're still in the business. Say hello to the others.

[Phanerothyme 12]

It isn't but even if what is proposed is new (and apart from names I haven't seen anything new) the existence of competitors (some of whom have significant advantages) is a factor which should be taken into account.

We're not considering them as competitors, there's even loose talk of sharing graveyard shifts with other stations, which strikes me as collaboration - i.e. the opposite. Also this project is absolutely not about getting any kind of radio broadcast licence. It's solely about netcasting.

 

The defining characteristic of the project is that nothing has been decided yet. That's why we want even the most casual volunteers to contribute ideas. Mail [email protected] to get on board.

 

 

I'm not sure "politics" is the right term: based on my experience I think "vested financial interests" and "conflicts of interests" are more appropriate. Besides, who decides what is positive and what is negative? Asking questions about leadership, honesty and accountability might be positive to people who want those things but negative to others such as dishonest unaccountable management who show no leadership.

 

It isn't necessarily a bad thing but as a sum in the region of one million pounds of taxpayers money has been spent on "community" radio in Sheffield in recent years I suggest that an entirely avoidable failure costing the majority of that sum is a very bad thing.

I don't think this will put any community radio out of business. And it's going to cost a lot less than a million quid.

 

 

Maybe but whilst the Internet can create new markets and new services for audiences there is the danger that what this interactive communications system is creating is a space in which many many millions of people have freedom of speech but talk only to themselves.

 

I think this forum shows that many people in Sheffield enjoy talking to each other, and that there are palpable benefits from doing so.

 

It's partly the success of this forum that prompted the radio project into action, a simple communications channel, easy to use and access has quickly become an indispensable part of Sheffield.

[ade1987 10]

im pretty good with songs and would love to get into internet radio i have loads of spare time with me only working weekends im not scared of the mic and im great with people

[JoeP 11]

It isn't but even if what is proposed is new (and apart from names I haven't seen anything new) the existence of competitors (some of whom have significant advantages) is a factor which should be taken into account.

 

 

 

I'm not sure "politics" is the right term: based on my experience I think "vested financial interests" and "conflicts of interests" are more appropriate. Besides, who decides what is positive and what is negative? Asking questions about leadership, honesty and accountability might be positive to people who want those things but negative to others such as dishonest unaccountable management who show no leadership.

 

 

It isn't necessarily a bad thing but as a sum in the region of one million pounds of taxpayers money has been spent on "community" radio in Sheffield in recent years I suggest that an entirely avoidable failure costing the majority of that sum is a very bad thing.

 

 

Looking at it from a slightly different perspective to Phan....

 

Competition isn't necessarily bad - it encourages organisations to improve what they do, and if they can't effectively compete then they go to the wall, because they're no longer meeting the needs of their stakeholders - whether those stakeholders are audience or the people running the station. The presence of other players in the arena can encourage collaboration and joint ventures where appropriate, and the overall provision of a better service to the audience.

 

Well, I see no taxpayer's money going in to this venture at the moment - which will probably be a good thing because it means that the money being spent is real - it's likely to be the money of people backing this venture. In fact, I regard the absence of big amunts of OPM (Other people's Money) to be a great advantage in this venture - it focusses the mind.

 

To be honest, nowadays when I see anything to do with EU or Council or Government funding I tend to walk swiftly to the door. If it turned out that a venture like this somehow 'wasted' 1 million of taxpayer's money, then to be blunt that's hardly my fault.

 

As for honesty, accountability, etc. of leadership - perhaps they're issues from OTHER organisations that will hopefully not be a problem here. Given that the people involved behind the scenes are the people who've built SF - with private money and excellent leadership - I would expect the same approach to work for Internet Radio as well.

 

I have no more idea than anyone else (except Phan!!) on this thread what's planned here but I do believe that it's got great potential. And as Phan says - it's not going after a licence. It's a bunch of folks putting stuff on the Net they want to hear.

[Pooch_1 10]

Add me to the volunteer list, anything I can do I will

[Cycleracer 10]

Hi Phan....

 

Interesting thread, with you running it I,m sure it will work.

I have built up a good rapour with local bands over time as I present them live for the final 30 minutes of my show..

I am currently in talks with another DJ at Sheffield Live to do Band Wars which is two bands Live on air in two seperate studios.

The pilot for this is Friday 27 April at 19.00.

 

Now that I've plugged my bit the real reason I have posted here is to offer you my services to get bands on.

I have built up a list of musicians that have already done a gig and a list of musicians yet to do so.

I can pass on any local musicians up for it to yourself if you require.

[Fingers 10]

We're not considering them as competitors

 

But they are competitors. Even if you don't behave in a competitive manner you will be in competition with them simply because listeners, volunteers and guests will be choosing between you.

 

there's even loose talk of sharing graveyard shifts with other stations, which strikes me as collaboration - i.e. the opposite.

 

Perhaps you're not as suspicious as me but that has set a very loud alarm off in my head. It could be collaboration or it could be someone else getting you to do the shifts they don't like for them for nothing and filling airtime they can't fill. One thing that I've found in my dealings with management is that some people like the pay that goes with the job but don't like the workload or the responsibilities so if they can get someone else to do their job for them or take on their responsibilities they will. If you've been talking to who I think you may have been talking to don't trust them for a second and especially when they're talking about night shifts.

 

I don't think this will put any community radio out of business. And it's going to cost a lot less than a million quid.

 

I'm sure it will cost a lot less than a million quid. You need a certain amount of money to set up and run a radio station but success or failure largely depends on things that money can't buy. However, your station could put other stations out of business simply by being better and if it did there would be nothing wrong with that.