Here's something you might be interested in.
The Union-Tribune's stab at Internet radio, called SignOn Radio, will be ending this month. It had been launched last October. Some staffers were told yesterday (Monday, April 7), but the company has made no public announcement. The radio industry is abuzz. "The people in the industry say it is over; the people working there know it is over. What we don't have is an announcement saying it is over," says San Diego radio veteran Ron Bain. According to people in the industry, the big problem was lack of interesting content, although Internet radio as a medium has a long way to go. SignOn Radio featured long-time radio veterans such as Charlie & Harrigan along with U-T staffers talking about their beats. SDRadio.net, an online newsletter, said yesterday the paper would pull the plug: "It was not known if this will be the last full week or next; however, an interesting chapter in broadcast stream will come to a close soon," said the newsletter. April 18 may be the last broadcast time, although there is speculation the company might do podcasts of some audio, run music all day, or try something of that nature. The experiment started with horns blaring: "No other radio station, public or otherwise, can come close to the kind of local coverage SignOn Radio can provide," the company boasted. "Our studios are located just a few yards from the newsroom" of the U-T. The company apparently spent a bundle on equipment. With Copley Press ailing financially, some industry insiders hope to buy the gear at bargain prices. Two different Union-Tribune executives did not return calls for comment.
The Union-Tribune's stab at Internet radio, called SignOn Radio, will be ending this month. It had been launched last October. Some staffers were told yesterday (Monday, April 7), but the company has made no public announcement. The radio industry is abuzz. "The people in the industry say it is over; the people working there know it is over. What we don't have is an announcement saying it is over," says San Diego radio veteran Ron Bain. According to people in the industry, the big problem was lack of interesting content, although Internet radio as a medium has a long way to go. SignOn Radio featured long-time radio veterans such as Charlie & Harrigan along with U-T staffers talking about their beats. SDRadio.net, an online newsletter, said yesterday the paper would pull the plug: "It was not known if this will be the last full week or next; however, an interesting chapter in broadcast stream will come to a close soon," said the newsletter. April 18 may be the last broadcast time, although there is speculation the company might do podcasts of some audio, run music all day, or try something of that nature. The experiment started with horns blaring: "No other radio station, public or otherwise, can come close to the kind of local coverage SignOn Radio can provide," the company boasted. "Our studios are located just a few yards from the newsroom" of the U-T. The company apparently spent a bundle on equipment. With Copley Press ailing financially, some industry insiders hope to buy the gear at bargain prices. Two different Union-Tribune executives did not return calls for comment.