Great Online Music Stations

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  1. #11

    Join Date
    Dec 2005
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    Thumbs down the US FCC regualtions

    Quote Originally Posted by goodkarma:
    Thx Shilo, I enjoy talk radio - I will have a listen next week in the office.

    It seems the US is trying to pass something similar thru Congress. I understand both sides but selfishly, it is so comforting to listen to a familar station. I even like to hear the weather reports. I'm weird.

    Jimbo, don't say a word !
    I am not up to date on the latest issues of the FCC from the US , but im sure you can google them. The FCC is an old agency regulating the new formats of "internet radio" and "voip telephony". Sadly in the late 90's many internet radio stations were shut down , some siting (as in the UK) royalty issues and additionally FCC regulation issues.

  2. #12

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    Feb 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by goleoboy:
    Not sure if this directly relates, but FYI, this is like the best site for downloading the latest singles and albums for cents compared to iTunes:

    www.mp3search.ru
    www.allofmp3.com

    they're russian owned companies and the best deal ever. like $3bucks for an entire album! Enjoy :-)
    How do you find these sites? I got a bit nervous when I stumbled over them a few weeks ago and under the question "Is this site legal?" there was pages of disclaimers and explanation which appeared to boil down to "others may so no but we say yes". Just seemed a bit dodgy ...

  3. #13

    I spent hours looking for a US-based radio station with more than just music (i.e. talk shows). And from my search, it seems to me that the federal law has prohibited all stations from broadcasting outside the United States. :T


  4. #14

    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    833

    Talking

    Quote Originally Posted by PDLM:
    Er, what? I've just listened to Capital, Planet Rock, & Virgin without any problem (Planet Rock asked me to input any valid UK postcode, which isn't exactly hard). Where did you get this idea from?
    PDLM, it is certainly illegal according to Phonographic Perfomanance Ltd under the terms of the license they issue to UK music stations but you are right that putting a valid UK postal code gets around the problem. I had never been asked for this before so had not done it.

    However, there is a distinction here between a listener who APPEARS to be outside the UK (perhaps connecting via a non-UK server) but who is actually in the UK and listeners like us who are clearly outside the UK. The inputting of a valid UK post code is clearly aimed at listeners in the former example.

    The duty is on the radio station to show PPL that they are complying with the new licence terms by demonstrating that listening is only being heard in the UK.

    However, I have to tell you that I would not listen to either Capital Radio or Virgin if you paid me so it's no great loss to either me or them.

  5. #15

    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    833

    Apparently, UK radio stations can either opt not to allow people outside the UK to listen via the internet or can pay PPL royalties by way of a subscription so that people outside of the UK can continue listening. However, obviously some radio stations may in future try to pass the subscription charge on to overseas listeners coming in from non-UK servers. Expats on other forums have reported that whilst inputting a valid UK post code may work for a while it often gets permanently blocked after several weeks/months.

    I can see both sides of this argument but it is one the record companies and PPL are likely to win.

    The only moot point seems to be where an expat continues to pay a licence to the BBC every year in the UK on a UK property but cannot access BBC radio music stations whilst abroad.

    If you can access a UK music station on the internet by inputting a valid UK postcode then enjoy it while you can because in a year or so's time you will almost certainly not able to do so unless a subscription is paid either by the listener or the radio station to compensate PPL.


  6. #16

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    Jun 2005
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    So then you use a public proxy in the UK.

    This really is totally unpoliceable - the industry is going to have to come up with a better way of doing the funding if the volumes of people listening to music from another country online are really significant.


  7. #17

    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    1,002

    Yipppeeee - I was able to get my live tuner back today by downloading the old version of Windows Media.


  8. #18

    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by PDLM:
    So then you use a public proxy in the UK.
    I don't know much about this but I know this came up on another forum last year where overseas listeners had been trying to use a UK proxy but their IP adress was detected and access denied. Classic FM was a particular problem and had a sizeable expat fanbase and incurred the wrath of its overseas listeners. I seem to recall some expats in some countries could get the stream but in others not.

    Some listeners claimed they could get in at the beginning but then could no longer connect after a period of time.

    PPL changed the broadcasting licence terms on March 31, 2006 which meant from April 1 2006 (any significance?) UK radio stations could only legally stream music via the internet within the UK. Although they had no choice but to comply some UK radio stations privately were not happy with the new terms of the licence and gave internet listeners the option of entering a UK postcode for validation. For example, I believe Capital Radio gives its own WC2 postcode as an example!! How's that for a snub to PPL?

    I agree that is almost impossible to police but the inevitable outcome will be that a subscription service will be introduced.

    I don't miss UK music radio enough to worry but I do enjoy some London talk radio programs. I like to hear people moaning about the cost of living, the congestion charge, Ken Livingston and how much their council tax has risen and how it will increase due to the 2012 Olympics. It's a London thing!

  9. #19

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    Classic FM works fine for me just by entering a postcode.

    The people using proxies obviously didn't understand that they would need an anonymous proxy.


  10. #20

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    477

    Everyone in my office use these sites to download, legal schmegal.... it's worth it. It's not like they're gonna track you down. I downloaded the latest Norah JOnes - they have all the latest, even before it's available in stores sometimes!!! it's crazy.