I think it’s time people started thinking about rebooting #radio as a medium. It’s accessible, it’s free to tune in, it presents none of the privacy challenges of internet media. We shouldn’t cede this territory to the right wing but swoop in and reclaim as our own.
@suzannealdrich It will take some big swoops. They've *got* news and many the music station.
@geonz @suzannealdrich we can all have a little pirate radio as a treat
@geonz What kind of means of production do we have available today and what is the gap? How many people would it take to volunteer to put together a prototype alt newsroom? What’s the MVP for a single radio station?

@suzannealdrich

Licensing fees are the killer for #radio
It can be hundreds of thousands for a frequency allocation

Or you are restricted to a transmitter the power of a lightbulb with similar range.

Pirate radio = Heavy penalties and loss of kit.
Maybe mesh radio?

@n_dimension Alright so I have a meshtastic node but one thing I heard so far is they don’t have great encryption. Any thoughts on a platform? Also having mesh does not preclude from getting licenses down the road. The point is to start up the network.

@suzannealdrich

Radio has no encryption, I was thinking more of something like briar but for voice, no encryption needed. Would afford "radio" in dense population centres.

But I love the way you think!
Don't think obstacles!
Think, DO IT!!!

@suzannealdrich i think it’s already happening/happened! especially with internet radio, but they are often also broadcasting in their local area :D look especially at radio.garden!
@suzannealdrich
Many smaller AM stations in USA are not profitable. You could buy one for a not-insane amount. But then you have to make it pay for itself.