More connected than ever

Apr 1, 2009 12:00 PM, Chriss Scherer [email protected]

I’m not a fan of most blogs. Notice I said most. Too often, when I find a blog, it’s little more than some stream of consciousness blabber about nothing of any importance whatsoever. Consciousness doesn’t really count in many cases. Perhaps synapse diarrhea is a better term.

This isn’t to say that I don’t read any blogs. I’m just choosey about what to read. I resisted starting a formal blog with Radio magazine for a while because I didn’t want to add more chum. Besides, I write this column every month (as I have since 1997), which is something like a blog, although it is more than some off-the-top-of-my-head ramblings. When I prepare a Viewpoint column I consider topics, pick one to pursue and then gather the necessary information to make it informative, provide some insight and hopefully provide you with something to ponder on your own. (I hope I hit that more than I miss it.)

I have a formal blog now. I started it in January 2008. You can access it at blog.RadioMagOnline.com/talkback. I try to post to it at least twice each week, and I welcome your comments. A few of the posts stray just off the formal radio technology track, but not too far. Recently in Talkback I talked about my plans for the NAB Show, a recent visit to an electronics retailer on an HD Radio quest, and a brief report on a trip to Miami. I look at Talkback as an extension of Viewpoint. Viewpoint can dive into deeper topics. Talkback can cover shorter and spur-of-the-moment items.

Talkback is just one of the ways we tie to our focus for RadioMagOnline.com. Yes, it’s a website, but it’s also a community. Everything you see in print is also available online. There’s much more online that you don’t see in print, too. Some things are fun, such as the dates in radio history. Some are utilitarian, like the industry events calendar. Many are practical and informative, like the Engineer’s Notebook and the Radio Currents news.

You can be a part of this community as well. We have added article commenting so you can share your views and insight on topics. Some recent items in Sign Off have sparked some interesting comments as readers recall their experiences with some of the vintage equipment we have featured.

The community experience extends to the Radio magazine Forum, which is ideal for discussions about all aspects of radio’s technical side. It’s a quality source of information without the clutter that bogs down some discussion lists.

We also make it easy to take Radio magazine with you. We have plenty of RSS feed options, and we’re on Facebook and Twitter. It’s easier than ever to stay connected to what’s happening in radio broadcasting from Radio magazine.

And if you still prefer e-mail, we have the weekly Radio Currents, the twice-monthly Digital Radio Update and the twice-monthly New Products Extra newsletters. Around the NAB Show and the NAB Radio Show, we also have special weekly newsletters to help you prepare for those conventions, too.

I want you to be a part of our Radio community.

What’s your opinion? Send it to[email protected]