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Gordon Whiting's blog

What do you watch on YouTube?

Posted June 5, 2010 - 11:40 by Gordon Whiting
Hi folks! We love YouTube, and guess that you do too. Oh, it's not perfect, but it is quite a place to wander around in, both for diversion and for news. What do you use YouTube for? Post a comment and tell us.

New Studios for LFTLC

Posted June 3, 2010 - 15:52 by Gordon Whiting
No station? No problem. We just take matters into our own hands and build a studio. As I write this we are finalizing the blueprint for our new studio/editing suite in Berkeley. It will be a modest affair, but sufficiently well-equipped to accommodate live guests and internet broadcast. Meaning we will be able to create video podcasts and ultimately live webcasts direct from our own facility. Stay-tuned for announcements on upcoming audio and video offerings.

HTML5

Posted June 1, 2010 - 16:36 by Gordon Whiting

HTML5 is the newest version of the language platform behind the World Wide Web. It has many excellent features, but two especially  important to us: native audio and video tags. What this means is that your browser won't need a plug-in (i.e. Flash) to run a video-- it will just play. An extra bennie is quality-- we can upload hi-def audio and video with a reasonable expectation that your browser will play it, and it will look and sound great. HTML5, now supported by Chrome, Safari and a few others,  will be supported by most browsers by the end of the year. So we are planning more video offerings--much more, as we move forward.

 

Pardon our dust, we're recalibrating the Stream

Posted March 1, 2010 - 12:40 by Gordon Whiting
Folks, we will be off the air for a short hiatus while we solve our webstream issues. Angie will chime in later for a note about our current status and future plans.

Webstreaming Rethink: back to the drawing board

Posted March 1, 2010 - 12:31 by Gordon Whiting

What we have been attempting to do the past three weeks, streaming live radio over the Internet, is a rough go. We were advised that it was easy; the obvious thing to do-- "just put your show up on the 'Net!" --but there are numerous engineering and technical issues, some beyond our control, that make consistency a real challenge. Those who say it's a no-brainer are usually referring to podcasting. That IS a no-brainer. Live streaming is a different kettle of fish. Using an outside service like Livestream, you are subject to the ebbs and flows of bandwidth caused by usage of the other 115,000 streamers on their platform. Too many times during our broadcast the signal just quit, and often did not come back. Using our own server, configured with NCH Broadwave, we are limited to about 50 connections (with our current uplink capacity.) As we exceeded 50-- and there was no way to limit it, everybody who was already connected began to get dropouts. Also complicating matters was our use of Skype as the main phone platform for the voice signal, further crowding and limiting listener bandwidth for the stream. Please accept our apology for such a sketchy presentation. We did not realize there would be so many factors that affect your ability to hear the show. We are regrouping, upgrading our equipment, testing testing testing, and will be back streaming as soon as possible.

Webstream service update

Posted February 5, 2010 - 08:14 by Gordon Whiting

latest-- 02/15/10 -- Webcasting today at 4pm, Pacific Standard Time Windows Media Player: http://99.56.143.106:88/broadwave.asx?src=1&rate=1 Quicktime, iTunes: http://99.56.143.106:88/broadwave.pls?src=1&rate=1

02/10/10 -- We will be webcasting again starting Monday February 15, at 4:00pm. Go to the Live Blog page to get the link for the stream.

02/08/10 --NCH Broadwave is great. Looks like we'll be back in the saddle soon.  Will post again tomorrow with schedule.

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After much research and testing, we have decided to abandon plans for off-site streaming service. Over the weekend we will be configuring our own server, the NCH Broadwave system. When it is ready, we will be back in broadcast mode. There are also parallel developments on the station/studio front-- should those bear fruit in the immediate future, this webstream dilemma will be moot. Thanks for your patience while we work this out.

Update

Posted February 4, 2010 - 11:18 by Gordon Whiting
Very frustrating day yesterday testing new webstream services for the show. Tried three new systems; none workable. Trying two more today; will post the result. When that is settled, will announce the new broadcast schedule. Thanks for your patience.

Show broadcast update

Posted February 1, 2010 - 13:31 by Gordon Whiting

We are working out the webstream problems that have haunted us recently. As soon as we have tested and secured our new services we will have the show back live. I won't promise a date, but it will be as soon as possible! We are anxious to get back in the groove.  I will run a brief live-blog at 4:00 every day until we're back in full swing, just to provide updates.

Gordon

Live today

Posted January 25, 2010 - 16:22 by Gordon Whiting

We will be webcasting today, Monday, January 25, at 4:00pm. Click here to listen.

Topics:

1. Healthcare: the new numbers

2. Latest from Brad Blog AKA the worst week ever.

3. Executive  Directorir of Military Religious Freedom, on Jesus rifles.

4. Homeless activist Mark Horvath, commenting on South Carolina Lt Gov Andre Bauer's stance on the homeless.

5. Gotta Laff introduces a new feature on PoliticalCarnival.com

Monday broadcast

Posted January 18, 2010 - 13:19 by Gordon Whiting

We will be webcasting the show right here, today at 4:00PM. Topics include the latest on the Cargill's Redwood City Saltworks development, and the Progressive response to the disaster in Haiti. See you there!