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Article providing an analysis of the collapse of Air America, and what that means for progressive talk radio.

The BBC is poised to sell its selection of UK-based magazines, including such titles as BBC Good Food, Gardening World, Top Gear and Radio Times. The corporation is looking to cut over $150 million USD in overhead costs and evidently plans to accomplish this by "looking to move away from physical media" and focusing more deeply on digital media as well as looking overseas for merger opportunities. The BBC has already begun stripping itself of media such as audio books, non-BBC channels outside the UK and two radio stations. It also cut the number of websites it owns by half, resulting in an estimated loss of 600 jobs.

"Media-ownership rules should be loosened to allow more consolidation and attract capital to the industry, representatives of the investment community said Tuesday at a Federal Communications Commission workshop on how the agency might change ownership rules later this year."

At an FCC workshop, industry representatives argue for relaxed media-ownership rules to allow more consolidation and to attract capital to the industry. FCC officials are looking at what the agency can do to improve the health of the newspapers, TV and radio stations, which continue to lose customers and advertising revenue to online competitors.

Air America, the long-suffering progressive talk radio network, abruptly shut down on Thursday, bowing to what it called a "very difficult economic environment."

Update on the court case between Arbitron radio ratings and Spanish Broadcasting Systems over SBS's refusal to encode their signals so that Arbitron can measure audience. SBS claims that Arbitron's measurment under counts Hispanic listeners and hurts their advertising rates.

A Haitian-American Radio station in Brooklyn is helping quake victim's families keep in touch with loved ones affected by the tragedy in Port-Au-Prince.

This is from the Radio Television Digital News Association, an "online destination for electronic journalists." This article provides guidelines for electronic journalists who blog or incorporate social media.

Two dozen minority interest groups sign letter to FCC Chariman advocating for changes in FCC policy to promote media diversity. Details declines in minority radio ownership and includes several policy suggestions.

An experiment about news information flows on Twitter and Facebook.

"The FCC Media Bureau said it would hold a media ownership workshop Feb. 23, 2010, at the South Carolina State Museum, 301 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C. The two-panel workshop, scheduled from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m., will explore local television and radio marketplace issues as part of the commission's quadrennial review of its broadcast ownership rules."

"The context of this decision is interesting, in that the issue arose in the restructuring of Nassau Broadcasting, where its creditors were to take a controlling position in the company in exchange for a release of some of the company's debt. However, the new ownership position of its creditors, where their interests became attributable for the first time, required multiple ownership reviews in several markets, as these same investors were owners, or holders of significant debt (triggering an EDP issue) in other companies holding radio or TV licenses in nearby markets."

"A coalition of public interest organizations - including the Center for Media Justice, Center for Rural Strategies, Free Press, Media Access Project, Media Alliance and many more - have sent a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski asking that the Commission make increased diversity in the media and broadband communications landscape a top priority."

"It may be a bitter pill for public critics to swallow, but media outlets have to operate in the black to continue operating. Antiquated media ownership rules are going to have to be revised to reflect reality."

"Portending future growth of viewing on alternative platforms, incidence of TV consumption on the computer/ handheld devices is already ubiquitous among young people, with 82% of 15-17 year olds surveyed viewing at least monthly. On handheld devices alone, half (48%) of online young people surveyed report watching TV content at least monthly, doubling from 24% last year."

The Communication Commission of Kenya and Media Owners Association are currently fighting over the enforcement of new clausees restricting media cross ownership in Kenya

Consumer groups urge action on the cable industry's TV Everywhere, which the groups claim will limit online television development and access to protect traditional cable business models.

Breakdown of mergers in 2009.