June Update

New tracks. New releases The Drowsy Chaperone, December Songs, and Patti LuPone's The Lady with the Torch all joined the station library recently. Tracks from Snoopy!!!, Lucky Stiff, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes have also been added. More new music is on the way, so stay tuned.

Album of the Month. The Album of the Month for June is another recent release, Hugh Sings Martin. This album comes from PS Classics Inc. (the non-profit arm of PS Classics) and is part of the Library of Congress songwriter series. The album features composer Hugh Martin performing some of his most famous songs from Broadway and film. PS Classics Inc. is committed to restoring and preserving America's musical theatre heritage. I encourage you to support their work by buying their recordings and donating on their web site psclassics.org.

Keep us on the air. Internet radio is once again threatened with extinction. If the PERFORM Act becomes law in its current form, legal mp3 streaming will cease to exist, and Maximum Broadway Radio and thousands of stations like it will disappear. I posted a lengthy explanation on the station blog a few weeks ago. Please become informed about this issue and contact your political representatives.

MBR is on MySpace. I have taken the plunge and set up a MySpace profile for Maximum Broadway Radio at http://www.myspace.com/maximumbroadway. If you have a MySpace profile, please add the station as a friend.

As always thanks for listening and making Maximum Broadway Radio Live365's #1 station for show tunes.

Zack

Tell Congress - I Want my Internet Radio

There is a real possibility that in the not too distant future Maximum Broadway Radio and thousands of other internet radio stations like it will cease to exist. The major record labels (i.e. the RIAA) are taking steps in several arenas to make it impossible for internet radio to survive in its current form.

One effort is the PERFORM act currently working its way through the U.S. Senate. Most of the attention paid to this act by the media has focused on the restrictions it would place on satellite radio, but it has significant implications for internet radio as well. If this act passes as currently written, internet radio stations would no longer be able to use the mp3 format which would force them to adopt proprietary (i.e. more expensive) formats and rewrite their software to match. You can learn more about the PERFORM act in the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Action Center.

Even more dangerous than the PERFORM act is the effort by the recording industry to force internet broadcasters to pay even higher royalties. A bit of background is in order here. There are 2 types of royalties that broadcasters pay. The first set of royalties go to composers and lyricists and are paid through organizations like ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. These royalties are paid by terrestrial, satellite, and internet radio at reasonable rates. The second set of royalties go to the performers of the musical work. Terrestrial radio has always been exempt from paying these royalties. Satellite and internet radio pay them but at different rates that put internet radio in the position of paying a much higher percentage of its revenues in royalties than satellite radio pays. The royalty rates are set via a process involving the Library of Congress. If the record labels get their way in this process, internet radio will only be viable for mega corporations like the ones that already dominate terrestrial radio.

What can you do? The most important thing you can do is contact your Senators and Representative in Congress and tell them that you support internet radio. Many politicians are convinced that internet radio is the same thing as illegal file sharing. They have no idea that we support artists by paying royalties and promoting work that has no other outlet. They also don't realize that we are the ones preserving America's musical heritage and giving people, especially young people, access to things like classical and folk music, jazz, and, oh yeah, musical theatre.

Politicians can only listen to the people who talk to them. Right now the major record labels are the only ones talking. It's time for you to change that. Let your representatives know that you value what internet radio offers you and that you want to see it supported and strengthened, not killed.

Thanks for listening,

Zack

Monthly Update - April 2006

New tracks. New releases The Color Purple, See What I Wanna See, and The Great American Trailer Park Musical all joined the station library recently. Tracks from Honk!, Forever Plaid, and Five Guys Named Moe have also been added. More new music is on the way, so stay tuned.

All Sondheim, All Day. The all day Sondheim program on March 22 was the biggest day in Maximum Broadway Radio history. Thanks to all youSondheim fans who tuned in and helped spread the word. Special thanks to the fine folks at The Sondheim Review who offered free subscriptions as part of the All Sondheim, All Day contest. I'm already looking forward to March 22 next year.

Album of the Month. The Album of the Month for April is another new release, Jason Robert Brown's Wearing Someone Else's Clothes. Brown is best known as the composer of Parade, The Last 5 Years, and Songs for a New World, but he is also a pianist and singer who performs regularly with his band. This album is his debut solo recording and features a collection of songs he has written over the last few years.

Playlist Info. The station web page has links to give you a popup window with all the playlist information for the station and stream (free or VIP) of your choice. I have also created Dashboard widgets that Mac OS 10.4 users can download to add the playlist display to their Dashboards.

As always thanks for listening and making Maximum Broadway Radio Live365's #1 station for show tunes.

Zack

All Sondheim, All Day and Tivo

Wednesday, March 22 is Stephen Sondheim's birthday, and Max Broadway - Variety will celebrate by playing nothing but Sondheim works all day. Listening to these songs one after the other for hours will give you a new appreciation for Sondheim's genius.

As a special treat you can win a free subscription to The Sondheim Review. For full details visit the contest page on the station web site.

Tivo has finished their testing, and both Maximum Broadway Radio streams should now be available to all users who have a Tivo Series 2 box connected to a broadband internet connection.

Thanks for listening,

Zack

March Update

Easier listening for iTunes and Tivo users. Max Broadway - Variety is now in the iTunes Radio tuner giving iTunes users even easier access to the stream. The station is listed in the Eclectic genre. Max Broadway - Select should appear in the list soon as well. Both stations are now available to Tivo users who have units updated to access internet services. If you're one of theseusers, please let me know how you like listening via Tivo.

New tracks. New tracks from Jersey Boys, Lone Star Love, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Victor/Victoria and The March of the Falsettos all joined the library in February. Stay tuned for Starting Here, Starting Now, I Sing, The Boy Friend, Tenderloin, Lucky Stiff, and several other albums which should appear in the next week or two.

All Sondheim, All Day. Just like last year, I will play all Stephen Sondheim works all day on his birthday, Wednesday, March 22. This special event will be on Max Broadway - Variety. Max Broadway - Select will continuewith regular programming. Be sure to tune in all day for 24 hours of Sondheim.

Album of the Month. To coincide with All Sondheim, All Day, I've selected the new recording of Sweeney Todd as the Album of the Month.This highly acclaimed revival features Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris. This production is notable because the actors also play all the instruments.

Playlist Info. The station web page has links to give you a popup window with all the playlist information for the station and stream (free or VIP) of your choice. I have also created Dashboard widgets that MacOS 10.4 users can download to add the playlist display to their Dashboards.

As always thanks for listening and making Maximum Broadway Radio Live365's #1 station for show tunes.

Zack

Show Your Love

To help you celebrate Valentine's Day, Max Broadway - Variety will feature all love-related songs from 7 pm Eastern on February 13 to 6 am Eastern on February 15.

If you're not in the Valentine's mood, check out Max Broadway - Select. If you're really not in the mood, try Lonely Radio.

Thanks for listening,

Zack

February Update

Show Tunes 48/14. Maximum Broadway Radio's quest for worldwide domination took a big step forward in January with the launch of Max Broadway - Select. This new station features the best of the Maximum Broadway library and a different style of mixing and rotating the songs. January also brought the option of listening to either station without logging in if you launch from the station web site or Live365 station page.

Expanded distribution. Maximum Broadway Radio will soon appear in the iTunes Radio tuner giving iTunes users even easier access to the streams. I am also hopeful that one or both stations will become part of the Motorola iRadio program which allows users to listen to internet radio in their cars. Keep your fingers crossed on that one. The station should also become available soon to all users of Tivo's internet services. Currently, only Live365 VIP members can access the stations on Tivo.

New tracks. I've been so busy launching the new station and implementing the other changes that I have not added any new tracks to the station library in quite a while. I have a big pile of CDs waiting to be added, so look for new tracks from Jersey Boys, Lone Star Love, Runaways, Lucky Stiff, Five Guys Named Moe, Snoopy, and many others coming soon.

Album of the Month. February brings us Valentine's Day, so I've picked an Album of the Month with romance in mind. Opposite You is an album of duets from the husband and wife team of Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley. With songs from a variety of composers like Irving Berlin, Fats Waller, and Stephen Sondheim, this album is sure to melt the heart of your valentine.

Valentine's Day Special. Like last year I will feature all love songs all day for Valentines's Day.

Playlist Info. The station web page now features links to give you a popup window with all the playlist information for the station and stream (free or VIP) of your choice. I have also created Dashboard widgets that Mac OS 10.4 users can download to add the playlist display to their Dashboards. I will try to create similar widgets for users of Yahoo's Konfabulator, but it may be a while before I can get that done.

As always thanks for listening and making Maximum Broadway Radio Live365's #1 station for show tunes.

Zack