BlkWolf General Manager

Blk What? BlkRadio started back in the year 2000. I, having recently started a road I had no idea I would grow to explore, recently moved from the home I had built for the greater good… It was far from the best of times. I found myself clinging to some pretty basic ideals at the time. Being a card holding member of the TV baby sitting club, found influences in a few movies. Two most dominate stood out to me was Fight Club and Pump Up The Volume. To me, talk about having an idea to linger far beyond the credits roll. Having recently moved to an area that would provide such common luxuries at the time, aka. DSL, I found my self with nothing but time, and a need to vent. Coming from a techy living, I found myself having the need to create. To make something, to say something. I remember thinking back to a story of a boy, just brushing adulthood himself, showing the same need, to have a voice. Even in a self consumed state, knowing that someone could, hear what you have to say. Looking around me, I found that it wasn’t hard at all to fire up a lama and explore the culinary world of ear candy. How easy to fire up Speak Freely and VOIP to your friends. How much freedom we had from just a very few years ago’s, options. Now, hey, we are simply broadcasting an internet phone call. Any process built after 1995 could be used for such a thing. What were we doing really? We would spend hours making it all work, cutting to listen to other stations playing out there on the world wild web. Smalley, a punk kid at the time, still in high school himself, would pop in to see what kind of ruckus he could cause, Cheyanne who was always up for making the show a performance, and RedWolf our mix master musical prodigy. We spent our time instead of going out and seeing the world, forging a craft all our own. We would end up putting on peppered shows, LadyHawk and BlkWolf (Yes, pronounced black) The favorite time of year for us was the Holiday Taint. You know, the week between Christmas and Newd Years. We grew to have the annual Holiday Taint, BlkRadio’s Yearly Sha’Bang. So what is this Blk Business? Back in 2000 I decided to give our little hobby a name. I thought the name BlkRadio had a ring. For those who know me, they know that years before that, I’ve gone by the nick BlkWolf, and both our listeners didn’t seam to mind. Now, I could go on about what the fuck black is all about, I would only fear boring you all with my own mindless ties to the understanding we’ve grown to lable, the world. But as far as a radio station goes? I thought it had a very interesting ring to it. Like, the “black market”, ewwww, creapy. It doesn’t exist, I looked it up on google maps, it doesn’t exist. But as a radio station, it felt like it fit well to what we where into. The underbelly of what was once, a crime, now was simply technology running a muck. At the time, didn’t really know of a “MySpace”, damn boy, what, you got a “Home Page”, was more the language of the day. And who didn’t? But for us, the idea that we were albe to do something like a call in internet talk show was a dark idea in of itself. To this day, FCC has no tie on what’s said on the internet. You start preaching violence well, you’ll have more people looking at you then lil ol FCC. So in a way, the color Black itself shared many definitions within itself, depending on who you ask. BlkRadio (Black Radio) had within itself, a fitting name. We went on like this for several years till October 2006. I finally broke down and decided to check out this fangled, dangle thing called MySpace. Kids, they got a home page, whoopee shit. I wasn’t expecting to be long. Set up an account and see what the TV was hyping about. Well, imagine my surprise when I found a band listening there. I spent a few hours, ok, days but who was counting, going through the various flavor of things called bands there. Not meaning to be harsh, but I found what could only be described of some of the worst I had ever imagined. Someone spent DAYS, WEEKS!!! making this,… I’m no one to judge anyone’s art. Truth be told, Some of the worst dreck out there is probably better skill then I could muster, but I know what I like. And sprinkled through the mountains of opportunity, you would find that one band that really had some time in them. I would find a few that really had Fun making their music. You could hear it in their voices, feel it from their strings. Here were people who had talent, and only 48 friends. In 2005 we decided to scratch one off the bucket list. I decided, having the need to create something new, that it was time to make an album. LadyHawk and I would spend hours laughing, making up new words for songs, having fun together living, we had more then enough ideas on parody songs. Besides, who doesn’t love a good parody? Have to give props to Dr Demento. For anyone who is my age, you know who Im talking about. That one “music” show would end up ultimately changing the face of media itself. From that one show came songs that made you laugh. Songs that would give you a window in time where you could step out of yourself for a bit, and enjoy a good spazm. Little wana’bees like “Weird Al” (what a ghay name. Look at me, I’m “goofy”) would end up grossing more of the public mind space then the bands he honored. Ol “Al” would grow to represent the “lighter side” of life throughout how many different musical trends? So many, one hit wonders, could only grow to thank the man for keeping their name in a very fickle public mind. So yeah, I grew to respect music and the emotion they represent in all their forms. Jokes on you. So I Burned weeks on this album. Ok, months. Having writing sessions with my wife, my brother, our neighbors, coming up with parody songs that were funny. By this time, Opie and Anthony were pulled off the air due to FCC violations. What was a really good show, went poof into the night. Shortly after, Kidd Chris, an local talk show, had also been pulled. The shows that were worth listening too were dropping off like flies. We were bored ladies and gentlemen. The public was given a healthy dose of real radio and then it was pulled. The idea of having a voice, having the freedom to say what it is you wish to say, had become a public nuisance. we had our own talk radio show going on for 5 years at that point, It was time to grow. We ended up making BlkRadio’s first album.” BlkRadio: Best of What? Volume 1” Surely, someone out there would appreciate some levity. Someone out there in the internet community would enjoy a brief opportunity to laugh at the world around them. With such hits as, Internet Radio, Going over Seas, and “Many Many more…” someone out there would stop and appreciate what it is we put into it… Alas, the world wasn’t ready for it. I could not find anyone out there who was willing to just stop, listen, and see it for what it is. It was then I realized this “gap” in the market. There were a lot of “comedy” genre bands out there on myspace. Trust me, I listened to most of them and they were defiantly a “joke”. The problem was that there was someone out there also affected by the desire to create, the problem was there was no one willing to listen. It was then, BlkRadio became a network. BlkRadio Network I got on my SCUBA gear and dove in. I call it dumpster diving. Remember as kids when you and your buddies would spend your summers going through the dumpsters behind the local thrift store? Yeah, How else would you been able to wear those nice brown colored sun glasses you did? Its dumpster diving, you go in and look for things thrown away. That forgotten nugget that got accidently shoveled in with the others. That’s how I saw going through the 87 pages of “comedy” bands posted up at the time. I went online and found a service which would allow me to pay them for network bandwidth, and their right to cut off my show and play their commercials. It was the best of times, it was all we had. But it was ours. An Internet Radio station, willing to give the under dogs of the world a chance to have their hours of work heard. The “Indie” nation was young at the time. The word had yet to enter the nomenclature of the age. Anyone who was going to “Make It” had to do so on the casting couch of the MegaCorps. Here was our opportunity to do our part in giving the talent out there, SOMEONE, who appreciates their work. During this time, the Jackson titty flash happened, giving the FCC full jihad powers to silence the infidels. So all radio, from Howard Stern, down the line had a new sheriff in town. The FCC was going to clean up the air waves and protect us citizens from the evil of unregulated speech. Parts of songs never beeped before started to come out, hacked. It was for us, the writing on the wall. If we are going to do anything with our show, it was time before the FCC regulates us. It was then I realized that all good radio stations has a catchy 800 number. Oh what should it be? 888-DOWN-FCC If the low life’s like myself was going to have to call in, best make it something easy to remember. I burned a good Saturday, combing through the How-To on 800 numbers. Realized that its as easy as giving someone money to do it for you. Oh, but what to make the number? I combed through the search page, “No, that’s taken. DAMN, that ones taken too…” All the different combinations I tried were either taken or a bad fit. You gotta have a number that identifies You. Here is an opportunity to pick that phone number. The PTC wont give you that option but here, an 800 number that’s all yours. A few hours into it I realized that I was thinking in a programmed manner. Phone Numbers per say, expecially ones that spell out something, don’t have to come in the 3-3-4 format. Not when your spelling it out. And sure enough, I quickly found a number which proudly represented the station its connected to. 1-888-DOWN-FCC. I can still hear the chair bouncing off the floor as I rushed out to tell LadyHawk the news. We found an 800 number, and it was good. It represented the last fruntier of free speech. It defies the idea that any government agency has the right to dictate to us what “words” we are allowed to speak. It represented our charter. As long as it remains legal, we will use our voices. Funny, During the analog to digital conversion in 2009, the FCC used 888-CALL-FCC. I’m sure they had that in the works years before… We stayed with the Internet Radio provider service for 3 ¼ years. Our THL (IRadio TLA for Total Hours Listened) had it highs and lows. We, running as a Comedy, Talk Radio station had some stiff competition, but would end up making it on the front page of the listeners search results. Through thoughs 3 ¼ years, we would meet allot of different bands and a devoted listening base. Bands that in their own infancy, would grow to become names all their own. Everyone wins. The bands get to have their hard work appreciated and we got to have good radio. Radio untethered from the thought “regulations” imposed on the average citizen. We put up a warning and labeled ourselves “Adult Content” just to make it “Crystal”. We would have bands send join requests from time to time, but end of the day, we had the station, until it all went horribly wrong. WWW.SAVENETRADIO.ORG News flash. MegaCorp seeks control of music. Internet Radio to pay higher royalties then broadcast radio. It was the worst of times. Corporate control of all music reached its high point when when SoundExchange received legal backing to collect all song royalties played. Im not out to rip anyone off. I do believe that the artists should reap their benefit from the work they put into their music. What I didn’t see in there was the accommodation for bands that owned their own. I’m just a country bumpkin playing with this new fangle intranet, but I watched not for profit internet radio stations drop like flies. Unfortunatly, it became far to expensive for the average joe to put on an internet radio station that was worth listening too. MegaCorp Broacasting Inc. failed miserably in providinding their regulated flavor that would quench the thirst of a literate society. And now through billion dollar lobbyist, have the best government money can buy. And to seal the deal, would make Not For Profit based Internet Radio stations too expensive for the radio geeks hobbiest out there. Few short years passed till I myself would feel the strain of a world falling deeper in to slavery. March 2007 my wife and I decided to sell our house and buy a ranch. We could surely sell the house we had for a reasonable price, so the realitor sold to us. In the immortal words of Helen Keller, “Life is either daring and adventours or nothing at all.” We went ahead and moved to the new ranch and put the house up on the market. Who would of imagined that the bubble would burst the next month and no one was going to be selling anything for a while. Two mortgages isn’t bad as long as you have laughter. Little I would know back in 2005, that our song “Going Over Seas”, a parody from the song, Going Japanise, would come true for us as well. The week back from my birthday I was called into the office in 2008, informed that my job at the MegaCorp was being liquidated. Two morgages, no job, at least we have laughter. Sad to say that come Feburary, 2009, BlkRadio no longer had the Corperate sponsorship it once had. Having more pressing needs like, what to eat, BlkRadio could not continue its contract with the Internet Radio provider. The station went silent, March 15th, 2009 for those who are unwilling to pay to listen. “Until you’ve lost everything, are you free to do anything.” -Fight Club, the book. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVED behind a house husband. Pay is far more satisfying then money. I did good. I got up in the morning and cooked fresh eggs from the ranch for the family. I got the house clean, laundry done, and looked for work. Id rather be a chicken farmer then work in Corperate America. The rewards are far more. But the way we have been given, only deep debt can save the day… I had to find a job. I ended up watching BBC America most the day. Got to see how my own home town debues a special report about the highest jobless rate in the US. The tech jobs, moved over to some other country, I considered cleaning houses for a living. What do you do right? You survive or die. The forest gets very cold in the winter, life’s tough, get a helmet. I can only give thanks to where thanks is due. I shouldn’t have found a job but I did. I don’t know why, can’t explain it to you. In the worst jobless rate in the US, and running, I was given an opportunity to get back to work. Back in May, 2009 I started a little contracting gig that pays the bills, keeps warmth on the family. Well, by this time, BlkRadio Network itself had aged. That punk kid Smalley, back in the day, ended up accepting the Program Director position for BlkRadio and started a show of his own. Detuned went live in 2007. A hard talking show off ready and willing. This punk kid would grow up to be one of the best drummers that hit his local scene. He would grow up to meet a beautiful wife and have a little fire cracker of his own. Smalley, (as those that know him), would make sure that the show WILL go on. He continued in his role as PD and stayed engaged with the Indie hits developing on the scene. Detuned as a Talk Show would continue to grow. You can’t silence a man that has something to say! and does Smalls have plenty to say. He got bit by the radio bug. He too realizes that we still have the right to say what we want to say, to share views, not acceptable, but honest. He, being a musician, realizes the importance of giving up and coming bands a place to have their music heard. Axalon Studios We are either growing or dying. Personal Philosophy. Smalls, meeting his own challenges took up designing arts of all sorts. He’s one of the few I call blood, my brother from another mother. This punk kid decides that hes going to start a studio. Visual and Audio. Who does he think he is? He really thinks he has the right to make something of himself in this industry? Why, yes he does. Ask him some time, find out for yourself. Life is to be lived. We are growing, or we are dying. In our today dog eat dog world, the idea that we can put on a radio station that is made by the people, for the people, lives alive and well. Axalon studios is an up and coming company designed to provide Independent Artists with the know how and passion their craft needs. BlkRadio was asked to help with this idea and bring together the Broadcasting Division for this up and coming company. With Independent Artists as the main focus, we will once again get an opportunity to provide a place where someone listens. BlkRadio remains a Not For Profit. The Indie Nation has grown ripe, and breaking out at the seams with excellent music. The question really is. Can we put on BlkRadio which will become the future? Ill tell you what. I’ve spent years listening to you guys. The quality of production out there now is superb. The Indiepent Band, the ones who retain ownership of their music, have matured to match, if not excel, against “regulation standards”. We are only station that’s realizing this. After making it through the years of collected bands, (1099) hearing the how they kick, ever loving ASS, I realize one thing. The time for the Indie Band has arrived. And we are ready to do our part giving our bands a place to play. I can only hope that BlkRadio is never the only game in town. We are not here to be the all in all. In Fact, the idea behind BlkRadio Network is that we grow to become a Network of artist and indipent radio stations (Stations gone Black) that dare to build a play list from artist who will become, the future of Radio. We now have a mobile option that’s free to listen to, Axalon Studios has provided network to support the listeners. It’s time for us to move from the cutting edge, to the bleeding edge of Radio. The day dawns for our Indie bands. They are the ones who have spent years perfecting their craft. We are simply Radio geeks want only the best. Too our future BlkWolf General Manager of BlkRadio http://listen.blkradio.net http://mobile.blkradio.net 888-DOWN-FCC Broadcast Division of Axalon Studios, and proud of it.