Radio Commons^™

The Bmt: Will This Time Be Different?: Red Hook Braces For A Mega-Project On The Waterfront. Can It Avoid The Mistakes Of Atlantic Yards?, Steve Kastenbaum

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"The BMT: Will this time be different?" investigates how New York City's push to rapidly build housing is reshaping communities. A $3.5 billion mega-project at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal promises transformation through 6,000 apartments, a modernized port, and waterfront improvements, but residents are split on whether it represents progress or displacement. The development uses a controversial "general project plan" process that bypasses normal community review, the same approach that enabled the still-unfinished Atlantic Yards project. Local voices in Red Hook range from excitement about investment, jobs and amenities to fears about gentrification and broken promises. This pilot episode launches a …

The Armored League - Real-Life Gladiators Fight In A Medieval Combat Tournament, Graham Hartmann

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From Greco-Roman wrestling, to boxing, to Muay Thai, combat sports have been a part of cultures around the world for centuries. In New York City, a thousand-year-old form of combat is experiencing a resurgence among those brave enough to take part.

The Armored League is a combat sports federation where modern-day knights fight with metal weapons, shields and armor. The league's first tournament took place in Chinatown, NYC on November 1, 2024 with eight men competing for a $1,000 prize.

This story interviews Armored League VP Anthony Rafes and follows knight fighter Orion Goodman as he battles his way through …

Black Media’S Struggle To Survive, Truth Headlam

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The Lomax family got into the media business 13 years ago, just before it cratered for traditional editorial publications and radio stations.

The fall has been steep, especially for Black media. In 1978, when President Jimmy Carter announced an initiative to increase the number of radio stations owned by people of color, only about 1.2% – or 69 out of 8,196 – radio stations were minority owned. But after the Carter administration gave minority-run stations a boost, that number more than doubled to 182 radio stations owned by Black people alone by 1990.

Full capstone: https://truthwroteit.wordpress.com/2025/05/22/black-medias-struggle-to-survive/

Pirate Radio Proves Invaluable To Immigrant Communities During The Pandemic — But The Fcc Isn’T Having It, May Olvera

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In January 2020, congress passed the PIRATE Act into law, expanding the legal consequences for operating pirate radio tenfold. Although the FCC claims that the reason they are cracking down on pirate stations — that is, stations broadcasting on regulated airwaves without an FCC license — is that they could interfere with emergency messaging, the pandemic has proven otherwise; there is no evidence of pirates interfering with official safety warnings. In fact, most pirate stations are run by immigrants speaking in their native tongue and they have been able to provide vulnerable and underserved communities with the information they need …

Rebeldia Radio, Ariel Goodman

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For five years, Tadii Angeles has broadcast a weekly radio show from a homemade studio in her apartment in New Jersey to uplift the stories and struggles of indigenous and undocumented people like herself. After the Coronavirus pandemic ravaged the immigrant community in the tri-state area, she became a lifeline connecting her listeners with resources, food, and vital information all the while navigating new realities and the pandemic’s implications on her own life. This short film follows her journey as she navigates loss both in the US and Mexico while fighting for her and her community’s voices to not be …

Without A Caveat: How An Ethiopian Immigrant Deconstructs Race In America, Priscilla Alabi

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The story is about how an Ethiopian immigrant, Mariya Abdulkaf is dealing with the effects of the racism she experienced while growing up in Texas. However, she is one of many women of color who continue to educate and awaken the communities to which they belong. In a social climate where, according to a study done by the Pew Research Center, 60 percent of Americans believe race relations have worsened a year into the Trump Administration; and groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and others assert that women of color are “bearing the brunt of a mass of …

Roots On The Record, Joaquin P. Cotler

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Roots on the Record is a podcast featuring musicians and organizers who use their music to promote social consciousness, cultural awareness, and self-empowerment. The first four episodes focus on a black banjo player named Hubby Jenkins, a Brazilian rapper named Eli Efi, a Honduran DJ named De La Ceiba and a Brazilian-American singer/percussionist named Jen Nascimento. They each have a different relationship with music and teaching in their communities.

https://joaquinpcotler.atavist.com/roots-on-the-record

#Sociallyconnected: The Now And Then Era Of The Fangirl, Tionah Y. Lee

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Exploring the increased feeling of connection between fans and their favorite male musicians through social media.