Internet's First Music Festival to be Launched by College Radio Network

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Internet's First Music Festival to be Launched by College Radio Network - Published on 09/03/08

 

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Over a dozen schools to participate in an experimental weekend of peace, love and streamed music - with live performances by hot, local bands on respective campuses - sharing content and broadcasting over multiple Internet stations on the Apple Mac-based IBS Student Radio Network by Backbone. Sept. 19-21, 2008, Available free on iTunes Radio.

 

Worcester, MA - Internet radio is taking another step forward as a legitimate entertainment medium this month as the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System's IBS Student Radio Network by Backbone (IBS-SRN) launches the Web's first live music festival, called IBS-Palooza. Increasingly sophisticated college radio clubs combined with advances in Internet broadcasting technology will allow, for the first time, multiple stations to digitally share and play each other's live content and provide valuable exposure to emerging local artists from around the U.S and around the world. This is expected to become an annual event on the IBS-SRN. IBS-Palooza will be available on the Internet from each participating school's website, as well at WIBS and Apple's iTunes Radio, College Radio category; September 19th through the 21st, 2008.

 

IBS-Palooza is intended to break new ground in the areas of both entertainment technology and education. As the first live multi-venue music festival created for the Internet, it harnesses the technologies of both Apple and Backbone Networks to enable live syndication of streaming content among several stations simultaneously. As an educational project, it opens up the student radio experience to a broader, more exciting arena of involvement. Together, the students and organizations hope to use this weekend to attract more support for their stations, hone their live event broadcasting skills and processes, and most importantly, have fun.

 

The Festival also aims to help local, emerging artists gain wider exposure through student radio and the Internet. Most bands will be performing live at their host school's campus while live on the air, and some schools will combine their efforts to create an even larger live concert event. During non-concert hours, stations will be able to air live music from other time zones or use their Mac-driven Backbone Radio automation software to run highlights of Palooza from their station or syndicated from any participating school.

 

"The IBS-Palooza has caused a stir of excitement and enthusiasm at WLIU-BK that I have not seen in many years," said Cedric Watson, Technical Administrator at Long Island University's Brooklyn campus. "IBS and Backbone are already looking for ways to make the next one even better,". Len Mailloux, IBS Chairman, added "It will be fun, challenging and should make for some great radio!". This inaugural IBS Palooza Festival will deal with a host of challenges, including coordinating multiple live stations all syndicating their live content on a real-time basis using peer-sharing radio automation software.

 

The following is a partial list of stations scheduled to participate:

* NEIA New England Institute of Art, Boston

* Babson College Radio, Babson Park, MA

* Simmons College, Boston

* WLMU, Le Moyne University, Syracuse, NY

* WLIU-BK, Long Island University, Brooklyn

* WFNM, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA

* Goucher College Student Radio, Baltimore

* XTSR, Towson University, Baltimore

* Valencia CC (Flatfoot Records), Orlando

* KCLR, Loras College, Dubuque, IA

* KXZY, Oklahoma State University

* Las Positas College, Livermore, CA

 

About IBS-SRN

In 2007, Backbone Networks Corporation, in cooperation with the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS), launched the first true Internet radio network, one that specifically aims to enhance the student radio experience. The IBS Student Radio Network enables student operated stations to syndicate live and produced programming among member stations, as well as automatically access a vast amount of royalty-free programming from worldwide third-party sources.

 

This formative network is establishing cooperative relationships with content providers to bring its member stations vast collections of news feeds, royalty-free music from emerging and alternative independent artists, and other programming that will be available only to stations on the Network. In addition, member stations are able to draw programming from one another through shared server databases, as well as have access to each other's live feeds, including remote sporting events and concerts.

 

In addition to Backbone Radio's powerful automation and management software, the IBS-SRN builds upon (Apple's QuickTime) MPEG-4 AAC, the worldwide streaming standard, as its streaming format. Conforming to this standard not only ensures universal acceptance across all listening platforms, but it also enables each school to partner with the Apple's iTunes store in preparing material, including artist/album annotation and cover art images that display to listeners' free QuickTime players. Select IBS-SRN stations are available on iTunes' College Radio category. Join Facebook's IBS Student Radio Network Group today.

 

Note to Editors: The founders of Backbone are also directors of Telecast Fiber Systems, Inc. and were named the "Official Light Pipe Gurus" of Woodstock 2 in 1994. They and Telecast were central to providing the live TV and radio broadcast infrastructure for this pre-Internet 25th anniversary Woodstock concert.

 

IBS Student Radio Network by Backbone: http://www.studentradionetwork.org

Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS): http://www.ibsradio.org/

Backbone Networks Corporation: http://backbone.com

 

 

The Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) is a nonprofit association of mostly student-staffed radio stations based at schools and colleges across the country. Over 1,000 IBS member stations operate all types of facilities including Internet - Webcasting, closed-circuit, AM carrier-current, cable radio, FCC-licensed FM, LPFM and AM stations. Founded in 1990, Backbone Networks Corporation has its roots in developing television and radio software, especially content production and delivery applications. Its founders are pioneers in developing technology for the broadcasting industry. They have supplied software and systems for some of the highest profile broadcasters and their events.

 

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