REC History - 2005

2005 saw the folding of our web hosting provider. Game Squad Network ceases operation due to the decline of revenue in web banner advertising. Many REC services move to internal REC Network servers. This change saw the discontinuation of the Oekaki (Paint) BBS due to excessive bandwidth usage and operational issues. Since the "TechThis" interview of late 2004, REC has been very involved with the W0KIE Satellite Network which led to many opportunities for REC productions on the network. Over the course of the year, REC "Wild Feeds" would fill in for various show hosts, REC's location in Arizona would be used several times for the year as the venue for the "TechThis" and "FunZone" shows. REC produced a small series of short bits and full-length songs called "REC Motivation", which aired primarily on the W0KIE show "Life The Universe and Everything". These little bits were based on events that place on a previous show or in some cases, the same show! REC created a new website called w0kie.info that allowed show hosts to give a simple website over the air and it would point to the URL of the show host on the air. A short lived podcast called "The REC Report" gave news on tech and FCC issues. A proposed deal between Live365 and a Japanese interest would have resulted in the loss of half of the listeners of Hardcore J and Hardcore 1. This "J-listing" would have resulted in all Live365 stations operating Japanese content to not be heard in Japan. Fortunately, the deal fell through and Hardcore J is as popular as ever in Japan. The floundering "Hardcore X'tra" broadcasts (Hardcore 2, 3, 5 and Powerpuff-FM) have all faded out of existance through the course of 2005. One broadcast, Hardcore 6 that plays "cute" JPOP continues to get a small listener base and has been able to survive. REC converts Hardcore J to a live stream which gives new flexibility of program scheduling and a much wider variety of music. Hardcore J introduces "Variety Weekend" which plays music from the entire Hardcore J JPOP library. Through our new relationship with the W0KIE Satellite Network, REC puts JPOP on terrestrial radio with "The Japanese Invasion", which airs on WTND-LP Macomb, IL. In LPFM, 708 stations have filed their final license application. REC joined various groups in asking for a freeze on the grants of construction permits for translators. The FCC accepted comments on some changes to the LPFM service as well as changes to the FM Table of Allotments and City of License rules. REC launched LPFM.WS as a user friendly guide to LPFM. A group had petitioned the FCC to establish a Low Power AM (LPAM) service. REC supported the concept of LPAM but we supported it was a non-commercial service. "Sakura" by Ketsumeishi was this year's #1 song on Hardcore J.