John Nathan Anderson
Assistant Professor
Television and Radio
Location: 404s Whitehead Hall
Phone: 718.951.5000 x2789
Fax: 718.951.4418
Email:
John Anderson is one of the nation's leading experts on broadcast media policy. He is the author of the first critical and comprehensive analysis of the U.S. digital radio transition. Anderson has been writing about media policy and the practice of media activism for the last two decades. He has worked at several commercial, public and community radio stations around the United States, and his reportage has been heard on several networks, including ABC, NBC, NPR and the BBC. He founded two nationally syndicated radio news services that cover issues of labor and media reform, and has been instrumental in building new community and pirate radio stations in various locales. A strong advocate of remix culture, Anderson has produced his own mashup EP and continues to dabble in collage and culture-jamming. As the director of broadcast journalism in the Department of Television and Radio, he also serves on CUNY's Journalism Discipline Council, housed in the Graduate School of Journalism.
Education:
Ph.D., Institute of Communications Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - 2011 (Media Policy/History and Interventionist Media Studies)
M.A., School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison - 2004 (Media Policy)
B.A., Valparaiso University - 1996 (Communications (Broadcast Journalism) and Humanities)
Areas of Expertise:
An expert on media policy and activism, Anderson is also the director of broadcast journalism in the Department of Television and Radio. He was a radio journalist for nearly two decades, working closely with commercial, public and community stations/networks throughout the country. A strong advocate of remix culture and culture jamming, he has also produced his own mashup EP and continues to dabble in media collage.
Books and Publications
"Beyond the Series of Tubes: Strategies for Advancing Media Reform." Regulating the Web: Network Neutrality and the Fate of the Open Internet. Lexington. (Books and Publications: Forthcoming Publications) 2012
"Money or Nothing: Confederate Postal System Collapse During the Civil War." American Journalism. (Books and Publications: Forthcoming Publications) 2012
"Radio Broadcasting's Digital Dilemma." Convergence: The International Journal of Research Into New Media Technologies. (Books and Publications: Forthcoming Publications) 2012
Radio's Digital Dilemma: Broadcasting in the 21st Century. Routledge. (Books and Publications: Forthcoming Publications) 2012
Founder, DIYmedia.net (http://diymedia.net). News/analysis, feature stories, multimedia production/archival. DIYmedia.net attracts 20,000 unique visitors and 70,000 page-views per month. Site initially founded in 1997. (Books and Publications: Other Article) 2012
"Digital Radio in the United States: Privatization of the Public Airwaves?" Communication, Politics, and Culture 39.2. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2006
"Truthful Translations of Political Speech: Remixing the Bush II Agenda." Bad Subjects, Bush Culture Review Series. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2004
Creative Work
Finalist, Specialty Music Director of the Year (WEFT), CMJ Radio Awards. 2010
Credited as historical consultant for Pirate Radio USA documentary. 2006
Producer of the Black Boognish, a mashup EP featuring the music of Jay-Z and Ween. http://wxm.diymedia.net. 2005
Research Activities
Article reviewer, Critical Studies in Media Communication. 2012
Article reviewer, Communication Theory. 2011
Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums
"Global Radio's Digital Dilemma." Mass Communication Division, National Communication Association Annual Conference. New Orleans, Nov. 17-20. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2011
"Leveraging Technologies of Resistance." Association of Internet Researchers Annual Conference (v. 12.0). Seattle, Oct. 10-13. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2011
"Using Radio as a Medium" and "Building a Community-Driven Media Organization." Democracy Convention. Madison, Wis., Aug. 24-28. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2011
"Behind Radio's Digital Dilemma." ICR Proseminar II (MDIA 572). University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Spring. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2010
"Political Economy of Communication" roundtable moderator. First Annual Institute of Communications Research Alumni & Friends Reunion Conference. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Feb. 12-13. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2010
"The Democratic Potentiality of Convergence Studies." Mass Communication Division, National Communication Association Annual Conference. Chicago, Nov. 12-15. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2009
"The Triumph of Collective Action?" Association of Internet Researchers Annual Conference (v. 10.0). Milwaukee, Oct. 7-11. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2009
"Useful DIY Media Tools." Seminar in Culture and Communication (COMM 490). University of Illinois at Chicago. Sept. 26. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2009
"Access to Communication and Democratic Media Infrastructures in the Digital Environment: The Impact of Convergence Digitalisation on Community Media Policy and Practice." European Science Foundation Exploratory Workshop. Central European University. Budapest, Hungary, May 13-15. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2008
"The History and Future of Pirate Radio." Department of Radio-Television and College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Feb. 26. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2008
Coordinator, FM Transmitter Construction Workshop, Studio Arts Practice (MCMA 557), Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Feb. 25. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2008
"Godcasting on the March: Spectrum Speculation via FM Translator Station." Union for Democratic Communications Annual Conference. Vancouver, British Columbia, Oct. 25-28. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2007
"Microradio: Tactical Overview and Deployment Opportunities." Global Fusion Conference. St. Louis, Sept. 7-9. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2007
"Radio Content and Control in a Post-Digital Environment." International Communication Association Annual Conference. San Francisco, May 24-28. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2007
"Radio's Digital Lockdown: The FCC Has the Key." Social Science Research Council Pre-conference to the third annual National Conference for Media Reform. Memphis, Tenn., Jan. 11. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2007
"U.S. Radio Regulation's Early Crisis of Confidence." National Communication Association Annual Conference. Chicago, Nov. 15-18. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2007
"HD Radio as Digital Boondoggle: A Critical Review of IBOC-DAB." National Communication Association Annual Conference. San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 16-19. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2006
"Microradio: Tactical Overview and Operations." NYC Grassroots Media Conference. New York, Feb. 11. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2006
"Utility vs. Commodity: Framing the Provision of Broadband." Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Conference. San Francisco, Aug. 2-5. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2006
"Microradio: Tactical Overview and Operations." Allied Media Conference. Bowling Green, Ohio, June 17-19. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2005
"Politics and Web Collage." Collage as Cultural Practice (Obermann Humanities Symposium). Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, University of Iowa. Iowa City, Iowa, March 24-26. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2005
"What's Up at the FCC" and "Making Alternative Media." RAD: Radio, Access, Democracy. Minneapolis College of Art & Design. Minneapolis, Oct. 29-30. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2004
"Bring Labor Back to Radio" and "Microbroadcasting." LaborTech/Access 2003. Stanford University. April 5. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2003
"Launching WIN" and "Radio Production." Labor Media Conference. Chicago, Oct. 17-18. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2003
"Microradio vs. LPFM: DIY Broadcasting Options." Be the Media! shadow conference to the first National Conference for Media Reform. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Nov. 8. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2003
Professional Leadership
At-large Programming Committee member and news producer, WORT-FM, Madison, Wis. (Professional Leadership: Public Service) 2011
Member, board of directors, WEFT-FM, Champaign, Ill. (Professional Leadership: Public Service) 2009
Founding member, Training and Membership Coordinator, WRFU-LP, Urbana, Ill. (Professional Leadership: Public Service) 2005
Coordinated microradio and online simulcast of keynote, plenaries and other selected sessions of the first National Conference for Media Reform. Madison, Wis. (Professional Leadership: Public Service) 2003
Other Professional Activities
Founding producer, Media Minutes, sponsored by the Illinois Initiative for Media Policy Research and Free Press. 2004
Co-founding producer, Workers Independent News, sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Extension School for Workers. 2001





