They Sure Don’t Make Empires Like They Used To

Empires come, empires go. Especially virtual empires.

A couple months back, I posted here that my first music stream, Radio Danko, would not be closing as I’d thought, that in fact I was adding two new music streams, part of a burgeoning virtual broadcasting empire.

I guess I wasn’t cut out to be an emperor.

In the last few days it has leaked out that the platform that hosts two of my music streams will be doubling the amount of commercials it requires us to air from four minutes an hour to eight. It’s not a ridiculous amount, I could live with it under other circumstances,
but it’s enough that these music streams no longer work for my own purpose, the reason I created them in the first place – to serve as the soundtrack of my virtual world places. When the music fits the place, it helps with immersion inworld. Interrupting that twice an hour for two minutes of commercials wasn’t perfect but doubling that is simply too much.
In addition, there have been several other policy changes by the platform in recent months that had just about pushed me out the door, so this was the last straw.

Happily, when the red flags started going up over the summer with these policy changes, I began another stream on a different platform that charges me a fee rather than requiring that I air commercials. That stream will continue.

Radio Danko and Chicken Fried Country were fun to operate and I’m sorry to see them go. Thanks to everyone who listened and enjoyed them. But I am also having a great time with the new (commercial free!) Retro Roots Radio and I invite you to listen…

Retro Roots Radio webpage

Direct URL to listen inworld or online

Listen via TuneIn