November 7, 2018

National Campus and Community Radio Association/l’Association nationale des radios étudiantes et communautaires (“NCRA/ANREC”) and National Federation of Community Broadcasters (“NFCB”) from the United States are happy to announce a partnership to allow NFCB members to use the !earshot Digital Distribution System (“!eDDS”) for discoverability of music in the United States of America.

!eDDS is an online platform that will allow both Canadian, and soon, American, musical artists, labels and distribution companies to upload recordings to be searched, reviewed, and downloaded by campus, community, and college radio stations.

“For years musicians have been frustrated with the cost and inability to communicate with non-profit radio stations.  With over 100 unique labels and artists signing up to the system in less than a month of its release, we are confident this meets a need in the Canadian market, and in 2019 we are thrilled to be able to help service the American market too” -Barry Rooke NCRA/ANREC Executive Director.

The goal of the project is to enhance the networks of broadcasters and listeners by using the !eDDS system, developed to distribute musical content to radio stations. Once fully developed, !eDDS will reach over 200 campus, community and college radio stations across Canada and the United Stations, giving both stations and their volunteer programmers access to new and unique content not found on commercial radio. It will replace the current physical and digital distribution methods used to allow access to high-quality, broadcast approved music with easy discoverability and custom systems that support both the music and broadcast sector. The NFCB will be working with the NCRA/ANREC to make sure the platform is ready for launch into the United States market at the completion of Phase Three development (expected mid-2019)

About:
NCRA/ANREC

The NCRA/ANREC is a not-for-profit national association working to recognize, support, and encourage volunteer-based, non-profit, public-access campus and community-based broadcasters in Canada. We provide advice and advocacy for individual campus/community (“c/c”) stations and conduct lobbying and policy development initiatives with a view to advancing the role and increasing the effectiveness of our sector. Our goals are to ensure stability and support for individual stations and to promote the long-term growth and effectiveness of the sector. We currently represent 108 not-for-profit member radio stations

NFCB

Founded in 1978, NFCB is the oldest and largest national organization dedicated to community stations within the public media system.
In the beginning, NFCB focused on getting stations on the air in the midst of a wave of grassroots organizing to create a public media network that served the public interest, guaranteed universal access to the citizenry, and championed service to underserved communities. As time moved on, NFCB moved toward gaining a seat at the policy table and was instrumental in ensuring a pathway to public investment in community stations across the country. With a cohort of stations up and running and national representation gaining ground, NFCB pivoted to strengthening constituency cohorts within the community radio field.
Today, NFCB stands on the foundation of the past and continues to help get stations on the air, stay on the air, provide national representation, and support autonomous constituencies within the larger cohort. Moving forward, we are building our future with new vision and an entirely new organizational structure and culture.

For more information, contact Patrick Grimshaw - edds@ncra.ca or visit earshot-distro.com