LATEST ADDITIONS

Until the end of January, the <A HREF="http://www.fcc.gov/">Federal Communications Commission</A> had <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10244/">opposed</A&gt; the proliferation of low-power FM radio stations. "Microradio," as it is sometimes called, has been an ongoing problem for the agency since inexpensive broadcasting gear became widely available several years ago. Primarily an urban phenomenon, microradio consists of individuals and small groups with a hodgepodge of equipment, who wedge themselves into unoccupied slots in the crowded FM band.

In January, <A HREF="http://www.npr.org/">National Public Radio</A> launched an ambitious series chronicling the history of the 20th century in sound. <I>Lost & Found Sound</I> began with the first half of a two-part piece on the father of audio technology, entitled "The Rise and Fall of Thomas Alva Edison." Part two, which examines Edison's competition, will be broadcast this week.

<I>This series of articles is based on a paper presented at the 103rd Audio Engineering Society Convention, New York, September 1997. The preprint, "Loudspeakers: What Measurements Can Tell Us&mdash;And What They Can't Tell Us!," AES Preprint 4608, is available from the AES, 60 East 42nd Street, Room 2520, New York, NY 10165-0075. The AES internet site, <A HREF="http://www.aes.org">www.aes.org</A&gt;, offers a secure transaction page for credit-card orders.</I>

MP3 audio files have quickly become the dominant format for downloading music over the Internet, and have just as quickly raised the ire of music labels and artists looking to protect their musical assets. For example, a petition signed by nearly 400 European recording artists (including Mstislav Rostropovich and Barbara Hendricks) was handed to the European Parliament last Tuesday by French composer Jean-Michel Jarre to protest lax copyright protections exacerbated by digital technology. The petition states, in part, "We want to use new digital technologies like the Internet to create and to deliver our music, but we will only feel confident doing so if we know that the laws are there to stop our works falling victim to pirates."

E<I>ditor's note: For months now, we've been reporting about the the problems and dilemmas created by audio formats such as MP3, which are often used to pirate and illegally distribute music over the Internet. Correspondent <A HREF="mailto:sazanka@yahoo.com">Leonid Korostyshevski</A> offers a decidedly unique Russian spin on the situation. His previous stories are <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10131/">here</A&gt; and <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10331/">here</A&gt;. Photos were taken last week by Leonid Korostyshevski</I>

High-end audio legend Mark Levinson has departed Cello Film and Music Systems, the company he founded 15 years ago, and has formed a new business, Red Rose Music. The new company will break all performance barriers with both affordable and cost-no-object audio equipment, Levinson stated last week, and is already registered as a new business with the state of New York.

<B>SANTIAGO DE MURCIA: <I>&#161;J&#225;caras!</I></B><BR> Paul O'Dette, Pat O'Brien, Steve Player, baroque guitars; Andrew Lawrence-King, harp, psaltery; Pedro Estevan, percussion<BR>Harmonia Mundi 907212 (CD). 1998. Robina G. Young, exec. prod.; John Hadden, prod., eng. DDD. TT: 78:21<BR> Performance <B>*****</B><BR> Sonics <B>*****</B>