Radio

(Newser) - Powerful new instruments will help scientists in their search for extra-terrestrial life, the Christian Science Monitor writes. New telescopes will make it possible for the SETI Institute to scan millions of star systems for alien radio signals. Only a thousand have been analyzed in detail so far, but the institute hopes to get more new data in the next two years than it has collected in the last half-century.  More »

(Newser) - A song that only dogs can hear has hit the top of the charts in New Zealand and may be headed for the US, Reuters reports. "A Very Silent Night," a charity single to benefit the country's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was recorded at a frequency audible only to dogs and got enough tails wagging to make it the nation's No. 1 Christmas hit. More »

(Newser) - Talk radio's right-wing mouth Rush Limbaugh has defended his sustained anti-McCain invective, panning the presumptive GOP nominee yet again for "walking across the aisle and sitting down with Democrats." Limbaugh bemoaned his party's lack of "genuine conservative leadership," but was at least optimistic that he'll have plenty to rail against in years to come, he told Time magazine's Jay Carney. More »

(Newser) - Motorola and Nortel are in talks about a possible merger of their wireless-infrastructure units, insiders tell the Wall Street Journal . In the works is a joint venture with Nortel holding a majority stake and likely revenues of around $10 billion from sales of network equipment for wireless phone carriers. The talks are separate from a push for Motorola to sell or spin off its handset business. More »

(Newser) - The once-axed radio host Don Imus has re-emerged on the airwaves largely unscathed by his racially and sexually disparaging remarks about Rutgers' female hoop stars, the New York Times reports. Both advertisers and call-in guests—including John Kerry, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mike Huckabee—have nearly tripped over one another to return to his program since it was resurrected in December. More »

(Newser) - Google’s hopes of forcing a piece of the national radio spectrum into becoming an open access wireless network came a step closer to fruition today, Marketwatch reports. The bid price on the “C block” of 700 Mhz spectrum hit $4.7 billion, enough to trigger FCC regulations that will require the spectrum to support mobile devices not made by the network’s owner. More »

(Newser) - CBS’ Last.fm used to be plain old Internet radio – you picked a station, and listened to whatever it streamed. That all changed yesterday, when the company announced its plan to let users listen to any song they wanted for free, a risky but potentially game-changing move that has the music industry nervous, the New York Times reports. More »

(Newser) - A pro-Barack Obama labor union in Nevada today brings TV ads to its anti-Hillary Clinton barrage, the Washington Post reports. UNITE HERE, which represents textile, hotel, and restaurant workers, last week gave Obama his first endorsement from a union; yesterday, it launched a Spanish-language ad blasting Clinton, whose backers filed a lawsuit trying to block caucuses in casinos. More »

(Newser) - The broadcast industry hopes 2008 is the year listeners finally tune into HD Radio—and conditions are right for a turnaround, the Wall Street Journal reports. Ford and other automakers are on board, and receiver price