01-10-2002

The first Artist in Residence project of the Netherlands Media Art Institute, Montevideo/Time Based Arts supports r a d i o q u a l i a in the further development of the Frequency Clock, an initiative of New Zealanders Adam Hyde and Honor Harger in 1998.


Under the name r a d i o q u a l i a they studied the possibilities of an interactive global network of FM radio transmitters via internet. Their goal was to remove geographical barriers between audio artists and to stimulate cooperation. Since its inception, the project has been actively used to control external broadcast systems such as satellite and cable television, FM radio, video projection in movie theaters, and large LCD billboards. In 2001 r a d i o q u a l i a began developing enhancements to the Frequency Clock, with as their central goal the development of an open and accessible streaming media system encompassing a variety of media formats.

The Frequency Clock which has been developed during the Artist in Residence period works as follows:


there are two participants: the programmer and the viewer. The programmer creates an identifiable channel through which he presents a program composed of his own work. The channel is presented on a channel player, a link in the form of a small screen on a dedicated web site. As programmer one can also choose to present other channels on the channel player. The viewer can watch a program by visiting a web site where a channel player is present. Because the system is based on streaming media technology, the program can be seen directly and one does not have to download it first. If multiple channels are available on the channel player, the viewer can also choose to watch any of these programs. The ultimate goal is to allow the viewer to click through to any number of other channels, all of which have their own programming.


The most importance difference with respect to television is that a large number of different channels can be made available. The ability to present (and remove) one's own material is accessible to everyone and no longer dependent on commissions and broadcasting company executives. Furthermore, the system has been developed in such a way that the creation of one's own channel with one's own programming is a simple and speedy task.


A  number of organizations have reacted with enthusiasm to the new version of the Frequency Clock and are interested in using the system to develop programs for broadcast.

www.radioqualia.net/freqclock/