But the worst is comrade "member, who gives our sekrit organization away:
Should be interesting 16.Jun.2013 08:27
listener link I guess this shows how interested those proposing this idea think about the listening public and the unique opportunity of community radio...
Jenka 16.Jun.2013 09:09
Walter Sobchak link
Thom Hartmann's syndicated show wouldn't affect any news or public affairs programs, only music shows, which Jenka has little interest in, so naturally she'd go for it.
There are those in KBOO's ranks who would love the station to be nothing but public affairs and the only music we'd hear would be bumper-music between segments.
too radical for you 16.Jun.2013 09:22
listener link
the overall tone of KBOO insiders is that they are too radical to be inclusive of more mainstream left or liberal voices. i'm guessing those folks, the "true radicals" don't actually contribute enough member funds to support KBOO. so KBOO is happy to accept membership funds from anyone in the community but is not happy to hear their voice or opinion. i feel pretty confident that the insiders at KBOO think themselves superior to those that actually support the station monetarily. isn't that a form of elitism. as a supporter i find that insulting to be told i am not "radical" enough to have an equal voice or vote for what we hear on the air, especially as a financial supporter. i don't like being told that i'm not cool enough for my voice to be counted. is that what you are saying? or are KBOO insiders afraid if the entire membership had the same input the insiders do, that the insiders would discover that KBOO's audience, and members are more centrist, are more middle of the road, do not identify as anarchists but democrats, libertarians, etc. is KBOO afraid they are not just a small group of elite members that think of themselves as better than the rest of the membership? has the lack of input from the membership in the past been an intentional exclusion? i'm starting to think it is.
It doesn't have to be rigid 16.Jun.2013 11:20
Ed Kraus link
My comments regarding KBOO's rigidity regarding political programming can be read at the blog section of KBOO ...
http://kboo.fm/content/kbooatacrossroads
Certain people at Indymedia will howl with indignant rage at my opinions. Do so with responsobility and without character assasination and that's fine with me (good luck).
Regarding Thom Hartmann (finally got the spelling) I don't think this has to be a discussion of 15 hrs of music missing or no Hartmann show at all. For example, is it necessary to broadcast the entire 3 hours each day? KBOO already edits (shortens) Flashpoints, and only broadcasts it 4 times a week. It's been an open secret for years that Hard Knock Radio has been on the chopping block, and the only reason that Democracy Now was changed to twice a day was the hope it would bring in more money.
So for this example, running DN once a day and replacing Hard Knock would make room in the schedule for two hours a day of the three hour show. It would bring in new listeners who would strengthen the financial strength of the station and ensure that there still is a KBOO for locally produced news and public affairs. Win/Win unless you're one of the stubborn few who can't handle any change.
Don't sweat it, I'm not on the program committee. This is just a fast look at how KBOO could creatively adjust the schedule, bring in a very strong progressive show that is top notch, and serve more listeners in the Portland area. It doesn't have to be music vs Thom Hartmann.
Sorry, forgot to mention this 16.Jun.2013 11:23
Ed Kraus link
There was an earlier comment that KBOO would write a "big fat check" to get the Thom Hartmann show. The details in the email sent to members was that this show would be provided free of charge to KBOO, and it would be a version he's making now for non-profit radio ... without the advertising and compliant with FCC rules for non-profit. So no expense for KBOO and no commercials.
Re:Why not listen and think 16.Jun.2013 11:35
Walter Sobchak link
the 'Why not listen and think' comment and link to LL's interview with Hartmann doesn't address the fact that it will end fifteen hours of locally produced music programming...
And THREE HOURS of the Hartmann show a day? C'MON! do people really listen to all three hours? Is it worth displacing locally-produced programming? Doe's Hartmann segment his shows for hourly syndication? 'Cuz that would almost make sense. If memory serves, his show - like most longer, nationally syndicated shows has repetition throughout the span of the show, allowing syndicatees to use chunks, use as much as their formatting allows.
Another real, serious problem I have with the idea of running his syndicated show over KBOO's locally-sourced, in-house produced radio is that ideally, anyone who wants to hear Thom Hartmann's program can go online somewhere on several commercial stations and hear it.
Where are they going to get some of the daytime KBOO music shows that they've come to enjoy? Nowhere, if this syndication deal goes through.
Please consider this before voting on that survey.
Big Fat Check 16.Jun.2013 12:04
Walter Sobchak link
Ed, that Big Fat Check came out of my big fat virtual mouth...
This is good news.
I also hope that the three hour part is negotiable.
Despite my reservations, I agree that Hartmann's show would ultimately draw more listeners to KBOO. The question is, who's shows are going to be axed? Who's going to get sent packing, either directly because of the change or indirectly, if they get relocated and displace someone else's show?
These are all things we should be considering.
The revelation that it's a specially made show for Community radio and that it's free (in-kind media swap, I'm assuming) are facts we don't have.
Transparency goes a long way in building trust, even if it makes the board and management feel a little less omnipotent.
Hmm 16.Jun.2013 12:30
Ed Kraus link
Walter, you ask important questions. And I like some of the afternoon music shows, especially the African music.
You gotta know that decisions like this are made in the KBOO structure. Ultimately a Program Director makes the decisions, advised (but only advised) by a Program Committee. Those meetings are open to the public. Right now there is an interim program director, as the previous PD was fired during the staff collective. The Station Manager can also make program decisions, but not very large ones (like replacing 15 hours) without consultation with the board (whose meetings are also open to the public).
None of the decisions are made here on Indymedia.
It's never fun to axe a program, I've seen it happen and witnessed threats of violence made against staff. Ugly. KBOO really needs some stability and professional conduct, hard to accomplish when you're working with so many volunteers. Unfortunately the fallout from the issues regarding possible staff changes and the union organizing brought the most ugly behaviors back at KBOO. Hopefully this will calm down and people can continue to do good radio.
If you are personally concerned, rather than post at Indymedia go to a meeting and express yourself. It's actually quite transparent. Only a few people have the dedication to keep going month after month, year after year. They've got a lock on the station and won't allow certain political views (that contradict their own) to get air time. That's why I wrote the blog post I wrote, and why I'd given up hope for KBOO (until recently).
Ya wanna be heard? Show up.
Altering the schedule is doable 16.Jun.2013 12:39
Ben Hoyne link
There are creative ways to address scheduling needs, even keeping every show on the air.
Ed proposed eliminating the afternoon Democracy Now, which brings in significantly less revenue than the morning version. Hard Knock Radio brings in almost no money (although I enjoy having it on the air, I don't that 7pm is the appropriate slot).
Suppose you get rid of those two shows, that is 10 hours a week, which maybe is all you need if you trim down the Hartmann show.
If you needed noon-3 everyday, getting rid of DN! and KKR would open up 3-5pm and 7-8pm.
In theory you could shift public affairs a bit to allow the schedule to flow better. (I personally prefer music after 6pm and public affairs during the afternoon, but that's my opinion).
Hypothetically, you're looking for another 5 hours a week. Saturday afternoon/evening, The Motif and Evening of Afrotainment are both 3 hours, when they could reduced to the standard 2 hours, which would allow you to add a 2 hour show Saturday afternoon/evening.
Now you're down to 3 hours. The Spanish language programming already has a home on Sunday afternoons with a lot of overlap already taking place. You could have mujeres bravas and armando puentes rotate weeks, since they cover the same genre (although one is specific to female artists). Domingos para recordar could use the shake up, as it plays songs from youtube almost exclusively, and doesn't help fulfill kboo's mission.
That pretty much gets you what you need.
I'm not saying this should be done, but it can be done. Don't worry, I'm not on the program committee either (not that the program committee decides this, the program director does).
Lots of ways to adjust the schedule without trashing 15 hours of locally produced programming.
a bigger audiance is pointless tripe 16.Jun.2013 14:39
dude link Corruption of the boo
I do not understand why indy did not place my earlier
post prior in this regard to this... but that another
story..
Well the idea that the boo success is a bigger audience
means that it is failing to be informative.
Founding father liberal lore is not helpful in understanding
rape by the state.[IMG text:Shuck and Jive Liberal = Cracker Conservative]
get your super-member card 16.Jun.2013 16:42
member link WOW, it sounds like there are two groups of members at KBOO which explains a lot. There are the small group of insider members that make decisions and the rest of the members that pay to keep the playground running for the insiders.
I keep hearing it was a democracy but I can see that, based on the previous post, keep KBOO small is what the insiders want. I doubt they will succeed unless KBOO becomes so small it doesn't exist. That attitude is ugly and pretty exclusive.
We demand to know who let the "super member" elite membership out of the bag!!!!! Heads will roll!
Unless they're paying members. Then we have to think of a way to get members to PAY, but lock them OUT of the Inner Party, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME keep them from knowing this is going on.
Cadre ideas welcome!!!!
-Meresa Titchell
The most informative comment on Indymedia was the following:
ReplyDelete"It's never fun to axe a program, I've seen it happen and witnessed threats of violence made against staff."
To paraphrase Chairman Mao, programming a left-wing radio station is not a dinner party, Comrades!
A comrade on Indymedia points out how cruelly exclusionary Fitch's "poll" is!
ReplyDelete16.Jun.2013 20:46
on the link
to vote on kboo
there is no way to vot no. también no es posible votar en contra, en espannol
You can't vote "no" on the poll in Russian, Vietnamese, or Tagalog, either, Comrades!
The Evil Fitch is disenfranchising KBOO's **enormous** foreign-language listenership, Comrades!
Just another aspect of Fitch's monolingual oppression - to be fair, you should be able to vote "no" on the poll in any one of forty or fifty languages!
Abajo Inglés!
Социализм или смерть, товарищи!
Xuống với tà ác Fitch!
And you should be able to do it in ANY writing system, especially Cyrillic and Kanji. But never Hebrew. Using Hebrew is a sign of a Zionist false flag plot.
DeleteMore anti-Party rhetoric at Indymedia:
ReplyDelete"Why do you think a T-Shirt saying
"KBOO, not just for commie pinko freaks self-righteous gutter punks drug-addicted peaceniks anarcho-syndicalists hippie tree-huggers gay hillbillies militant vegans "Jerry-atric" deadheads or the foil-hat brigade anymore!"
Is the SAME THING AS
"crazy radical black killers, pimp whore Mexicans..."
?
I was surprised to read you said the above and tried to blame Fitch for the promo since it was your staff friends TM, Ani etc who designed that T-shirt and approved it. "
Wha? The evil "KBOO, not just for commie pinko freaks..." t-shirt wasn't designed by the Evil Fitch, but by the most inner of the Inner Party? Not possible!
Heresy! The workerbees at Indymedia used to be wonderfully Stalinist in their ruthless censoring of anything that reflected badly on the Inner Party.
Now, they allow all manner of lies to be printed! Where is Party discipline, Comrades?
Fitch designed the evil T-shirt.
ReplyDeleteFitch has always designed the evil T-shirt, comrades!