More Things I Think I Think

• I think Rush Limbaugh doesn't get enough credit for the good he does! Especially the good he does promoting women's issues. For example, Sandra Fluke was an obscure Georgetown grad student that none of us knew anything about.  But Rush was kind enough to put her on the map and now she's a featured convention speaker promoting women's issues. You can't buy that kind of pub.

• I think Amy Goodman's convention coverage on KSER has been far more insightful and thorough than anything on the big TV or Cable networks.  She does far more with far fewer resources. But that's just me.

• I think presidential campaigns frequently fail because of the little things: Michael Dukakis in the tank with that ill-fitting helmet; Bob Dole talking about Bob Dole; George H.W. Bush fascinated with a grocery scanner. Is Paul Ryan's foggy memory about a 2:55 marathon time this year's flub?

• I think most people would be bummed if a show like Amy Goodman moved to Satellite Radio.  But I bet many listeners would be willing to pony up $16.99 a month for Sirius/XM to hear her show. She's not moving and you can get her for free every day. Of course, you're welcome to contribute to KSER to ensure that she never moves.

• I think sometimes in sports (and life) a great player doesn't always make for a better team. Since the Mariners traded Ichiro they've had two big win streaks and have gone 24-15. The Yankees, meanwhile, had a 10-game division lead, but now, with Ichriro in pinstripes, the Yankee are down to a 1-game lead.

• I think most frustrated jocks are obsessive about their sports achievements...no matter how minor. So how does someone not precisely remember his/her best marathon time?  

• I think the ESPN football analysts are missing the mark in their Super Bowl predictions. Not one of them has the Seahawks making the big game. This could be the year...I think.

• I think some people spend too much time thinking about sports.

• I think it's always impressive the type of people who want to be involved or volunteer at KSER. One of the students in our current KSER Basic Broadcasting Class is a new History Specialist at the Everett Public Library.  Lisa Labovitch was just the subject of a great story in the Herald.

• I think north-end commuters should all be given medals. When you hear KSER's Sondra Santos or Ed Bremer talk about 55, 65 or 75 minute Everett-to-Seattle/Seattle-to-Everett commute times it's headache inducing.  Now, why didn't we build light-rail 30 years ago?

• I think it will be a while before you see another attempt at prop-comedy at a political convention. 

• I think it would be funny if it wasn't so sad to hear politicians on the government payroll (with full health benefits and pensions) give props to private enterprise while attacking government agencies and government workers.

• I think it would be even funnier if it wasn't so much sadder that so many people fall for government-paid politicians knocking the government.

 

• I think some people should spend more time thinking about sports.

Support KSER; Protect the Cute Bear!

Please Help Protect the Bear

Alright, we really wouldn't hurt the bear. It's just a cheap, warm and fuzzy gimmick to get your attention. Speaking of warm and fuzzy, have you been watching the well-coiffed, finely-clothed, made-up cable TV news stars 'reporting' from the political conventions?

And do you know who is hardly ever described as warm and fuzzy?  Amy Goodman.

We've heard an awful lot of feedback the last two weeks about Amy Goodman. It's not that she's not special the other 50 weeks of the year, but last week and this week, Democracy Now is an hour longer and even more special than usual as Amy covers the political conventions.  Last week she was in Tampa for the Republican convention; this week Charlotte and the Democrats.

Sure, the big cable TV networks have been covering the conventions...their way. And they've got their major anchors strategically positioned at professionally designed and magnificently lit sets 'analyzing' the speeches.  But, if you've been listening to Amy in Tampa and Charlotte, you know she is asking tough questions of all sides and offering insight you don't get too many other places.

Last week when the TV cameras conveniently missed Mitt Romney's handshake with one of the Koch brothers on the convention floor, Amy talked about it.  She did an extensive interview on the Romney campaign war-chest and where the money came from. She had extensive coverage of the convention floor chaos between the RNC and Ron Paul delegates. This week she's spent considerable time covering protestors at the DNC in Tampa who have basically been penned up away from the convention center.

But if you've been listening to her two-hour special every morning at 7 a.m. on KSER or the one-hour replay at 5 p.m. there's one thing you haven't heard: commercials. That's because like most of the radio stations around the country that carry Democracy Now, KSER is an independent public radio station. We're a non-profit, community resource that is able to operate and provide independent programming thanks to your support.

And it's not just Amy Goodman and Democracy Now. It's the TakeAway every morning at 6 a.m. and the Story with Dick Gordon every afternoon at 3 p.m.  It's the morning information from Sondra Santos and Sound Living with Ed Bremer every afternoon at 4 p.m.  And that's just the news and public affairs shows! If you're a regular listener to KSER you know we have a broad range of great music every evening and weekend featuring many up and coming local artists.

So how are we able to fund a full-time radio station with no commercials?  Well, actually we don't. You do it.  So we just wanted to say thanks if you've supported us in the past or if you continue to support KSER with recurring donations.

If you haven't contributed yet, but you'd like to make sure that at least some of the airwaves include voices like Ed Bremer's and Amy Goodman's...here's how you can help.  KSER begins it's 10-day-long Fall Pledge Drive on September 28th. If you listen then, you'll hear a number of easy ways to contribute. Or, you can beat the rush! Take 4 or 5 minutes now to make an easy tax-deductible online donation here.

Of course if you're one of those people who wants to contribute and brag about it, you can buy shirts, hats, tote-bags, mouse pads, aprons, dog-sweaters, iphone cases and just about anything else...yes, even that cuddly bear...at the KSER store.

Thanks!

KSER Manager's Mailbox - Labor Day Edition

Ahhh, a long holiday weekend!!

Blue Moon. Labor Day. Football. And, of course, in honor of workers everywhere, the KSER Weekend Manager's Mailbox.

Dear Tom@KSER.org: That KSER DJ Uncle Pat is off the hook! Me and some co-workers were stocking shelves at the co-op Thursday night and we had to crank up KSER. That guy was playing the wildest mix of music we've ever heard and he's such a cool-sounding DJ. We kept turning it up louder and louder. We had a few customers, but I think they were getting scared. How often is he on? Is he as wild as he sounds?  Daniel, Everett

Daniel: Every Thursday night at 7 on KSER. Every family has one crazy uncle, we've got Uncle Pat.

Dear Tom@KSER.org: I enjoyed Amy Goodman's coverage from the Republican Convention. She did some hard-hitting reporting. My question is will she do the same thing for the Democrats? Or is she just a Republican-Basher?  Michael, Kenmore 

Michael:  Amy will be in Charlotte this coming week for the Democratic Convention. She'll have her usual show at 5 a.m. and a two-hour special each morning at 7 a.m. on KSER starting Tuesday.  She's an equal-opportunity basher. If someone deserves tough questions, she'll ask. She's not a corporate media stenographer, but a real journalist.

Dear Tom@KSER.org: I think you guys have a great variety of news shows and great music shows. Is there a line-up or schedule of what show is on when?  Kim, Mukilteo

Kim: All the info in one convenient click.

Dear Tom@KSER.org: Love the Amy Goodman, Democracy Now convention coverage. Can't wait for the Democrats' turn. I loved the take on the Clint Eastwood craziness. How whacky is it to pretend that the president is sitting in an empty chair and then pretend you're talking to him?  Gary, Arlington

Gary: It was different. By the way, we had a live in-studio interview with President Obama Friday. We're quite proud that he stopped by KSER.

President Obama in the KSER Studio

 
Dear Tom@KSER.org: Last week you had a picture of a KSER mouse-pad. I love the station but I'm not big on wearing shirts and jackets with anyone's logo on them.  A mouse-pad, though, is something I'd use and could help display my love of the station.  Can I buy one?  Marianne, Edmonds

Marianne:  Yes, but hurry. Supplies are unlimited. Just click here. And thanks for supporting Independent Public Radio!

Unlimited Edition KSER Mouse pad

 Dear Tom@KSER.org: Really appreciate all the information you've provided recently about getting PSA's on the station and finding community resources. I run a small non-profit organization and that kind of info is very helpful. With the size of your audience you must get a lot of email; I hope you don't have to deal with a lot of spam.  David, Everett

David: Thanks. For those that missed it, the primer on getting your PSA's on the air is here. And the KSER community resource guide is here. And, no, we don't get much spam. Good filters, I guess.

Dear Tom@KSER.org:  This is to inform you of the latest development as regards the delivery of your inheritance fund by the diplomat who is presently at the JFK Int'l airport New York.Confirm your Full Name,Occupation, Residence Address & Direct Telephone Numbers. Regards, George Smith.

George:  I'll send you that info via email. Wouldn't want to post it here.Have a great weekend!

Things I Think I Think

A few random things I think. Or think I think.

I think Ed Bremer is to KSER what Walter Cronkite was to CBS. Or what Johnny Carson was to the Tonight Show. He's been at KSER since 1990, which is pretty remarkable when you consider the station didn't actually go on the air until 1991. He was here for the launch and is still going strong every afternoon with Sound Living. Is there any other news anchor on radio or TV in the Northwest who has been at the same station for that long?

I think I'm getting jaded or old...or both. I can remember when watching the political conventions on TV actually had some purpose. You'd find out who was really going to get the nomination and who the VP pick was. Now, what's the point? It's an expensive waste...I think.

I think when a lot of radio and TV stations always talk about "news you can't get anywhere else," they're pretty much full of it. The news most of them are doing you can get a lot of other places.

I think Amy Goodman really does have a lot of news you can't get anywhere else...almost. This week her Democracy Now  show is a full two-hours and has been broadcast live from Tampa, site of the GOP convention (next week, Charlotte & the Dems). And her coverage has been excellent.  She's covering the politics but is including important stories from around the world.  I think she is remarkable.

Juan Gonzalez; Amy Goodman

I think it's pretty alarming what's happening to the newspaper business in this country.  The Seattle P-I is gone. The New Orleans Times-Picayune is now publishing just three days a week. (Who could forget this front page?) And now The Post-Standard in Syracuse, and The Patriot-News in Harrisburg will start publishing just three days a week. Not good...I think.

I think Sleepy John is really not sleepy at all. Listen to the great music on his show, Left of the Dial, Wednesday nights at 7 on KSER. Sounds wide awake to me.

I think most people may not notice, but if you listen to the Takeaway weekday mornings on KSER, there's something new. John Hockenberry is now the solo host. His former co-host Celeste Headlee has decided to work on some other projects.  And the program which originates on the east coast, is live every morning at 6 a.m. on KSER.

I think if you like Celtic music and Nordic music it's hard to beat Tuesday nights on KSER. Tuesday's at 7 p.m. it's Celtic Harvest, followed at 8:30 p.m. by Nordic Roots and Branches. Every week that is some great music.  I think.


I think tickets will go fast when we get a few more details on Amy Goodman's upcoming Everett visit. She's going to be here Saturday afternoon, October 27. We'll let you know sometime in the next week about location and how to get tickets.

I think if two great Saturday shows on KSER, "Frettin Fingers" and "Pull the String" ever merged, we could have a good time coming up with a name for the new show.

I think for starters I should have confessed that I stole, uh, borrowed this theme. "Some things I think I think" was a great weekly column written by one of the world's greatest newspaper guys, the late Phil Musick. Phil was a columnist for the Pittsburgh Press and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  I worked with him at WTAE radio in Pittsburgh in the 90's.

Phil would be happy that someone is reviving one of his trademarks. I think.

The Better Mouse Trap (And Pledge Drive)

Wrong Kind of Mouse

For nearly as long as they've been trying to invent a better-mouse trap; they've also been trying to invent a better pledge drive.

This past weekend I stumbled across a story on CNET about public radio and pledge drives. And that's something we spend a lot of time having meetings about at KSER.

And when you start reading about pledge drives there's often a lot of misinformation.

For example, the CNET story started off this way:  "For anyone who listens to public radio, there may be no greater annoyance than the semi-regular pledge drives that seem to go on for weeks and constantly interrupt your favorite programs."

That's might be a well-written, attention-grabbing sentence to start an article, but I'd have to label it fiction, not fact.

Surely if you listen to KSER or any other public or community radio station there has to be something in your life more annoying that a pledge drive. If not, then you're living the good life. And if a station like KSER does 4 pledge drives in a year, can that be considered semi-regular?

The last KSER pledge drive lasted 7 days. Some last 10. I don't think any have ever gone on longer than that. Now, maybe that might seem like 'weeks' to some people, but not to me. (Although I did spend 4 days with the in-laws once that seemed like weeks.)

And 'constantly' interrupting your favorite programs?  I guess compared to how seldom KSER programs are ever interrupted, maybe 4 or 5 three-minute pledge breaks per hour might seem like constant.  But, compare that to commercial stations that frequently broadcast 5 or 6 straight minutes of commercials in 4 or 5 commercial breaks every single hour day and night!

I can't speak for other public stations, but here are a few facts about pledge drives and KSER.  In a normal year we conduct four pledge drives lasting anywhere from 7 to 10 days each. During the time we are doing pledge drives, we still provide all of our normal programming. We slightly shorten some segments, but we do not eliminate or preempt any of our shows.  Each 'pledge break' lasts about 3 or 4 minutes and we normally do about 4 per hour.

Now, I will admit that off the air we spend a lot more time than that talking about and planning for pledge drives. And, believe it or not,  we spend most of that time trying to figure out ways to make the whole experience better for you! 

Many public radio stations have tried a lot of different approaches to pledge drives. There was the so-called 'silent' pledge drive where they just ran a few promos. They weren't exactly silent, but they also didn't exactly work.  Some have tried being more serious, some more funny.  Some stations give away tote-bags and ipads and umbrellas. But that's just another thing they have to spend money on.  Your money.

One public radio station in San Francisco recently launched a new system allowing listeners who contribute, to never have to hear a pledge break again. How?  Contributors are given a pass code and can listen to a special separate 'feed' of the station's audio online or on smartphones without the pledge breaks.  As far as I can tell, the station is not talking about how many thousands of dollars they spent to develop the system or how much they spend to provide the pledge-free audio feed. Maybe it's a good idea, but if you're going to be kind enough to contribute to KSER, I don't want to see us spending your money...thousands of dollars...on a technical system we'd use 4 weeks a year. I'd rather make sure you keep getting the programming you want 52 weeks a year.

But that is where you can help. Sure, we rely on you for financial support. But we also count on you for feedback, advice, direction and even content.  We get feedback all the time from our listeners about much of our programming, especially the music shows.  People are frequently telling us what we could differently or better....or, believe it or not, some things they don't like!

You know those people who are always trying to invent the better mouse trap?  Some people are always trying do the same with radio pledge drives. Maybe that will be you. So, if you have a suggestion or a good idea (heck, even a bad idea) let us know.

An awful lot of the best programming on KSER comes from people who used to be just listeners. Listeners who became volunteer DJ's or volunteer contributors to our news and public affairs shows. So maybe one of our listeners...maybe you...will invent the better pledge drive.

If you come up with something great, we'll be having a lot fewer meetings!

KSER Weekend Mailbox

Final weekend of August! Time for another highly anticipated edition of the KSER Manager's Mailbox. This week our inbox was absolutely bloated with mail. Sure, most of it was spam, but there were a couple insightful questions from our very sophisticated listeners. And there were these:

Dear Tom@KSER.org: You've been promoting Amy Goodman being at the GOP convention. But will any GOPer in his/her right mind dare talk to Amy? And she's on in the morning, all the hot convention action will be at night?  Mark, Everett

Mark:  "Hot convention action?" Remember, what happens in Tampa stays in Tampa...unless someone posts it on YouTube.  Even if the poobahs don't talk with Amy, she will get the stories and have the insight you won't get on the TV networks. And the next morning is when Amy will have the scoops.  Remember she's doing a special 2-hour show each morning at 7 starting Monday on KSER.

Dear Tom@KSER.org:    Last weekend I heard some big band music on the car radio and I'm pretty sure it was KSER. I didn't think anyone played that kind of music anymore. Was it KSER? Or am I confused?  I love that stuff, and I'm only 28.  Dan, Bothell.

Dan:  Button up your Zoot suit. It probably was KSER. Every Saturday morning at 9, KSER presents The Big Bandstand with Steve Ward. Steve knows Big Band inside out and is an outstanding DJ. That's his picture below with Glenn Miller. (Steve's the good looking one without a trombone.)

Dear Tom@KSER.org:   I really like how you have so many loco people at your station. And I know it's mostly volunteers. What do you have to do to volunteer at the station.  Terri, Lake Stevens

Terri:  I'm going to assume that was a typo and you meant 'local' people. Or have we met?  Anyway, here's where you can get all the volunteer info.

Dear  Tom@KSER.org:  Why is it that someone like Ed Bremer or Amy Goodman can have a guest on the radio for 20 or 30 minutes and ask really probing questions and get really in-depth answers, but then I turn on the big Seattle stations and they're talking about Dancing with the Stars or Kim Kardashian. If they do get into serious topics they spend maybe 15 or 20 seconds before getting back to People magazine stuff. Is that because they get better ratings or what?  William, Arlington

William: Some of those big stations are airing 4, 5, sometimes 6 commercial breaks every single hour.  And some of those commercial breaks last 5 or 6 minutes.  Do the math. It's pretty hard to do an in-depth interview when you're interrupted for commercials every 7 minutes.  And some of the big companies advertising their products don't really want certain controversial issues talked about near their commercial messages.

Dear Tom@KSER.org:  We just moved to Snohomish County from California. Love the information and music on KSER, but we're still trying to figure out the transit schedules, schools and that kind of stuff. Could you recommend a good directory for local info.  Alicia, Everett

Alicia:  A great starting place is the KSER website. Just click on the handy 'community' link at the top of the page or click here. And welcome to the Northwest!


Dear Tom@KSER.org:  I saw someone at the Everett Crafts Beer festival wearing a KSER hat that was so cool.  It wasn't a baseball hat, more of a military type cap.  How can I get one of those?  Don, Shoreline

Don:  You can click here to buy the KSER military style cap or tons of other cool merchandise. And, remember, you'll not only be supporting independent public radio, but you'll also be hiding your receding hair line!

Dear Tom@KSER.org:  Just my opinion, but I don't think you write enough about the music or the artists and you spend too much space promoting ways for people to donate to KSER or buy a bunch of crap with KSER logos all over it. I don't want to sound mean but for all the good that does you may as well just post a picture of a dog, or something.  Lisa, Everett

Lisa: Thanks. This pups for you!

Art? Radio? Both!

"Is that some kind of art building?"

A guy getting out of his car on Wetmore Ave. with his wife asked me that question this week.  I was a little confused at first, but then realized he was pointing at our building.  I told him, no, that's KSER Radio.

Later I realized he was actually right.  It is some kind of art building.

That large cut-out mural on the side of the building was designed and created by 2010 Snohomish County Artist of the Year Jules Anslow.

Her work might look familiar. She also created the Lowellife Throne, a concrete sculpture in Lowell Park. And in 2007 for Seattle's "Pigs on Parade" she created two of the wildly popular pigs...one at Pike Place Market and another at the Space Needle.

When KSER moved into it's current location she installed the artwork on the side of our building in 2006.

It's makes it  pretty hard to miss KSER when you're on Wetmore.

Another well-known local artist generously installed some of her outstanding work inside the KSER studios. Karen Guzak, who is also the mayor of Snohomish, created an outstanding display from cut metals inside the KSER Community Room.

Karen Guzak's KSER Community Room Display

 In addition to her art contribution, Karen has been an outstanding partner and supporter of KSER. Now it seems like almost every visitor to KSER asks about the Community Room metal art display.

A new KSER volunteer decided to turn the KSER building and studios into a photographic art project. And when he completed the project, Nigel Bardsley donated his finished work to us..and it's now also on display in our Community Room.

Photos by Nigel Bardsley

We may not have the most modern, glistening office building in downtown Everett, but may have the most character and flair, thanks to the artists whose work graces the KSER World Headquarters.