If you're a supporter of independent community radio, this is a story you never want to see:
That's the lead to a story in the trade publication RadioInsight. You can read the full story here.WBAI is one of the stations owned by Pacifica, a network of five independently operated, non-commercial, listener supported radio stations. The network was launched with a single station in Berkeley, California in 1949. But now, their station in the nation's largest radio market, New York City, is having major financial problems.
The trouble escalated this week when the Corporation for Public Broadcasting held up promised federal funding because of what it called Pacifica accounting problems. And without those federal dollars, WBAI has reportedly begun issuing notices to it's entire staff and management that they will be out of work as of July 15, 2013. WBAI has also reportedly been unable to issue recent paychecks to employees. What WBAI puts on the air after it's staff is gone is anybody's guess.
For years, the show considered the flagship of the Pacifica Network was Democracy Now! with host Amy Goodman. But in 2002 Democracy Now was spun off from Pacifica and became it's own production company. As you probably know, Democracy Now is one of the important programs on KSER.
Thanks in large part to smart financial stewardship by our community-elected KSER Board of Directors, KSER is not in the perilous financial position of WBAI. But we couldn't be in great shape without you and your support.
That's why this week KSER is conducting one of only three pledge drive campaigns we do each year. We don't play commercials. We don't get money from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. We continue to operate because of support from our listeners.
It's easy to contribute during our pledge drive. You can call 425-303-9070. You can donate online at the KSER website.
Since it's our "Dog Days of Summer" fundraising campaign, you can also visit the station with your pet and get his/her photo taken and posted on our website!
Zippy, the proprietor of Cafe Zippy, has already stopped by, gotten his photo taken behind the microphone and made a donation! If Zippy can do it...so can you!
Is there anything more annoying that Top 10 Lists? Wait...before you answer that, here are 10 ways you can help support independent public radio, KSER.
10. Tell all your friends and neighbors and convince them to start listening. Okay, maybe you don't like talking to your neighbors, so post something on Facebook or Twitter about your favorite KSER show.
9. Become a pledge-drive volunteer. We're doing our Summer KSER Pledge
drive starting June 21 and we need volunteers to answer phones. If
you'd like to sign up to help out for a 2-hour shift just call us at
425-303-9070.
8. Plaster one of those cool KSER
static-cling stickers on your car window or office or home window. We'll be happy to send you one!
7. Wear cool KSER shirts and hats available at the KSER online store. They don't cost much, but you'll be the life of the party and the most popular person at work.
6. Consider donating your old car, truck, RV or boat to KSER. Running or not, we'll pick it up and handle all the paperwork.You'll be supporting KSER and may be eligible for a tax deduction. You can find all the info here.
5. If you own or work for a business, organization or non-profit that could use some marketing help, consider underwriting on KSER. It's dramatically less expensive than traditional advertising, your message won't be lost in the clutter of a 10-minute commercial break...and most importantly, our loyal listeners will know that your organization is a supporter of KSER. Just call 425-303-9070 and ask to speak to Katie or Marc.
4. Make sure you support the businesses and organizations that support KSER.
3. If you're one of the many great KSER listeners who regularly makes financial contributions to the station, or if you're thinking about making a donation, please know that many employers will match your contribution to KSER - so you're doubling the impact of your donation. Microsoft; Boeing; Safeco; Pemco; PSE and more will match donations. Check with your HR department.
2. Consider making a recurring donation that fits your budget; then every month you will automatically support KSER. It's easy to do online.
1. Listen AND donate AND tell your friends to listen and donate! (Don't forget, we're going to make it easy for your friends, we're starting our KSER Dog Days of Summer Fundraising Campaign on Friday, June 21!)
BONUS. Way #11 to Support KSER: Let fellow motorists hear KSER. Roll down your car windows and crank up the KSER music really loud. You know, crank it up to 11...
Hey kids, Father's Day is right around the corner (Sunday, June 16), and you wouldn't want to get the ol' man another boring tie or, almost worse, just send him another lame talking cat e-card.
There's still time to plan ahead and order a cool collectors item from the KSER Store! It's fast and easy, safe and secure, there's a 30-day money back guarantee AND you'll be supporting KSER.
What Dad in his right mind wouldn't be proud to sport the stylish KSER barebecue grilling apron (pictured above)? It's one-size-fits-all-beer-bellies and is machine washable. So spilled barbecue sauce and drooled Scuttlebutt IPA comes out easily. And you know Dad wouldn't want to stain his cool new retro-looking KSER Ringer-T!
The KSER Ringer-T is not only great for relaxing in the backyard while listening to Passport or Poptopia Parkway, but the 'ringer' bands help showcase Pop's 'Guns' and bulging neck muscles.
And with the Mariner's battling it out for the cellar, this stackable set of four party mugs is the perfect way to make Mom believe that Dad and his three weirdo friends are drinking coffee, not booze, while watching the M's on TV. (Not recommended for throwing at the flat-screen.)
Finding yourself embarrassed by Dad's combover? How about the ultimate hipster cover-up: the KSER khaki cap!
There's plenty more cool stuff - easy to order online - at the KSER Store. Just click here. And remember, you'll be making Dad feel special and you'll support KSER. Of course, there's always that talking cat E-Card!
There's a radio station that's always saying "You Deserve the Truth"; but then they broadcast Rush Limbaugh!? In honor of that broadcasting sleight of hand, here is a KSER quiz to see how easily you can separate the truth from the bovine excrement.
Each question is followed by three answers. But only one is....THE TRUTH!!!
The collapse of the I-5 bridge over the Skagit River Thursday night has officials scrambling to come up with creative solutions.What unusual options are they considering?
A. A nearby boatyard is going to put in several floating piers connected as a water-level floating bridge over the Skagit.
B. A temporary jump-ramp over the river for risk-taking, thrill-seeking impatient drivers. US DOT will sell TV rights which will pay for a new bridge.
C. We're screwed for months. Best you can do is check online for detour options.
You've heard KSER promos for something called Kaddywompas. What in the aach-eee-double-hockey-sticks is Kaddywompas?
A. Coupe deVille that needs a front end alignment. B. Tim Noah radio show performed in Snohomish that you can still listen to online. C. Well defined gluteus maximus.
A listener called wanting directions for a place he heard promoted on KSER called Clancy's Bar & Grill. What is Clancy's Bar & Grill?
A. It's what celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay renamed Everett's former Prohibition Grill. B. Pipe-packin' Thursday night Blues show on KSER. C. Gentleman's club on Lake City Way.
I gotta make my last stand,
This time I can’t be bought,
Then again on the other hand,
How much have you got?
- Todd Snider; "I Can't Complain."
How much media influence could you buy with $23,000,000?
ITVS - Independent Television Service - is a small arm of public television that funds and distributes independent films. It was founded twenty years ago with a mandate to "take creative risks, advance issues and represent points of view" not usually featured by commercial broadcasters.
But ITVS has apparently been too 'risky' for PBS. Last Fall they produced a documentary called "Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream." It focused on one high-end apartment building in New York City that is home to some of the wealthiest people in the world. Among them, David Koch, who, with his brother Charles, owns Koch Industries.
You may have seen the occasional PBS program and noticed the announcement about 'funding' coming from the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation. According to The New Yorker, David Koch has contributed at least $23-million to public broadcasting. Not only has he contributed millions, but he has served as a trustee of Boston's biggest public broadcaster, WGBH. And in 2006 he joined the board of New York's WNET.
So when the PBS show "Park Avenue" was about to be broadcast, and the people at WNET realized it was very critical of David Koch, they informed him in advance. Then they dumped the original introduction to the program and replaced it with an announcement labeling the film "controversial" and "provocative." And, they gave David Koch an opportunity to be part of a roundtable discussion to be broadcast immediately following the show.
Not long after that incident, two other documentary filmmakers had what they thought was a deal with ITVS to produce a film called "Citizen Koch." In fact, the film competed for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. But recently, ITVS informed the producers that they would not move forward with the deal. You won't see it on PBS. You can read all the disconcerting details of Jane Mayer's reporting in The New Yorkerhere.
Sure, there's freedom of the press. And, yes, you've probably heard more than one talk-show host talk about how he or she has 'never' been censored or even 'toned down' by their corporate owners. And, even if the commercial radio and TV stations might be slanted or biased, many of us have always believed public broadcasting was there to balance things out.
But now some of us may have to question how some public broadcasters can balance out anything if they're so financially dependent on a few wealthy individuals. And I can tell you, from first hand experience, that corporate media bosses can and do influence programming. I was on the receiving end of orders from a CEO to fire a highly-rated talk host who was "too liberal." I could also tell you about the conference call involving network talk show hosts and radio program directors who listened to a CEO give "suggestions" on how shows should be slanted prior to a presidential election.
Media consolidation has led to fewer owners controlling more venues. You may have seen reports Koch Industries may buy the Tribune Newspapers - The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, The Orlando Sentinel and The Hartford Courant.
Regardless of your political views, it's troubling to know that there are fewer and fewer independent, and local, media voices. It's why many of us are dedicated to public stations like KSER that feature voices like Amy Goodman and local coverage from people like Ed Bremer and Sondra Santos. And volunteer contributors like Jim Smith who produces Labor Radio Journal; Kinuko Noborikawa who produces Color Commentary; Mark Hale's "Sand in the Gears"; and commentary from Jim Hightower.
But for every station like KSER, that's supported mostly by listener contributions, there are dozens of bigger stations with stronger signals and more corporate support and resources. That's why we're always thankful when more and more individual listeners are willing to pledge financial support for truly independent voices.
Conversely, as one of the producers of "Citizen Koch" puts it: "It's the very thing our film is about - public servants bowing to pressures, direct or indirect, from high-dollar donors." Or, listen to one ITVS executive, sounding like a Homer Simpson d'oh moment, "We live in a world where we have to be aware that people with power have power."
If you want to highlight contradictions in priorities just follow the money.
If you're a sports fan, you know the NBA nixed the Sacramento Kings moving to Seattle to replace the long-departed Sonics.The NBA owners voted against the move even though Chris Hansen offered more than $406-million for a 65 per cent portion of the Kings. In other words, the Kings would have been worth $625-million - the most ever bid for any NBA team.
Getting nearly non-stop coverage on many radio and TV stations, that NBA story tended to overwhelm another story in the region: 400 people turning out in King County for a public hearing on Metro transit service funding. King County Metro, like transit services in other parts of the state, is faced with declining revenues. So they're considering a 17% cut in service, eliminating 65 routes and reducing dozens of others.You can get full details here. Because of a $60-million shortfall, thousands of people who count on transit service may see the total disappearance of the bus they take to work, or school, or the doctor's office.
Sure, it's apples and oranges.Transit is a public service provided by public dollars.The NBA is a private business funded by private dollars. Private, that is, until you start to think about public funding for a stadium or an arena and all the public services required for such a facility - security, traffic, roads, infrastructure - all supported by tax dollars. Remember when voters said 'no' twice to a new Seattle baseball stadium?
And while it may be an unfair comparison, you could look at these two stories and come to the conclusion that a single investor can come up with more than $400-million for a basketball team, but, as a society, we can't come up with $60-million to avoid dumping 65 important bus routes.
If - or when - Seattle eventually gets an NBA team, any bets on bus service to the new arena being cut?
And speaking of money and tax dollars, who isn't concerned about the IRS apparently targeting certain political groups? After all, it's all over the cable news. A guest on Fox News even compared the IRS 'scandal' to Nazi Germany. But what isn't getting nearly as much coverage is why some of those groups were being targeted. They were set up as non-profits, so they pay little or no taxes. But in reality they are spending, in some cases, millions of dollars to support political candidates or political initiatives.
If you pay attention to mainstream news coverage, this week you heard a lot about Seattle not getting an NBA team. You didn't hear nearly so much about thousands of people possibly losing their bus service. If you watch the cable news channels, you hear a lot about the IRS 'scandal.' But you don't hear much about why those groups and organizations are allowed to function as non-profits.
Fortunately, there are ways for a determined news consumer to get the real story, not just the glitz and scandal coverage that's available so many places..."All Jody Arias, All the Time!" But with declining newspaper staffs and commercial broadcast consolidation, finding alternative voices and important issues can be tougher than landing a new NBA team.
KSER-FM has been on the air serving the North Puget Sound as an independent public radio station since 1991. But before KSER, there was KRAB.
KRAB was a ground-breaking, eclectic community-owned radio station that was on the air in Seattle at 107.7 FM from 1962 to 1984. For many, KRAB was practically a life-altering experience. If you were one of them, now you can relive some of the sights and sounds of KRAB-FM.
Local resident, and longtime KRAB volunteer and employee, Chuck Reinsch has developed a great KRAB-FM website, which includes photos of the KRAB years - including pictures from the very last KRAB broadcast - and archived audio from many of the KRAB shows.
There are great photos, like the ones you see here, many provided by former KRAB volunteers Paul Dorpat and Dave Rowland. The man many credit as the father of KRAB, Lorenzo Milam, is seen in the picture below on the last KRAB broadcast, April 15, 1984.
Bob West; Phil Bannon; Lorenzo Milam
KRAB was operated by the Jack Straw Foundation which ran into financial challenges and ended up selling the frequency to a commercial broadcaster. It's now owned by Entercom of Pennsylvania and is branded as "The End". That name must seem ironic to many of the KRAB faithful.
One of the cool things about KRAB was it's truly free-form format. The hosts, mostly volunteers, played the music they wanted to play and talked about the things they wanted to talk about. One of the not-so-cool things about that format was that it failed financially.
Seattle Times; April 17, 1984
After several years of trying to regain a broadcast facility in the Pacific Northwest, the same group was able to secure the rights to another broadcast signal, 90.7 FM And today 90.7 is operated by the KSER Foundation.
If you loved KRAB, or you just want some insight on the birth of community radio in the Pacific Northwest, you should spend some time at Chuck Reinsch's KRAB website. KRAB's 'last night' even has it's own page.
And Chuck is hoping there are more people who might have photos, clippings or audio from the glory days of KRAB. Chuck has an email link on the website.
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