Biased terminology on KTRH

[2Speakers]

Correct. Houston Public Media doesn't need CPB funding. But they qualify. That's how that works. Its not based on need. They qualify by raising a certain amount of local money. This is what Republicans wanted. They were against what they saw as welfare for broadcasting. So these stations have to fulfill certain requirements to qualify for CPB money, and they do. Then the local stations all decide individually how they will spend the federal money. The congress just approved the 2026 appropriation last month.

Well, Republicans need to take a second look.

KUHF is an excellent example of wasteful government spending. A few years ago, one of their staff engineers told me they were looking at replacing their existing consoles and routing system with gear from Studer. He and a few others told engineering management that they were making a huge mistake, but they went ahead and did it anyway.

Earlier this year, they replaced the nearly new Studer gear with Wheatstone.

What a good way to flush a quarter of a million dollars or so of taxpayer money.

 

[TheBigA]

KUHF is an excellent example of wasteful government spending.

That's a simplistic way of looking at it. The republican way is to say its an investment in local communities and returning tax money to the taxpayers. Every dollar paid to employees in public broadcasting is taxable. The new console had to be installed, so the installers got paid, and their salaries are taxable. So the federal money generates business that generates revenue which is good for the local area.

 

[2Speakers]

The problem with that is you can't ask someone about their politics or make it a prerequisite for a job. So legally you can't hire a staff based on political diversity or political opinion. In fact some of the anti-DEI laws being passed are along those same lines. Hiring shouldn't be based on anything but ability to do the job.

Given that NPR is a government funded entity, perhaps some special carve-outs need to be made to ensure political diversity in the newsroom.

Private sector businesses with government contracts are subject to all sorts of fun rules and regulations that businesses without government contracts aren't subject to. The government imposes all sorts of "guidelines" regarding hiring, procurement, etc.

Interestingly, they can't tell employers who to hire or give them an exact quota, but they audit them regularly, and if they run afoul of what the bureaucrats running things think it sould be, they will make life hell for that business, or simply revoke their government contracts.

 

[2Speakers]

That's a simplistic way of looking at it. The republican way is to say its an investment in local communities and returning tax money to the taxpayers. Every dollar paid to employees in public broadcasting is taxable. The new console had to be installed, so the installers got paid, and their salaries are taxable. So the federal money generates business that generates revenue which is good for the local area.

No, it's not a simplistic view, it's a realistic one.

From what I've heard, the Studer consoles were never installed.

Studer is a German company. The money went to Germany.

 

[TheBigA]

Given that NPR is a government funded entity, perhaps some special carve-outs need to be made to ensure political diversity in the newsroom.

That's discrimination. Once again, republicans are passing laws against any kind of diversity. Hiring should be done based on ability. Not politics, race, or any other personal preference.

Greg Abbott signs law banning diversity offices in Texas higher education

The governor signed the bill prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion offices in addition to another codifying tenure restrictions

www.theguardian.com

No, it's not a simplistic view, it's a realistic one.

The most recent funding bill for CPB was passed overwhelmingly in a bi-partisan way. So the reps in government don't agree.

Congress Approves $535 Million In Funding For Public Media.

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have approved $535 million in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in fiscal year 2026. The funding, included in the Further

www.insideradio.com

 

[Delete My Account]

In my opinion, the greater peril to our nation right now is from liberal sources since the left wing completely dominates large media.

Except for 90% plus of commercial talk radio, the top ranked cable news network (along with two others competing with it), massive internet traffic, social media metrics and podcast downloads.

The right wing is every bit as much "mainstream media." So which is it, are they not the mainstream media and massively successful in the market, or are they? Can't have it both ways. Outside of the coasts, who do you think has more influence? NPR or Fox?

 

[gr8oldies]

That's discrimination. Once again, republicans are passing laws against any kind of diversity. Hiring should be done based on ability. Not politics, race, or any other personal preference.

Greg Abbott signs law banning diversity offices in Texas higher education

The governor signed the bill prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion offices in addition to another codifying tenure restrictions

www.theguardian.com

The most recent funding bill for CPB was passed overwhelmingly in a bi-partisan way. So the reps in government don't agree.

Congress Approves $535 Million In Funding For Public Media.

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have approved $535 million in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in fiscal year 2026. The funding, included in the Further

www.insideradio.com

Republicans believe D.E.I. means "didn't earn it" and that non-whites should be eliminated from jobs like airline pilot. Because getting into college should only be about how much Grandpa donated to the athletic program.

 

[fybush]

Another perspective about Berliner from a former colleague:

Uri Berliner dragged NPR. What now?

Uri Berliner didn’t just attack NPR. He attacked a community. His article denigrated a nationwide chosen family, bonded by their love of learning, their civic duty and their belief in doing good. Perhaps he forgot why he showed up.

www.nightlightshow.com

 

[TheBigA]

Private sector businesses with government contracts are subject to all sorts of fun rules and regulations that businesses without government contracts aren't subject to. The government imposes all sorts of "guidelines" regarding hiring, procurement, etc.

The government funding that goes to NPR does come with lots of rules & restrictions. The money for the interconnection system must only be used in that way in that facility. There are some federal jobs money that comes with restrictions. However, the editorial & news people are all paid from a different budget and they're subject to different rules. But again, asking someone about their politics or making it a prerequisite is against the law.

Requiring political diversity means requiring it at KTRH. How would that go over?

 

[2Speakers]

The most recent funding bill for CPB was passed overwhelmingly in a bi-partisan way. So the reps in government don't agree.

Congress Approves $535 Million In Funding For Public Media.

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have approved $535 million in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in fiscal year 2026. The funding, included in the Further

www.insideradio.com

I guess this has never been explained to you before. I'll give it a try in simple terms.

Much of government funding isn't about agreement. It's about compromise.

Just because Republican lawmakers signed off on CPB funding does not mean they endorse it any more than the liberals who are screeching about not spending another dime on Israeli defense are endorsing that.

Israel will get funded, because Republicans want it to. Meanwhile, liberals want to fund the war in Ukraine. A certain number of politicians from each party will compromise to make sure the money flows to each of their pet causes.

That's how this works. The liberals who will sign off on Israeli defense spending don't "agree" with it. They go along to get money for their own desires.

 

[fybush]

So if I'm working with a radio station at a state college to buy a new antenna, and we use those state college funds to pay for it, does that make Shively or Dielectric a "government-funded entity"?

 

[TheBigA]

Much of government funding isn't about agreement. It's about compromise.

Yes I know. I taught civics in high school. Texas is a red state. The federal CPB money that goes to Houston Public Radio benefits a red state. There are lots of red states where the NPR stations are actually owned by the state. West Virginia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Alabama. They all receive federal funds to support NPR stations. So yes, it's about compromise. We need more of it.

 

[2Speakers]

Requiring political diversity means requiring it at KTRH. How would that go over?

To the best of my knowledge, KTRH isn't funded in part by taxpayer money, so it's irrelevant.

If liberals were being forced to fund KTRH, then I would be all for requiring balance in the newsroom ranks there.

 

[TheBigA]

To the best of my knowledge, KTRH isn't funded in part by taxpayer money, so it's irrelevant.

It's a government regulated facility. If the FCC comes up with a diversity rule, they have to follow it. If KTRH runs NHTSA commercials about drunk driving or speeding, they receive taxpayer money.

FCC Recharters Diversity Advisory Group Through 2025; Several Broadcasters Included.

FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel has rechartered the agency’s Communications Equity and Diversity Council through June 2025 and named members to the advisory panel. Several broadcasters are on the advisory committee,

www.insideradio.com

 

[2Speakers]

So if I'm working with a radio station at a state college to buy a new antenna, and we use those state college funds to pay for it, does that make Shively or Dielectric a "government-funded entity"?

Huh? I'm missing whatever point you're trying to make.

All I'm saying is KUHF wasted a boatload of money on Studer consoles that they never installed just a few years ago. They then spent more money to replace them with better consoles from Wheatstone.

Commercial broadcast engineers aren't allowed to make those kinds of purchasing mistakes.

What I'm saying is imagine one of those college stations bought a Shively antenna, and left it sitting on the ground outside the transmitter building for a few years uninstalled. They then decided to purchase an ERI and installed it.

That's the analogy here.

 

[2Speakers]

It's a government regulated facility. If the FCC comes up with a diversity rule, they have to follow it. If they run NHTSA commercials about drunk driving or speeding, they receive taxpayer money.

Let me know when the government just hands KTRH almost $1M in a year, simply because they exist. Then we can have this side discussion.

 

[TheBigA]

Let me know when the government just hands KTRH almost $1M in a year, simply because they exist. Then we can have this side discussion.

Once again, the money is based on more than just existing. Lots of paperwork to fill out, lots of rules to follow. It's not a gift.

Let me know when the government forces political diversity.

 

[2Speakers]

Once again, the money is based on more than just existing. Lots of paperwork to fill out, lots of rules to follow. It's not a gift.

Let me know when the government forces political diversity.

Let me know when the government stops funding a complete lack of political diversity at NPR.

 

[TheBigA]

Let me know when the government stops funding a complete lack of political diversity at NPR.

Once again, that's not what they fund. Try to keep up.

 

[Mark Roberts]

Another perspective about Berliner from a former colleague:

Uri Berliner dragged NPR. What now?

Uri Berliner didn’t just attack NPR. He attacked a community. His article denigrated a nationwide chosen family, bonded by their love of learning, their civic duty and their belief in doing good. Perhaps he forgot why he showed up.

www.nightlightshow.com

A good point I pulled out of that essay is that NPR's critics are going after NPR's listeners just as much as they're going after NPR.