Court reaffirms CPB's independence

[davideduardo]

In Minnesota, MPR and their network form a reliable backbone of the EAS system, including in some very remote and wilderness areas with often harsh conditions. And while they aren't the "only" station in those small communities, they're definitely the only ones with much in the way of resources should there be a severe event effecting significant portions of the state.

Do those MPR stations have local staffs? I looked yesterday at their coverage map, and it is impressive for sure!

However, the website seems to indicate that they are all a single program network. I may not have explored deeply enough, thus my question.

They say, "Minnesota Public Radio® (MPR) is one of the nation’s premier public radio organizations, producing programming for radio, digital and live audiences. Operating a 45-station terrestrial radio network, MPR serves nearly all of Minnesota and parts of surrounding states."

What I see is that all stations are either on the news net or the classical net, with no local programming. Stations | Minnesota Public Radio

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Do those MPR stations have local staffs? I looked yesterday at their coverage map, and it is impressive for sure!

However, the website seems to indicate that they are all a single program network. I may not have explored deeply enough, thus my question.

They say, "Minnesota Public Radio® (MPR) is one of the nation’s premier public radio organizations, producing programming for radio, digital and live audiences. Operating a 45-station terrestrial radio network, MPR serves nearly all of Minnesota and parts of surrounding states."

What I see is that all stations are either on the news net or the classical net, with no local programming. Stations | Minnesota Public Radio

There are regional offices, i do believe.

But Id bet like Klove, some bigger public networks have a way to insert local emergency info on one specific local station. I've heard Klove do it with their satellite recievers

 

[TheBigA]

It's been about a year since WCBS NewsRadio 88 shut down and its frequency became ESPN New York. It seems like every day I read posts here and on the dentist's board complaining about it, and demanding its return. This is in a city that has a virtual duplicate of the station on both AM & FM.

People want what they want. When their access to what they want is removed, they're upset. Sure there are other options for news and emergency information. But this is RADIO Discussions. We talk about radio here. If anyone on this board had the opportunity to vote to prevent iHeart from firing local staff or Audacy from flipping their favorite radio station to another format, WOULD YOU DO IT? That's what we're talking about. Congress didn't have to do this. They chose to do it. It may not affect your favorite station, but it affects the community of radio broadcasting. That's how I look at it, anyway. The community is under attack from a lot of places. Corporate greed. The music industry. The advertisers. You know all the enemies. That's what this is about. If you love radio, this is just one more nail in the coffin.

 

[101tm]

While some folks may lose jobs after this which is always sad, the sun will still rise in the morning and people will still be able find left centered, moderate, or right centered programming somewhere else on the radio dial or online. Let's stop this silly notion that NPR is the only unbiased source of truth in our country or the rest of the world.

Thank you.

 

[davideduardo]

There are regional offices, i do believe.

But Id bet like Klove, some bigger public networks have a way to insert local emergency info on one specific local station. I've heard Klove do it with their satellite recievers

Of course, each station in a network monitors its local EAS primary station... or they might even be the primary themselves. In any case, stations themselves do not initiate EAS alerts as that has to be done by authorized officials at a variety of government agencies.

 

[ted chittenden]

Some good analysis here:

The House Voted to Rescind Public Media's Funding. What Now?

A brief history of rescissions, plus a public media cheat sheet.

semipublicco.substack.com

From his perspective, these are the stations he claims are most at risk due to being unable to cover a year or more of expenses, with more liabilities than assets.

1. WSCL - Salisbury, MD
2. KCCU - Lawton, OK
3. KCSN - Northridge, CA
4. KXJZ - Sacramento, CA
5. KCHO - Chico, CA
6. KXPR - Sacramento, CA
7. Georgia Public Broadcasting - Atlanta, GA
8. WLAE - Metairie, LA
9. WJSP - Atlanta, GA
10. WUGA - Atlanta, GA
11. KABU - Saint Michael, ND
12. WPBS - Watertown, NY

The other list that interested me from the substack was the most at-risk stations from FY 2023:

1. KCUW
in Pendleton, OR: 98% reliance

2. KUHB
in St. Paul, AL: 97% reliance

3. KSHI
in Zuni Pueblo, NM: 95% reliance

4. KNSA
in Unalakleet, AK: 91% reliance

5. KSDP
in Sand Point, AK: 87% reliance

6. KGVA
in Harlem, MT: 80% reliance

7. KTNA
in Talkeetna, AK: 73% reliance

8. WGVV
in Rock Island, IL: 71% reliance

9. WRVS
in Elizabeth City, NC: 70% reliance

10. WVMR
in Dunmore, WV: 69% reliance
list end

A whole lot of that list was comprised of native American-owned and minority-owned outlets. That said, the substack piece was written before South Dakota Senator Tom Rounds reportedly(?) got some other funding for native American stations (though I haven't been able to find that anywhere else).

 

[radiofan2023]

Lance’s open letter about the recissions is worth reading.

 

[TheBigA]

Of course, each station in a network monitors its local EAS primary station... or they might even be the primary themselves. In any case, stations themselves do not initiate EAS alerts as that has to be done by authorized officials at a variety of government agencies.

Keep in mind that EAS is handled by a different government agency. There was a holdup in a FEMA grant to public radio stations a few months ago. CPB had to step in and sue to get the funding returned:

Court Gives Government More Time In Public Radio’s Suit Over EAS Upgrade Grants.

FEMA’s halt on grant payments for emergency alert system upgrades to public broadcasters continues to be disputed in court, though payments have resumed to some stations. CPB claims funds were

www.insideradio.com

Now that CPB has been defunded, who will defend these stations?

 

[JJSPC]

It's not, but it is one of the most visible such sources, hence this politically motivated attempt to kill it.

And as has been said already many times, if it's listeners truly value the programming they will step up and support it so it continues.

 

[K.M. Richards]

And as has been said already many times, if its listeners truly value the programming they will step up and support it so it continues.

This will indeed be a good test of the old saying "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch".

You want the programming, the news coverage, whatever, free of commercials? Then you need to be part of the revenue that non-comms cannot otherwise receive.

Sadly, that "cannot receive" now not only includes advertising revenue, but CPB funding.

 

[TheBigA]

And as has been said already many times, if it's listeners truly value the programming they will step up and support it so it continues.

That view has also been taken by the music industry. They have a campaign called "Music Has Value." Yet most people believe music should be free, and seek out any way they can find to avoid paying for it...even if we're talking about music they claim to love.

People are cheap. That's what keeps broadcast radio in business. Otherwise everyone would subscribe to music services. But a lot of people get what they want for free by listening to broadcast radio. The problem public radio has is it can't put a paywall on public airwaves. That's really the only way to be sure people pay for what they enjoy. Otherwise, it's the honor system, and not everyone is honorable.

What we know is that on average, only about 7% of people who listen to public radio actually subscribe. If they can freeload, they will.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Of course, each station in a network monitors its local EAS primary station... or they might even be the primary themselves. In any case, stations themselves do not initiate EAS alerts as that has to be done by authorized officials at a variety of government agencies.

EAS is useless in most of rural Alaska.. my source is 250 miles away, monitored by satellite and provides nothing of use, hasnt in 5 years. *I* am technically the EAS Primary if you wanna get pedantic about the spirit, not the letter of the meaning

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

The other list that interested me from the substack was the most at-risk stations from FY 2023:


2. KUHB
in St. Paul, AL: 97% reliance


4. KNSA
in Unalakleet, AK: 91% reliance


A whole lot of that list was comprised of native American-owned and minority-owned outlets. That said, the substack piece was written before South Dakota Senator Tom Rounds reportedly(?) got some other funding for native American stations (though I haven't been able to find that anywhere else).

St Paul AK.. way out in the Aluetians, owned by the school district.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

@JJSPC said:
JJSPC said:
While some folks may lose jobs after this which is always sad, the sun will still rise in the morning and people will still be able find left centered, moderate, or right centered programming somewhere else on the radio dial or online. Let's stop this silly notion that NPR is the only unbiased source of truth in our country or the rest of the world.

I cant find the original, only someones quote.

Its not so much NPR, its the local content thats going to disappear.

For my station, local shows would disappear almost entirely followed by what little staff we have

 

[davideduardo]

@JJSPC said:
JJSPC said:
While some folks may lose jobs after this which is always sad, the sun will still rise in the morning and people will still be able find left centered, moderate, or right centered programming somewhere else on the radio dial or online. Let's stop this silly notion that NPR is the only unbiased source of truth in our country or the rest of the world.

I cant find the original, only someones quote.

Its not so much NPR, its the local content thats going to disappear.

For my station, local shows would disappear almost entirely followed by what little staff we have

Is anyone working on a rescue plan to preserve and sustain those services?

 

[ok walters]

It depends. The FCC still enforces its rules. CPB still has rent to pay and the landlords will demand payment even though CPB has no funding.

But sure, the CPB rules stations had to follow to get funding are null and void because there's no more funding.



Keep in mind the "unbiased" requirement wasn't made of any stations. There is no fairness doctrine, and the government can't demand unbiased media.

That doesn't appear to be correct. The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 requires the CPB to operate with a "strict adherence to objectivity and balance in all programs or series of programs of a controversial nature". It also requires it to regularly review national programming for objectivity and balance, and to report on "its efforts to address concerns about objectivity and balance". There is basically an "objectivity and balance" requirement right in the original documents founding the CPB and even a requirement to report on what they are doing to remain unbiased. The government can and does require objectivity if you want to use taxpayer funds for your operation. You can make your own judgement as to whether the CPB funded programming at NPR meets that requirement, but it is a requirement none the less.

Section G 1A

Public Broadcasting Act of 1967

Download the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, as amended, in PDF format.Subpart D — Corporation for Public BroadcastingSec. 396. [47 U.S.C. 396] Corporation for Public Broadcasting (a) Congressional declaration of policy—The Congress hereby finds and declares that—

cpb.org

 

[TheBigA]

That doesn't appear to be correct. The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 requires the CPB to operate with a "strict adherence to objectivity and balance in all programs or series of programs of a controversial nature". It also requires it to regularly review national programming for objectivity and balance, and to report on "its efforts to address concerns about objectivity and balance".

Why didn't the government ever call in CPB to testify? I'm not aware that they did. It is up to congress to ensure its funding is properly administered. The blame here goes to congress for not doing its oversight job. But I don't see where the law made those demands of stations or of NPR. It appears congress didn't want to assess blame, but just rescind all of the funding.

Neither the government nor congress ever demonstrated how the federal funding was spent. How much actually went to NPR News? Their website says 92% of their funding comes from non-federal sources. It's possible that federal funding went to infrastructure, and not news. They had the NPR CEO in to testify. They didn't ask how the federal funding was applied. If they didn't receive funding for news gathering, then that requirement doesn't apply. It only applies to things they funded. 70% of the money went to the stations. Nobody has said anything about the stations' objectivity or balance. But they're the ones who lost the most funding here, not NPR.

By statute, CPB is the intermediary. They answer to congress, not NPR or PBS. Why congress called in NPR to testify is beyond me.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Is anyone working on a rescue plan to preserve and sustain those services?

Yes, of course, were trying

 

[TheBigA]

You can make your own judgement as to whether the CPB funded programming at NPR meets that requirement, but it is a requirement none the less.

Of CPB, not NPR. What programming at NPR is CPB funded? Nobody knows.

There was a discussion among the congressmen during the writing of the law in 1967. They were concerned about the first amendment. It says "Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of the press." Writing a law that says NPR News must be objective and balanced is abridging freedom of the press. They understood that back then.

Also, Sen. Murkowski proposed an amendment to the rescissions law that would have prevented any federal funding from going to NPR or PBS, but would allow funding for local stations. The amendment was defeated.

 

[cc333]

Sen. Murkowski proposed an amendment to the rescissions law that would have prevented any federal funding from going to NPR or PBS, but would allow funding for local stations. The amendment was defeated.

That's what was once referred to as (gasp!) a compromise.

Compromising is something most people don't really do anymore. Especially the GOP. Even the slightest hint of compromise is not tolerated and will be defeated.

c