The Big A: Please take a gander at my previous post again. You are likely missing something or pulled my quote accidently. My question has nothing to do with your answer or what I interpreted as a sarcastic remark. The posters here claim:
1) Public Radio is successful
2) Public Radio will pretty much die without some government dollars.
3) Commercial Radio would never create a Public Radio format because their greed would take over.
I am paraphrasing the above.
What conclusions can I make from this:
1) Public Radio really doesn't need Government Funds because it is successful.
2) Public Radio does not work and has serious problems because they MUST have Government Funding to survive.
3) Commercial Radio, in the form of small group broadcaster, most likely, would give the Public Radio format a shot with commercials that would sound like Underwriting except for wording because the listener expects this sort of low key approach. The words might be "give them a call" versus "you may call". Granted, many broadcasters are really in it for just the money. A select group are in it for love of radio and a desire to contribute something positive to their community but rightly want to earn a good living.
I'm trying to figure all this out.
If Public Radio really must have government dollars, how can we build the infrastructure within Public Radio so that Public Radio could be self supporting? It is not an issue of if government dollars are provided or not. This is about increasing the health of Public Radio. Ideas?
If Public Radio is successful and doesn't really need Government Dollars, then ride the ride, smile and be happy there is some extra money floating around to help where it is needed.
I do have to ponder that with the crowded radio dial almost everywhere, why hasn't commercial radio tried the Public Radio format? Is it a lack of talent? A lack of desire to make such an investment in content? Is it that commercial operators do not see the format as successful? And another that might be more important than all of the above: They don't understand it.
It would seem that if Public Radio is pulling the numbers and the big market stations are generating millions and millions in revenue each year, commercial radio would be trying to grab a slice of the pie. Look at KUT in Austin, Texas in the last book. I know the NPR station here does better than most rated stations in their market...likely #5 or 6 in revenue. It seems in some markets Public Radio is hugely popular and financially sound. It would seem logical to me that somebody who has been fighting the good fight against a big boy operator but never getting the upper hand would jump at a piece of the Public Radio pie.
So, without politics, without talking government functions, without sarcasm, let's talk radio and find the truth and facts. Is Public Radio successful overall? Can Public Radio survive without government funds (some say it is tiny; others speak of doom & gloom if govenment dollars go away)? How can we help Public Radio become more successful or financially stable? Let's look for answers. Let's be the ones that think outside the box and bring new ideas forward that help. I feel we need to start at the truth and with the facts to begin. From what I've read here, there are some great brains at work. I'm always up for expanding my knowledge and being encouraged to expand my thought process.
