ATT, we have an app for your apps - High costs!

[OKCRadioGuy]

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...tethering_plans_caps_ipad_3g_data_at_2gb.html

And then there's the head fool at govt-sponsored NPR and her thoughts on mobile radio:
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtrader...ller-says-all-cars-will-have-internet-radios/

Looks like we all need to start thinking about shutting off our sticks eh? LOL! Yeah.. right.

 

[fybush]

And then there's the head fool at govt-sponsored NPR...

You are entitled to your own opinions. You are not entitled to your own facts. Federal funding, via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, now makes up less than 1% of NPR's budget, rapidly heading for zero.

There are certainly plenty of NPR member stations that derive more of their funding from local or state government sources, but I'd bet that those member stations disagree strongly (as do I!) with Ms. Schiller's statements.

And since a very large portion of NPR's budget comes from the assessments it collects from member stations, it's a good bet that Ms. Schiller will soon be hearing, and very vocally at that, from those member stations.

 

[ChiefEngineer]

And then there's the head fool at govt-sponsored NPR...

You are entitled to your own opinions. You are not entitled to your own facts.

Facts can be modified to fit a person's opinion. if one has all the facts and chooses not to display all the facts that might modify the truth in a relative sort of way.

 

[Sgeirk]

I can see what she's talking about, perhaps in 20-25 years. But 5 to 10 years? She's totally fooling herself.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

You're right Scott. Member stations DO pay her bills, most of them at that. Member stations also get a fair amount of help on things like capital equipment, streaming costs, and some programming money. So, through local affilates, she gets some help from the feds. Listen, I'm not complaining here, just bringing up the fact she's at least partially indirecty paid by some govt money. And, you're right about the member stations not taking kindly to her comments. They've been trying for years to bypass the local affiates and collect all the bucks for themselves. That's why they delight in the whole idea of mobile streaming. It's a great way to bypass local. Sadly, back in the day many years ago,, the local affilates BAILED them out of finacial trouble. That's why when you hear them do the close of shows, part of the credits to this day mention local member stations. They earned that when they bailed the mothership out. Without affilates, they'd have went BUST years ago.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

Help from cpb, ptfp, others on capital improvements and some programming costs.

 

[fybush]

I agree completely that there's some government money (though less and less all the time) going into the local stations' coffers - but to jump from that to "government-sponsored NPR" just because the local stations use some of that $$ to pay fees to a program supplier doesn't strike me as a fair assessment of the situation. Does it become "government-sponsored Rochester Gas & Electric" because the NPR station here in town pays RG&E money for their services, too? Or "government-sponsored Harris" because we bought a new transmitter from them, partially with CPB/PTFP money?

(And since I'm posting, as always, under my real name...the usual disclaimer here that I speak for myself only and not for any of my employers, one of which is a public broadcaster.)

That having been said - I'm slack-jawed with astonishment that Ms. Schiller really said what she said, and I think the fallout will be very, very interesting. She's certainly getting a debate started, whether that was her intention or not.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

She certainly has started a debate. It seems to me they have an attitude up there that they are better than the affilates anyway. This is just a manifest of that. They would litterly be NOTHING without the member stations in so many ways, but they act like THEY are the only thing that counts. The previous CEO said something similar about streaming back several years ago. It's just very telling to me. I think member stations need to go with their pitch forks in-hand to the next board meeting to set the record straight that they serve member stations, and ultimately members, not the other way around.