I hope THAT dosen't happen, KALW is a great stationjprg said:
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FCC Says "F-U" To KUSF
- Thread starter DToTheJ
- Start date
jprg said:
NO NO NO NO. KALW is the only true public radio station in San Francisco. By that I mean that the people who run the school board are elected, thus there is citizen control over KALW. This is not true of KQED which is operated by a private foundation using a closed set of directors who are elected by other directors. It's what is called a self-perpetuating board. KQED changed this from a membership organization a few years ago.
I wouldn't worry that much about KALW's finances. They'll make it through. There have been some tough years, and KALW has had to borrow a little money from its parent, but they'll get their house in order. KALW provides the most bang for the buck of any NPR member station in the area. They have boatloads of local programming from news and public affairs to unusual music shows (African, trance music, bluegrass, classical, Tin Pan Alley, etc.)
I've always wondered why they carry some of the same shows as KQED
travisl5678 said:
KQED copied KALW. Both are full, top-tier NPR affiliates. KALW had the news & information format long ago when KQED was still a classical station. KQED noticed that KALW was doing better with about 1/80th the power and decided to copy KALW's format, including carrying programs at exactly the same time as KALW. That's changed a lot during the years and KALW dropped "All Things Considered" for local and CBC programs, but the rivalry continues.
DavidKaye said:
Agreed. I came late to the KALW party (my loss), and now really enjoy their local programming. I stumbled into a discussion show recently on public transit...sounds dull, I know - but it was a lively and interesting discussion, and included information from very knowledgeable people (I'm in that business, so I know). I also heard the most intelligent and informative program on the energy situation that I've heard in years (meaning oil, nat gas, nuclear, etc. - not dance music). Both these shows were on in the evening, and I don't remember the host's name.
They also carry a few national public radio shows that KQED does not carry - like Le Show with Harry Shearer.
KALW under-performs for their potential in San Francisco at an astounding rate, despite some of its interesting programming (tho' I would argue the schedule is too complicated, and some of the announcers sound tired and bored. Do they still read novels while holding an airshift while other volunteers come in to be on the air??). And calling it "Information Radio" without a news staff is a bit hollow.
KALW has a better signal is some parts of the City than much-multi-pathed KQED. And, no, KQED did not "copy" them and there's no reason to express such jealousy as I seem to read in some of the above postings. KQED realized, as did many other public radio stations early on, that an all-talk format is logical for the dominant NPR affiliate in any major city. And, despite some of their own shortcomings, they do amazingly well, versus KALW's tiny ratings. Being in San Francisco also allows them both to sometimes sound bored with themselves (like missing the cutaways in Fresh Air every day, and repeating NPR newsblocks more than they need to), yet KQED consistently dominates the local ratings.
I no longer live in the Bay Area, but am surprised every time I come back to hear the exact same slogans and much of the same repetitive and mediocre program schedules on KALW, KQED, KBLX, KCSM etc. Not suggesting they get taken over or completely abandon their programming formats - but they could sure use some better talent, and quit relying on slogans and giving legal IDs every ten minutes. "Soft and warm, the quiet storm." And KALW needs to focus on doing a few things very well, instead of dozens of things with a shrug, competing for the lowest ratings in town with KPFA.
I give a lot of credit to the folks at KDFC for turning the stalest classical station I ever heard into a much more dynamic and essential service. The old automated version, "...1854..." was very unprofessional and had no blood in its veins. I do miss much of the music from the old KKSF (Brown Broadcasting days), and the short-lived KKCY "The City," however.
KALW has a better signal is some parts of the City than much-multi-pathed KQED. And, no, KQED did not "copy" them and there's no reason to express such jealousy as I seem to read in some of the above postings. KQED realized, as did many other public radio stations early on, that an all-talk format is logical for the dominant NPR affiliate in any major city. And, despite some of their own shortcomings, they do amazingly well, versus KALW's tiny ratings. Being in San Francisco also allows them both to sometimes sound bored with themselves (like missing the cutaways in Fresh Air every day, and repeating NPR newsblocks more than they need to), yet KQED consistently dominates the local ratings.
I no longer live in the Bay Area, but am surprised every time I come back to hear the exact same slogans and much of the same repetitive and mediocre program schedules on KALW, KQED, KBLX, KCSM etc. Not suggesting they get taken over or completely abandon their programming formats - but they could sure use some better talent, and quit relying on slogans and giving legal IDs every ten minutes. "Soft and warm, the quiet storm." And KALW needs to focus on doing a few things very well, instead of dozens of things with a shrug, competing for the lowest ratings in town with KPFA.
I give a lot of credit to the folks at KDFC for turning the stalest classical station I ever heard into a much more dynamic and essential service. The old automated version, "...1854..." was very unprofessional and had no blood in its veins. I do miss much of the music from the old KKSF (Brown Broadcasting days), and the short-lived KKCY "The City," however.
Goldilocks94941 said:
Obviously you don't listen to KALW. They haven't called it "Information Radio" in a long time. Instead they call it "Your local public radio station". And indeed they HAVE a news staff and have had it for quite some time. You're just not listening, are you?
KQED knew exactly what KALW was doing, and duplicated the programming, including running it at the same time instead of delaying it or using another feed. Finally it was KALW that began to time-shift programming so as not to look like they were copying KQED. And eventually, KALW gave up the entire "All Things Considered" so as not to duplicate what KQED was carrying, even though KALW is entitled as a top-tier NPR affiliate, to clear it live.
KQED began putting its live, local "Forum" program directly against KALW's local interview show, "Open Air" at 9:00am. After a couple years of that, KALW decided to bump "Open Air" (then known as "Open Ear") and jumped on "Fresh Air" at 9:00am, the earliest they can legally run it, so that KQED (locked into contracts with "Forum") couldn't steal THAT from them.
KQED knows that KALW is a long-time BBC affiliate (in fact, KALW was one of the first BBC affiliates in the U.S.) and that KALW runs it overnight as well. But KQED continues to run BBC live at various times directly against KALW.
I could go on and on about the dirt KQED has done.
KALW gets more bang for its watt than KQED. KALW runs just 1900 watts. KQED runs 115,000 watts, making it the most powerful station in the Bay Area. (People will beg to differ about KIOI, but KIOI has more antenna elements to boost its ERP than does KQED.)
KDFC in 2010 had exactly the same ratings as the combined KDFC/KIBE and KKHI-AM-FM did in 1990. Thus, it did absolutely no good to make KDFC live. KDFC's "kidmation" and later automation was just as good. At the time KDFC had such a good reputation for bringing in classical listeners that Ed Davis syndicated the format in some other cities. In the late 80s or early 90s KDFC even won Station of the Year.
Look, I'm a musician. I care about music. I put on live music shows in jazz, bluegrass, and other genres including chamber music on occasion. Yet, I can't stand listening to classical DJs. I really don't care who composed what and what symphony played it. I really don't care to hear about Gustav Mahler's childhood.
DavidKaye said:
Yeah, but those KDFC Morning Zoo guys were hilarious.
;D
We interrupt the KALW portion of this thread to report that the Houston board reports that the FCC has turned down the Friends of KTRU's Petition to Deny and has approved the sale of the station of the University of Houston, which will bring on the flipping to an all-classical format on the former KTRU:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-695A1.pdf
KTRU will continue online and (if they claim that an over-air signal is as important to service from the labels as they claim it is) on the HD-2 signal of Pacifica's KPFT.
What this pretty much means is that Save KUSF's case is pretty weak, unless they can prove that a limited liability company (the current status of Classical Public Radio Network) cannot own an NCE signal or if they can make their illegal ID and public file claims stick (and it's been reported here that right now KDFC is more than legal with their IDs by including the translators every hour, which they don't have to do).
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-695A1.pdf
KTRU will continue online and (if they claim that an over-air signal is as important to service from the labels as they claim it is) on the HD-2 signal of Pacifica's KPFT.
What this pretty much means is that Save KUSF's case is pretty weak, unless they can prove that a limited liability company (the current status of Classical Public Radio Network) cannot own an NCE signal or if they can make their illegal ID and public file claims stick (and it's been reported here that right now KDFC is more than legal with their IDs by including the translators every hour, which they don't have to do).
DToTheJ said:
ROFL! Good one.
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