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KQED Inc Named to buy KVHS in COncord?

The hard drive fried, and that can be replaced ... but if you have old software that you rely on to run the programming, and you can't get it to work, that is a completely different issue. Remember: this isn't a Clear Channel or Cumulus station with an unlimited budget. It's a shoestring operation trying hard to stay afloat.
 
However, the subject line in this thread is about KQED buying the station. That's a small paragraph in the story.

Given all the changes in the school and the instructors, it might be a good idea. I'm sure KQED would be willing to provide qualified radio instructors in exchange for using the frequency during non-class hours. And charter schools tend to be more interested in such partnerships than public schools.
 
BossRadioDJ said:
The hard drive fried, and that can be replaced ... but if you have old software that you rely on to run the programming, and you can't get it to work, that is a completely different issue. Remember: this isn't a Clear Channel or Cumulus station with an unlimited budget. It's a shoestring operation trying hard to stay afloat.
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I haven't talked with Tom Wilson in years, but last I remember of him he was a very conscientious engineer kind of guy. His wife, Melissa, I don't know. Still, one would think that they must have had a backup of the automation software and of the various files they need. I mean, heck, there are legacy systems that run on Windows 2000 out there (I can think of two stations that use it) and you can bet they have backup copies of the software and off all their necessary files.

So, what's going on? I suspect somebody's trying to get sympathy or sympathy money or maybe just a story in the paper to call attention to the fact that neither the school district nor the reconditioned charter school want to run a radio station.

I agree. It should become a relay for KQED Radio or better yet for KALW.
 
Seems like they could get the station back on the air with a $300 laptop and iTunes if they really wanted to. I agree with others, they want out of the "radio business".
 
When I was a student at KWHS in West Sacramento we had a startup 10 watt FM and visited KVHS for a day to see how they ran their operation. It had to be one of the best high school radio stations in the nation. I'm wondering what happened? But then it's easy to see that they don't have enough support from students or staff in 2012. Few want to go into a business that keeps laying off talent. It's a shrinking industry. Very sad, as this station has produced so many talent for commercial radio. KWHS was only on the air for about 4 years, but produced at least 10 students who made it to commercial radio, I'm sure KVHS has had many more...

As for KQED buying the station, I think that's a terrible idea. Why? Just to be a repeater for their programming? Why not stick with being a stand alone and let the kids program it? If the kids are even interested anymore...
 
Bryan Simmons said:
As for KQED buying the station, I think that's a terrible idea. Why? Just to be a repeater for their programming? Why not stick with being a stand alone and let the kids program it? If the kids are even interested anymore...
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Who's going to pay for it? The kids?
 
Bryan Simmons said:
As for KQED buying the station, I think that's a terrible idea. Why? Just to be a repeater for their programming? Why not stick with being a stand alone and let the kids program it? If the kids are even interested anymore...
Click to expand...

I think KQED or KALW or Capitol Public Radio should buy KVHS. All 3 operations suffer reception problems in the Diablo Valley. KQED is the most-listened to pubcaster in the entire nation now. KALW has a huge amount of local programming that deserves to be heard on the radio on the other side of the Berkeley hills. And Capitol serves the Sacramento/San Joaquin Valleys which can kind of claim the Diablo Valley as a part, so all are very worthwhile candidates.
 
DavidKaye said:
I think KQED or KALW or Capitol Public Radio should buy KVHS. All 3 operations suffer reception problems in the Diablo Valley. KQED is the most-listened to pubcaster in the entire nation now. KALW has a huge amount of local programming that deserves to be heard on the radio on the other side of the Berkeley hills. And Capitol serves the Sacramento/San Joaquin Valleys which can kind of claim the Diablo Valley as a part, so all are very worthwhile candidates.
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I live and do most of my daily driving east of the hills, and both stations are spotty (even within my house, depending on the radio, the room, time of day, sunspots, and...who knows?), so I would like better reception. But, I've solved that problem at home by going to an internet radio and internet tuners hooked up to my two stereos. Which makes me wonder whether the purchase of additional frequencies or repeaters is even worth it at this point, given the proliferation of internet-based listening at home and on the road via phone-based (Pandora, station-specific phone aps, etc.) internet access. It would seem to be a tricky investment justification for a station, with the returns diminishing at an ever-increasing rate.
 
TomJF said:
Which makes me wonder whether the purchase of additional frequencies or repeaters is even worth it at this point,
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Purchase and maintenance of KVHS by KQED or KALW would be a trivial expense. KQED already owns and remotely controls a full service station, KQEI, as well as a lot of translators in places like Santa Rosa, Martinez, etc. This is different from running a station from scratch.
 
I think the best company for this frequency would be KDFC. Try to listen to KDFC along the Diablo Valley. You cannot hear the station at all on 90.3, and 89.9 FM is very weak. Also you cannot hear KDFC around the Tri-Valley area because of the religious station KYCC is on 90.3 and 90.1 drowning out KDFC 90.3 signal.
 
e-dawg said:
I think the best company for this frequency would be KDFC. Try to listen to KDFC along the Diablo Valley. You cannot hear the station at all on 90.3, and 89.9 FM is very weak. Also you cannot hear KDFC around the Tri-Valley area because of the religious station KYCC is on 90.3 and 90.1 drowning out KDFC 90.3 signal.
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This is surprising because 89.9 in Angwin (the old KANG, now KDFC) has a spectacular signal, probably THE BEST rimshot transmitter site ever! I'm astounded at its coverage. I easily heard it in Lagunitas near the Marin coast, I've heard it in Half Moon Bay where the hills are supposed to block it out. I've heard it all over creation where the supposedly superior signal from 90.3 (the old KUSF) is spotty. Heck, for the most part, KDFC Angwin comes in better than 104.9 in a lot of areas, which just simply shouldn't be!
 
I haven't undertaken anything close to a scientific study, but on a number of occasions driving around the Walnut Creek/Concord/Pleasant Hill area, I've found Capitol Pub Radio's classical 88.9 comes in better than KDFC 89.9. (In fact when KDFC first got that frequency I tried to tune in and --- not remembering the exact frequency--- thought I had landed on KDFC until the KXPR's station ID came on.)
 
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