LPFM is even more important now

[TheBigA]

That's where the bias is exposed in what they don't cover

It sounds like a lot of the same criticism I hear about music radio stations that don't play certain artists. Why doesn't country radio play Tyler Childers or Zach Bryan. If they did, they might attract a bigger audience or a different audience than the ones who listen now. We hear it about alternative radio that plays too much classic alt and not enough of the current artists. Classic hits stations that play the same songs rather than playing more deep cuts. Then when bad things happen to those stations, such as their owners go bankrupt or the station is sold to K-Love, those who were critical gloat that it shows they were right, and if radio had only listened, none of this would have happened.

This is where LPFM was supposed to solve all those problems, and put radio in the hands of more people.

 

[davideduardo]

I don't consider NPR News to be liberal nor conservative. The indepth features seem to favor the Democrat mindset a bit more than the Republican mindset (neither extreme). I notice the same in other media such as indepth TV programs.

That is a good perspective, and one I have heard many times. But there are a variety of perspectives... and that is why the government should not be involved in aiding, abetting or owning or financing or supporting or.... any radio or TV service or provider.

One thing I have always seen in commercial radio is programming geared to the masses. Commercial radio does not program conservative talk because of the political views of the owners but rather because it is financially viable.

Please explain that to those that are now suggesting that Howard Stern may not be renewed for political reasons. Or why a certain late night show that lost $40 million a year consistently was cancelled.

Remember, before his death, Rush Limbaugh was being cancelled on some major stations such as KFI or moved to lesser facilities or to different owner groups. It was about the declining ratings and the feeling that the show was not very entertaining any longer.

Lots of people think otherwise. Public radio's talk/news side does not run programming that makes their audience tune away but rather brings in the listener (and donations).

This is an example of my much-repeated personal story of how different journalists will witness the same story and take sometimes radically different approaches in their report.

 

[davideduardo]

It sounds like a lot of the same criticism I hear about music radio stations that don't play certain artists. Why doesn't country radio play Tyler Childers or Zach Bryan. If they did, they might attract a bigger audience or a different audience than the ones who listen now.

Agree. This is where music tests show some songs to be polarizing, with both significant "dislike" and "like" groups. Some songs just could not be played based on any particular station's core target and existing user base.

We hear it about alternative radio that plays too much classic alt and not enough of the current artists.

This is another of our unusual agreements! I've been involved in several alternative rock music tests in the past and we always found that there were a number of subsets of listeners who only shared some "like" or "love" scores with each other. Otherwise, there were deep style and age groups that really wanted different stations; this is why many go to streams to "build their own".

Classic hits stations that play the same songs rather than playing more deep cuts.

Agree once again. Usually the answer is simply based on test scores against the station heavier user base, but sometimes the reason for not playing a song is that it has a significant "dislike" and "hate" or even "burn" score.

Then when bad things happen to those stations, such as their owners go bankrupt or the station is sold to K-Love, those who were critical gloat that it shows they were right, and if radio had only listened, none of this would have happened.

If you are not using the ouija board, please pass it over to me. I need to ask "the force" why that is!

This is where LPFM was supposed to solve all those problems, and put radio in the hands of more people.

Except that the coverage is so limited, within a service area there is likely to be very few people for a niche format. But streaming options offer infinite choices at the personal level.

 

[TheBigA]

Agree. This is where music tests show some songs to be polarizing, with both significant "dislike" and "like" groups. Some songs just could not be played based on any particular station's core target and existing user base.

The point of my post is the same view applies to public radio. Replace songs with news. The news is polarizing, just as certain songs are polarizing. There is no radio format that gets a 100 share. No music format that appeals to everyone.

 

[Mike Stark]

I'll just add to my post that drifted into news bias with KLBP's latest fund raising campaign which involves adding news (no "beg-a-thons on our station). We're asking 100 listeners to give $100 for funds to rebuild our studio and add a newsroom. We are currently working with the non-profit news organization in Long Beach - the Long Beach Post - to add news to our mix - along with assistance from journalism interns at both CSULB and Long Beach City College. Will we be bias? Probably, but we'll be what our community in Long Beach and surrounding areas reflect. Our goal - again - is to leave the "circus" news of the state and national levels to MSM and focus on our coverage area of Long Beach, Wilmington and San Pedro. Our focus will be on local "storytelling". These are all small steps - like the ones we've taken over the last year - but so far our progress in raising money and listeners has continued to progress upward. Here's an ad for our current fundraising campaign. Anyone who wants to join us for a harbor cruise, dinner, some wine and light entertainment is welcome to join us, but beware, if you are a radio person we might try and recruit you!!!! Join us. I never thought retirement could be so much fun doing what I've done all my life - on my terms.

 

[cc333]

I don't drink, but if I were in Long Beach, I might actually be tempted to do that!

In this hypothetical, if they tried recruiting me, fine! I wouldn't mind!

c

 

[radiofan2023]

I'll just add to my post that drifted into news bias with KLBP's latest fund raising campaign which involves adding news (no "beg-a-thons on our station). We're asking 100 listeners to give $100 for funds to rebuild our studio and add a newsroom. We are currently working with the non-profit news organization in Long Beach - the Long Beach Post - to add news to our mix - along with assistance from journalism interns at both CSULB and Long Beach City College. Will we be bias? Probably, but we'll be what our community in Long Beach and surrounding areas reflect. Our goal - again - is to leave the "circus" news of the state and national levels to MSM and focus on our coverage area of Long Beach, Wilmington and San Pedro. Our focus will be on local "storytelling". These are all small steps - like the ones we've taken over the last year - but so far our progress in raising money and listeners has continued to progress upward.

You should try to get Chris Little or some of the other people who were let go from KFI's news dept last year involved. Good luck

 

[Mike Stark]

You should try to get Chris Little or some of the other people who were let go from KFI's news dept last year involved. Good luck

How awesome would that be? Nice for a bucket list, for sure.

I'm finding that a lot of those who have "retired" or have been let go are just tired, beat up and even fed up with radio, having lived through it's configuration over the last few years. Some still want to be paid. I get that, as well. The last thing they are thinking about is diving back into it after what they've likely experienced in their closing days in the medium. And for no money.

I do find that if someone really loved the medium, with a little time, they MIGHT be able to be coaxed back for the satisfaction and the creativity of "doing radio" again. So when talking one on one with former broadcast vets I try to do a soft sell on joining us and hope that down the line we can tap into their talents. Our door is always very open to ANY kind of participation from broadcast pros, even if it's just mentoring some of our young broadcaster.

Mike

 

[ted chittenden]

K.M. Richards hinted at this in one of his earlier posts (when he talked about your station and KBUU-LP being good examples of LPFM radio stations actually serving their communities). The LPFM idea really didn't get full Congressional support back in 2002 (and again in 2014 when station placement requirements were changed) until it got the backing of some religious organizations. Since then, I've noticed that many LPFM outlets, particularly in so-called "red" states are parts of religious networks and spend little, if any time, working on local community issues. There are at least three evangelical Protestant religious groups that have large LPFM networks (3ABN, LifeTalk, and Radio74) plus a couple of smaller Roman Catholic outfits (Relevant Radio and a group wholly based in Nebraska whose name I can't remember now).

The reason I bring all of this up is that with the LPFM window reopening in 2023 (and still going on), I've noticed an upsurge of new religious network-affiliated stations as opposed to community stations. Most of the new LPFM outlets coming on air were approved by the Biden Administration before it left office. However, I have seen that the Trump administration has approved several new LPFM outlets since coming into office. What I want to know (and maybe @Michi has the answer to this question) is: Are the only LPFM outlets the current Administration is approving owned, or are linked to, religious organizations? And I give a big "thank you" in advance to anyone (including @Michi) who knows the answer to that question.

 

[b-turner]

First, the window close in 2023. Some of the applicants that are MXed are still being decided. The answer is NO the only applicants being approved are to religious groups since Trump took office. I'm not sure how one could come around to thinking that way. The fact is most applicants are ministries. It was that way in every LPFM window with local churches filing for stations and typically oping for EWTN, one of the 7h Day Adventist or Calvary Chapel programming. Typically they are an internet feed, sometimes customized.

 

[K.M. Richards]

LPFMs are, by their very definition, supposed to be community-based, locally programmed stations. Even if the licensee is a local religious group, plugging into one of the networks for most or all of the day is a violation of that.

Now, taking my favorite example of LPFM done right, even though KBUU-LP does run automated music much of the time, it's locally programmed. (I know this because I know Hans.)

I respect Hans. I do not respect these local churches operating nothing more than translators for a network. If that's what they wanted to do, they should have applied for translators and not LPFMs.

 

[b-turner]

The FCC is fine with a Catholic Church running a station running EWTN 24/7, for example, because that programming is geared toward serving the Cathlics hat are in that parish. The church needs a primary signal to have a translator. Some do a few hours of local programming a week.

 

[K.M. Richards]

The FCC is fine with a Catholic Church running a station running EWTN 24/7, for example, because that programming is geared toward serving the Cathlics hat are in that parish. The church needs a primary signal to have a translator. Some do a few hours of local programming a week.

Actually, where a translator (FM or TV) is retransmitting a non-profit, the audio can be fed by means other than OTA. All they would have to do is specify some full-power 24/7 EWTN station as the primary and the network satellite feed can be used.

Jim Bakker gamed the system in precisely that way back in 1977 when he purchased a failing UHF station in Canton OH, put PTL on it, and then had groups around the country file for translators of that station that were multiple states away.

History of UHF Television

uhfhistory.com

 

[ted chittenden]

First, the window close in 2023. Some of the applicants that are MXed are still being decided. The answer is NO the only applicants being approved are to religious groups since Trump took office. I'm not sure how one could come around to thinking that way. The fact is most applicants are ministries. It was that way in every LPFM window with local churches filing for stations and typically oping for EWTN, one of the 7h Day Adventist or Calvary Chapel programming. Typically they are an internet feed, sometimes customized.

You're not sure how one could come to thinking that way? President Trump has stated publicly several times since returning to office (and taken direct actions in areas outside of the coverage of this Board) that he intends that each and every member of his administration follow his orders and be absolutely loyal to him, no matter what U.S. law or the U.S. Constitution might require. So yes! I most definitely believe my question to be worth asking and prima facially legitimate.

 

[davideduardo]

You're not sure how one could come to thinking that way? President Trump has stated publicly several times since returning to office (and taken direct actions in areas outside of the coverage of this Board) that he intends that each and every member of his administration follow his orders and be absolutely loyal to him

Gee, just like I required at all the stations I owned or managed over the years!