Meanwhile, on the other side of the political spectrum...

[radiocph]

"During an average 15-minute period, just 700 people listen to its Los Angeles station, 90.7 FM KPFK, for at least five minutes, according to Nielsen Audio, which monitors radio ratings.

For L.A.'s other public radio stations, KCRW and KPCC, that number is 8,000 and 20,000, respectively. KPFK draws roughly one one-thousandth of all radio listeners in the Metro Los Angeles area."

[...]

http://www.laweekly.com/2014-03-20/news/left-wing-darling-pacifica-radio-is-sliding-into-the-abyss/

 

[Bongwater]

Pacifica has turned into a parody of itself. It's a shame. But by the same token, the author seems to presume that it's entirely a "left" problem. If that were the case, then MSNBC, Free Speech TV and nearly every community and independent public radio station would be in the same boat and most, to varying degrees, are successful. I consider NPR to be a moderate middle. Most programming on NPR isn't even political at all.

It's an organizational problem; Too many boards, too many people wanting a generous size slice of a Hostess sized fruit pie. Which is another problem, Pacifica is not even left at all, but completely anarchistic. To the point they've alienated most progressives.

Pacifica was once a respected and challenging public radio network and content provider and as I posted on the WBAI thread, it's something we need now more than ever. But looking at the disaster Pacifica has become, that network probably won't be Pacifica. Even the very name Pacifica has been irrevocably tainted in the minds of progressive radio listeners as a dysfunctional insane asylum of incompetence and internal corruption.

 

[TheBigA]

Pacifica has turned into a parody of itself.

Exactly...They are to the left what Harold Camping is to the right.

 

[Art Landing]

I had to look up (the late) Harold Camping to even find out who he was. Now, having read what Wikipedia has to say, I have to agree. Whether you concur with the agenda of either the progressives or the tea party both Pacifica or Harold Camping are embarassments.

The former has become a radio reflection of the Occupy Wall Street extremists while the latter accomplished nothing more than adding his name to the list of false prophets, discredited even in the evangelical community.

Result? Low information citizens are given even more reason to go on being mesmerized by music and entertainment rather than becoming informed and developing fact-based positions. The question from the standpoint of this Board is significant: is it worthwhile for both camps to advocate countering his trend by sacrificing the profits from deregulation via reinstituting the old rules on public service broadcasting and equal time? I would instinctively argue yes except or one fact: radio isn't the only show in town. Instead of listening many today would simply turn to other media.

 

[TheBigA]

The question from the standpoint of this Board is significant: is it worthwhile for both camps to advocate countering his trend by sacrificing the profits from deregulation via reinstituting the old rules on public service broadcasting and equal time?

Keep in mind that neither Pacifica nor Camping benefited at all from deregulation. They are examples of what you'd have if the old rules were returned. You can't force people to lose money. You can't regulate companies to do the right thing. Have you ever run a red light or stretched the rules on your taxes? That's exactly what these companies do. If you remove the profit motive, what replaces it is the agenda motive. Thus Pacifica and Camping.

 

[davideduardo]

"During an average 15-minute period, just 700 people listen to its Los Angeles station, 90.7 FM KPFK, for at least five minutes, according to Nielsen Audio, which monitors radio ratings.

As usual, print does not understand ratings and muddles most anything they do in that area.

The most recent book shows KPFK averaging (AQH persons) 1,300 persons 12+ from Monday to Friday, 6 AM to Midnight. It's weekly cume reach is 130,000.

That's good for 47th in a market where 54 stations made the book. It is in a virtual tie with KLAA and Tijuana's XEWW.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

As usual, print does not understand ratings and muddles most anything they do in that area.

The most recent book shows KPFK averaging (AQH persons) 1,300 persons 12+ from Monday to Friday, 6 AM to Midnight. It's weekly cume reach is 130,000.

That's good for 47th in a market where 54 stations made the book. It is in a virtual tie with KLAA and Tijuana's XEWW.

Thanks for clearing that up. They are definitely at whole different strata of success than the story gave them credit for. David, you often talk about the correlation between signal and ratings, particularly when stations like KABC are of topic, could you please relate KPFK's signal strength to its level of success under any worthwhile criteria?

 

[davideduardo]

Thanks for clearing that up. They are definitely at whole different strata of success than the story gave them credit for. David, you often talk about the correlation between signal and ratings, particularly when stations like KABC are of topic, could you please relate KPFK's signal strength to its level of success under any worthwhile criteria?

KPFK has, as several posters have mentioned, gone from the liberal left to disorganized anarchy. It's shows have no coherence or cohesiveness. They go from some Spanish stuff where they recommend offing the elected officials of Honduras to such narrow perspectives on social issues that no program becomes an appointment or destination for anyone. We don't listen to hour and half hour shows... we listen to morning shows, midday shows and such.

KPFK has a good signal (although for years the dreadful 14 bay FM antenna made for agonizing nulls and multipath) but unappealing programming. At some point, they lost contact with mainstream progressive and liberal thought and became, simply, odd. And like a dysfunctional family, they had no leadership to steer the ship to where the station could prosper.

It's not that I disagree with KPFK's politics... I actually feel sad that they "lost it" and never recovered.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

KPFK has, as several posters have mentioned, gone from the liberal left to disorganized anarchy. It's shows have no coherence or cohesiveness. They go from some Spanish stuff where they recommend offing the elected officials of Honduras to such narrow perspectives on social issues that no program becomes an appointment or destination for anyone. We don't listen to hour and half hour shows... we listen to morning shows, midday shows and such.

KPFK has a good signal (although for years the dreadful 14 bay FM antenna made for agonizing nulls and multipath) but unappealing programming. At some point, they lost contact with mainstream progressive and liberal thought and became, simply, odd. And like a dysfunctional family, they had no leadership to steer the ship to where the station could prosper.

It's not that I disagree with KPFK's politics... I actually feel sad that they "lost it" and never recovered.

Way to answer the question while ignoring the elephant in the room. The Pacifica network and KPFK in general have for many years, not just the last few, been a case study in extreme left-wing buffoonery on a blow-torch of an FM signal. A station playing "Muskrat Love" on a continuous loop could generate the pathetic listenership numbers this station generates given their strong and clear FM signal. (As a bonus, the station would be more interesting). The point is, they are truly wasting a valuable public asset in a way that should violate the terms of their license. The station with such a great signal could be used for some actual public good instead of fomenting anarchy whenever and wherever they can. Wasn't that the point of this spectrum of the dial?

OK, taking off my editorial hat and putting on my serious student hat, I thought a station had to subscribe to Nielson to get rated? Are they paying for these ratings, or are public radio stations just included anyway?

 

[radiocph]

Pacifica may be anti-corporate, but radio, for-profit or non-, is still a business and needs to be run like one. Else it will fail.

Back in the day, Pacifica was an important outlet for not only the left, but for other groups (ethnic, gay, etc.) that had no other media outlet. Of course this has changed a bit with the Internet, HD radio, etc.

Most non-radical liberals probably listen to NPR or MSNBC, leaving Pacifica to the aging Marxists, a few specialty programs, and (increasingly) the conspiracy theory, "9-11 Truth" stuff. But most importantly, show hosts are reluctant to give up their timeslots, even if "they've stepped in the stream but the water has moved on." (i.e. no one's listening anymore)

 

[TheBigA]

Pacifica may be anti-corporate, but radio, for-profit or non-, is still a business and needs to be run like one. Else it will fail.

The problem with anarchy is that no one is in charge. When no one is in charge, nothing gets done. That's why anarchy never succeeds. You need someone to lead and guide the screaming troops to the other side of the river. The problem with anarchists is they refuse to be led. So this is a really bad problem they've gotten themselves into. It's been going on for a long time too. It's just that more recently, the cash has been running out.