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Pacifica's Financial Crisis Claims "Free Speech Radio News"

J

Joseph_Gallant

The continuing deep financial crisis at Pacifica radio has claimed another victim: "Free Speech Radio News", a "progressive" (conservatives would consider it "leftist", "socialist", or even "communist") news program largely funded by Pacifica, is going off the air due to running out of funds.

The final broadcast is scheduled for next Friday (September 27th).

According to an article on Current.org (http://www.current.org/2013/09/paci...-free-speech-radio-news-to-shutter-production), the program is owned $200,000 in back payments, only has $32,000 in the bank, and that shutting the program down will eat nearly all of that amount.

While it airs on all five Pacifica stations, who also provide most of the content, it also airs on about 95 other noncommercial stations (including WMBR-88.1 here in the Boston area, where it airs weekdays at 5:30 P.M.), many of which probably don't carry much (if any) other news programming. In the case of some stations, "FSRN", despite what some believe is a far-left point of view, may well be the only national news programming they have access to.
 
I would wonder if Amy Goodman might now be considering doing an afternoon drive edition of "Democracy Now!"--if not for the fact that she depends on Pacifica funding, too (but she's on a lot more stations than FSRN was--on the other hand, I believe she only charges NPR/PBS members and commercial stations that carry her show, so who knows).
 
Here's how it works in the commercial world: The radio stations provide the signal, and in exchange get the content for free. The program provider sells the audience to sponsors, who pay for the programming. Given the financial problems at Pacifica, perhaps these folks should look into that approach. If they have an audience, it should be easy to get outside funding. Democracy Now gets some foundation money in addition to direct donations from listeners. Perhaps Free Speech needs to do the same. Maybe even collaborate with similar organizations. There's a deal to be had if you will just work together.
 
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