Request for Harlingen's KMBH records blocked

[Cornflake the Destroyer]

Roman Catholic founded, PBS affiliate also funded by CPB, KMBH owners RGV Educational Broadcasting Inc. denies access to financial records without Reporter giving up confidential sources...hmmmm....


http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/smith_13078___article.html/station_kmbh.html

 

[noborderwall]

hmmm indeed. Talk about digging your grave even deeper.

 

[txnewsboy]

Article published about developments at KMBH

http://current.org/pb/pb0905riogrande.shtml

 

[fredcantu]

FM spectrum is tight in the Valley because it shares it with Mexico.
Perhaps the new group could buy a block of time from one of the many brokered time stations on the US side.
It would be a start.

 

[mmnassour]

Briseño doubts the Valley could afford another station. KMBH’s 12 years on the air “have demonstrated that the public of the Valley is ready to support just one public radio station,” he said. “Demographic, cultural and economic analysis fully supports this assertion.”

Actually, if you look a the finances, you'll find the RGV is ready to support exactly zero PBS/NPR stations. The diocese has propped these operations up for years, after the former licensee for channel 60 (KZLN) folded back in the early 80s. It's just something about the RGV and PBS/NPR...they just don't go together.

While I'm grateful to the Diocese of Brownsville for keeping the stations on the air, they've been run like a personal fiefdom. If you're receiving tax money, you can't operate that way.

That being said, the fact that the Valley Morning Star would be denied anything by the diocese is unsurprising. There's bad blood there that goes back years, even beyond what was said in the article.

 

[txnewsboy]

NPR style public radio will work in the RGV.
If the station's costs are controled by linking with an outfit like Texas Public Radio which is mentioned in the article.
And if you pick a format and sticking with it - like NPR talk.
KMBH now airs NPR, Classical, bad jazz, classic acid rock, 50's swing and religious programming within a 24 hour period.
You'll never grow an audience with that mess.
Also there is a ton of federal grant money available to broadcast to a market with the demographics of the Valley.
Public Radio doesn't have commercials - but they have corporate underwriting, membership pledges and grants.
But it takes people who know the system to make it work - and KMBH obviously doesn't know the system.