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The Atlantic: Rebirth of Local Radio (LPFM)?

charles hobbs said:
"The Internet is good at a lot of things, but it hasn't met a lot of people's needs for local," says Brandy Doyle, policy director for the LPFM advocacy group Prometheus Radio Project.* "The community radio station connects them to the place they live."

[...]

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/ar...not-internet-might-be-future-local-news/3479/
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However, most LPFMs seem to be Bible-thumpers, some of them satellite-fed. A lot of the rest are doing oldies, adult standards and easy listening and may do some public affairs, but I don't think have active news shops. Very few LPFMs are Prometheus' ideal of "Democracy Now!" and DJ-programmed protest ballads and punk rock.

And let it be pointed out that Chicago's Internet station hoping for a LPFM license CHIRP, mentioned in the article, does not have a news department or even any kind of public affairs programming outside of some arts programs.
 
That is the enigma-characteristic of the LPFM concept.

For those of us who have had some kind of attachment to the industry, getting an LPFM built is "a piece of cake". Getting the financial details worked out can be a challenge but the total cash needed is not outrageous.

If you are not interested in being a religious outlet, and not interested in being someone's dream of the ideal iPod-with-antenna, then you bump into the great big challenge that is sitting there, blocking the road.

How do you define in detail what this programming is going to be, and how do you corral the volunteers who all show up at the door with their own little vision of what that station should do... and I assume most of them when questioned have a great idea of what their first once-a-week program is going to be, but haven't the faintest idea what they would follow-up with on week two, week three, etc.
 
Come to think of it... I'm not sure some of the people who are the central-drivers in a particular LPFM station have any idea what THEY are going to do in week two, week three, etc.
 
LPFM operators are faced with the same problem any broadcaster or content provider is faced with: How to pay for it. That was a subject that seemed to be ignored by the Atlantic article. There are a lot of people with idealism and a desire to broadcast. Far fewer who can (1) Deal with the legal and technical issues of starting and running a licensed radio station, and (2) Have a way to cover the costs.

The first problem is that these stations are low power. So that limits the number of people who can hear them. The second problem is they're non-commercial. So that limits the ways to fund them.

As anyone can see from Facebook, Twitter, and this discussion board, there is a limitless number of people who are willing to create content for free. That's easy when the only cost is time, and it can be done in one's spare time. But running a station is a job, and if you're the licensee, there are more responsibilities than being a webmaster. So the quality and the amount of localism falls on the benevolence of the licensee. There are thousands of higher powered licensees who are struggling to find sources of revenue, regardless of content. Prospective LPFM licensees will have the same problem.
 
TheBigA said:
There are thousands of higher powered licensees who are struggling to find sources of revenue, regardless of content. Prospective LPFM licensees will have the same problem.
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They certainly do. It is amazing how many of the enthusiastic volunteers drop off after a few weeks or months. It seems the realities of their lives interfere with the ambitions of those folks who have the best of intentions. With all respect to Prometheus, I don't think they have an accurate view of the way broadcasting works or how the average non-profit organization has to operate. It is incredibly difficult to keep an all volunteer group working in a positive direction. Sure, it can be done, but it is the exception, rather than the rule.

Been there, done that...
 
Chuck said:
With all respect to Prometheus, I don't think they have an accurate view of the way broadcasting works or how the average non-profit organization has to operate.
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Well, Prometheus is a non-profit too. But this is a mission for them. And they assume radio is a mission for those who do it. That's the mentality it takes to succeed, because you don't do it for the money, that's for sure. This article really focused on the romance and ignored the practicality. Wrong approach to take if you're considering actually spending time and money on an LPFM.
 
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