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Why Give to Public Radio?

R

radio_is_dead

The ONLY time I ever (used to) listen to terrestrial radio was to the classical music stations and NPR...to help me go to sleep without being waked by commercials every 5 minutes. A couple times a year these eggheads (used to) ruin a good night's sleep by begging me for money. Until I got satellite radio and an iPod. Why should I give these fools donations when for the same price ($150 per year) I can get THREE classical channels, THREE or more jazz station, all the news I want (INCLUDING NPR shows like All Things Considered and Talk of the Nation) plus get like 150 other channels UNCENSORED AND WITHOUT COMMERCIALS!!! Local news you say? I'll go to buffalonews.com thank you. Thats where all these radio eggheads steal there stories from anyway. Are there ANY true radio journalists?

Those of you defending free radio probably donate to public radio, and I bet you hear more commercials and propaganda on your fuzzy FM / AM signals than I do with my crystal clear nationwide satellite receiver. I just have more to show for my money than you do (160+ to your one or two). And now I sleep like a baby.

So why should you give money to these people? So can line their own pockets and pay the rent for another few months while pumping out the same satellite fed stuff you can get with XM or Sirius?

Free / public radio. ZzzZZzz. They said the wheel wouldnt last either. And that nobody would pay for television either. Fools.
 
Why bother posting here?

Why do you bother to post here if you don't listen to "terrestrial" radio and you're convinced "radio is dead"?

Some of us prefer live and local radio to having the bird flip us canned spam, and charging us extra for the privilege.
 
Congratulations on your purchase of and subscription fees to corporate satellite radio broadcasting. We hope the true lack of audio processing, lack of any local content, and rebuffering every time you go under a bridge or big tree makes you a satisfied listener. We can only hope that you will still be a happy customer after the satellite broadcasters start selling ad time on your favorite channels. And like those of us who 'pay for television', we hope you'll stay a dedicated customer after your rates start climbing every other year (and sleeping better, knowing full-well that your subscription fees are not going toward "lining somebody's pockets". After all, that would never happen in the corporate world!). And to insure that your service is not interrupted, please have your check in the mail at least 5 days before the listed due date.

Happy Listening! ;)

PS: Exactly who said "the wheel wouldn't last"?







> The ONLY time I ever (used to) listen to terrestrial radio
> was to the classical music stations and NPR...to help me go
> to sleep without being waked by commercials every 5 minutes.
> A couple times a year these eggheads (used to) ruin a good
> night's sleep by begging me for money. Until I got
> satellite radio and an iPod. Why should I give these fools
> donations when for the same price ($150 per year) I can get
> THREE classical channels, THREE or more jazz station, all
> the news I want (INCLUDING NPR shows like All Things
> Considered and Talk of the Nation) plus get like 150 other
> channels UNCENSORED AND WITHOUT COMMERCIALS!!! Local news
> you say? I'll go to buffalonews.com thank you. Thats where
> all these radio eggheads steal there stories from anyway.
> Are there ANY true radio journalists?
>
> Those of you defending free radio probably donate to public
> radio, and I bet you hear more commercials and propaganda on
> your fuzzy FM / AM signals than I do with my crystal clear
> nationwide satellite receiver. I just have more to show for
> my money than you do (160+ to your one or two). And now I
> sleep like a baby.
>
> So why should you give money to these people? So can line
> their own pockets and pay the rent for another few months
> while pumping out the same satellite fed stuff you can get
> with XM or Sirius?
>
> Free / public radio. ZzzZZzz. They said the wheel wouldnt
> last either. And that nobody would pay for television
> either. Fools.
>
 
Best damn response I've read on here in a LONG time.
Besides I'm willing to bet that this radio-is-dead individual will be the first person to cry in his beer when his monthly satellite rates starts going up and advertisments start appearing on channels that are currently commercial free. Apparently this boy wasn't around when cable TV first appeared on the scene. Remember their promises?




> Congratulations on your purchase of and subscription fees to
> corporate satellite radio broadcasting. We hope the true
> lack of audio processing, lack of any local content, and
> rebuffering every time you go under a bridge or big tree
> makes you a satisfied listener. We can only hope that you
> will still be a happy customer after the satellite
> broadcasters start selling ad time on your favorite
> channels. And like those of us who 'pay for television', we
> hope you'll stay a dedicated customer after your rates start
> climbing every other year (and sleeping better, knowing
> full-well that your subscription fees are not going toward
> "lining somebody's pockets". After all, that would never
> happen in the corporate world!). And to insure that your
> service is not interrupted, please have your check in the
> mail at least 5 days before the listed due date.
>
> Happy Listening! ;)
>
> PS: Exactly who said "the wheel wouldn't last"?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
<P ID="signature">______________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them".</P>
 
Instead of posting here, why not start your own board? You can title it "Anyone who doesn't agree with me is an idiot!" Charge them $12.95 per month to post their comments.
 
> Free / public radio. ZzzZZzz. They said the wheel wouldnt
> last either. And that nobody would pay for television
> either. Fools.
>

To play devil's advocate vs. those who pooh pooh this gentleman, radio had better wake up to the competition. Public radio is going to face competition in the future not only from satellite, but from broadband when WiFi is ubiquitous, from HD secondary audio -- commercial stations are broadcasting non-commercial type programming in many markets -- and like all technology, the cost will plummet for HD radios when the volume hits the tipping point. And of course, the iPod.

Sure, terrestrial radio is local, but once the weather, the traffic, or the news is done, do I need local programming? Does it matter to me if a guy on State Street or a guy on 6th Avenue in NYC tells me it's a Bach Concerto? Do I need to hear a guy in Greece tell me it's Miles Davis, or can Russ Davis tell me live from the XM studios at Jazz at Lincoln Center?

GM and Ford laughed at the first Toyotas and Hondas, but the insurgents had the last laugh.

I'm on the side of terrestrial radio, but sneering at new technology didn't keep the buggy whip factories in business.
 
> To play devil's advocate vs. those who pooh pooh this
> gentleman, radio had better wake up to the competition.
> Sure, terrestrial radio is local, but once the weather, the
> traffic, or the news is done, do I need local programming?

When Rush Limbaugh devotes an hour to the Fast Ferry or the mayor's race or the Erie County budget meltdown or the collapse of the Western NY economy, and opens his lines to give you a chance to talk to (and grill) people who could make a difference to your life locally, then you'll have a point.

Until that day happens (which will be the day snowballs freeze in hell), you need local radio.
 
Andrew, you just hit a 500-foot home run over the center field bleachers, so to speak...

Meanwhile, allow me to answer one of "dead's" questions:

> > Are there ANY true radio journalists?

Let's see, in Buffalo we have, just to name a few: Mark Scott, Mark Leitner, Eileen Buckley, Mike Desmond, Barbara Burns...

You'd know them, too, if only you could get them on your satellite service.
 
> The ONLY time I ever (used to) listen to terrestrial radio
> was to the classical music stations and NPR...to help me go
> to sleep without being waked by commercials every 5 minutes.
> A couple times a year these eggheads (used to) ruin a good
> night's sleep by begging me for money. Until I got
> satellite radio and an iPod. Why should I give these fools
> donations when for the same price ($150 per year) I can get
> THREE classical channels, THREE or more jazz station, all
> the news I want (INCLUDING NPR shows like All Things
> Considered and Talk of the Nation) plus get like 150 other
> channels UNCENSORED AND WITHOUT COMMERCIALS!!! Local news
> you say? I'll go to buffalonews.com thank you. Thats where
> all these radio eggheads steal there stories from anyway.
> Are there ANY true radio journalists?

A:
Radio is not dead
B:
If your sleep is being ruined by someone "begging" for money, it must be those voices in your head....the local public classical radio station does not fundraise during the overnight hours.
C:
If you prefer sat. radio....good for you. I happen to subscribe to Sirius and have had far more reception issues with them than I ever suffered through with AM or FM radio stations.
D:
If you think for one minute that Mel Karmazin is going to let you listen to anything that he is in charge of without commercials for very long....stop smoking that stuff you are smoking immediately.
E:
Why is it that certain people who contribute to this board find it useful to insult others who choose simply to listen to radio programming through a different reciever than they do. Is your life really that small?

P.S. A basic public radio annual pledge is $35-$40.


> Those of you defending free radio probably donate to public
> radio, and I bet you hear more commercials and propaganda on
> your fuzzy FM / AM signals than I do with my crystal clear
> nationwide satellite receiver. I just have more to show for
> my money than you do (160+ to your one or two). And now I
> sleep like a baby.

There's no such thing as free radio. And I find it hard to believe that you have , or ever will spend time listening to "160+" program streams. If you have that kind of time on your hands, you might try spending a few minutes looking for a job.


> So why should you give money to these people? So can line
> their own pockets and pay the rent for another few months
> while pumping out the same satellite fed stuff you can get
> with XM or Sirius?

I can assure you that no one you hear on local public radio has anything lining their pocket but lint.


> Free / public radio. ZzzZZzz. They said the wheel wouldnt
> last either. And that nobody would pay for television
> either. Fools.

Please seek anger management treatment as soon as possible!
 
>
> When Rush Limbaugh devotes an hour to the Fast Ferry or the
> mayor's race or the Erie County budget meltdown or the
> collapse of the Western NY economy, and opens his lines to
> give you a chance to talk to (and grill) people who could
> make a difference to your life locally, then you'll have a
> point.
>
> Until that day happens (which will be the day snowballs
> freeze in hell), you need local radio.
>

When I want music, I don't need local radio. And indeed there will be a need for local radio for in-depth public affairs and news, but that's a fraction of the listener base.

How many hours on your station are actually local? Dropins during NPR drive time shows, your daily two hours and its repeat, a handful of other programs and not a whole lot else. Your station abandoned local overnights for the BBC. Aren't those 120 hours or more a week of non-local programming on your station part of the problem? Heck, even WHAM has more local programming than your station.

Other than traffic and weather, haven't most of the rest of the stations in the market already abandoned what makes them local and doesn't satellite do a better job and offer more options for those formats?

Unless you really ARE local, you're playing right into the hands of the satellite broadcasters, internet broadcasting, podcasting, and iPods.
 
Hey, Al. My first reaction after reading this jerk's post was to ignore it. But after hearing from you, I thought I'd weigh in. Obviously, this person has some serious issues. I would agree counseling is in order. But I must say he has his facts wrong. He ain't listening to All Things Considered on Sirius. That show, along with Morning Edition, can only be heard on public radio stations. And I find his comment that we steal news from the Buffalo News particularly insulting. My team at WBFO and Jim Ranney's great group at WNED-AM work hard at developing our own stories. We even break a story or two! Sure, both stations will rewrite a couple of stories from the "News" on occasion, but we ALWAYS credit the paper for what we use. You gotta have a "thick skin" in this business. But I won't tolerate unfair shots at our respective hard-working news teams. I share the thoughts of others who urge this guy to just go away if he hates our business so much. He's adding nothing to what is usually a reasoned discussion of industry issues on this board.
 
Re: Why? Why Not!

> Fools.

There's not much more to be added to the already profound defense of NPR and public radio within this thread. Having long ago gone on record on these boards as an advocate of public radio, this particular "fool" would prefer sending his meager contribution to the stations that air NPR than to those who control and profit mightily from their service to Sirius and/or XM satellite radio.

Contributing to NPR and NPR stations yields a greater return on investment.

Having been (yes, past tense) an XM subscriber for a few years, I'm well aware of the programming choices, yet I found myself reverting to local, terrestrial AM & FM radio, public and commercial, as sources of information and entertainment at home, work and in my car.

With perhaps Pacifica being the extreme exception, nowhere else will you find the detailed, diverse news and feature programming offered by the NPR and its affiliated public radio stations.

Best regards,

Janos Surlikevich
 
> Best damn response I've read on here in a LONG time.
> Besides I'm willing to bet that this radio-is-dead
> individual will be the first person to cry in his beer when
> his monthly satellite rates starts going up and
> advertisments start appearing on channels that are currently
> commercial free. Apparently this boy wasn't around when
> cable TV first appeared on the scene. Remember their
> promises?
>
>
>
>
> > Congratulations on your purchase of and subscription fees
> to
> > corporate satellite radio broadcasting. We hope the true
> > lack of audio processing, lack of any local content, and
> > rebuffering every time you go under a bridge or big tree
> > makes you a satisfied listener. We can only hope that you
> > will still be a happy customer after the satellite
> > broadcasters start selling ad time on your favorite
> > channels. And like those of us who 'pay for television',
> we
> > hope you'll stay a dedicated customer after your rates
> start
> > climbing every other year (and sleeping better, knowing
> > full-well that your subscription fees are not going toward
>
> > "lining somebody's pockets". After all, that would never
> > happen in the corporate world!). And to insure that your
> > service is not interrupted, please have your check in the
> > mail at least 5 days before the listed due date.
> >
> > Happy Listening! ;)
> >
> > PS: Exactly who said "the wheel wouldn't last"?
> >
I have a lot of mixed feelings about so-called "Public Radio". I absolutely detest having my tax dollars support it. However, if people wish to donate to Public Radio that should be their business, and it's certainly no worse than many other choices. On the other subject of localism most of the local radio stations offer little more local flavor than does XM or Sirrus. Voice-tracked liners are hardly local service. The problem with "local" radio is that most people see it in the 1960's-70's format often heard on small-town 5 thousand watt daytimers. The world has changed so drastically that very few people are sitting breathlessly around the radio waiting for the latest news, or weather, or school closing or the latest "hit". The challenge today is what DOES radio have to offer that only we can do well?
 
We even break a story or two!
>

WOW! Now THAT'S credibility. Maybe you could shoot for "three or four" this year!

You may also find these links to be quite informative:

http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/CachedPage&c=Page&cid=1107787276456

http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel_page.jsp?ch=133


I suppose when any creature's survival is threatened, it is forced to become illogical and desperate. So I'll forgive the "jerk" comment; because it must be stressful to realize that you will probably be out of a job soon. You are not really lashing out at me, you are lashing out because you will vanish to a new industry that is directly accountable to its listeners rather than its sponsors. Look at the numbers. Your numbers have dropped while XM and Sirius have more than tripled listenership within the past 2 years.

Dont worry though, I'll save you a seat on the nice comfy couch when we go to counseling togetter.

This portion brought to you by generous donations from GM, Texaco, Microsoft and Wal-Mart. You are listenting to NPR, National *COUGH* Public *COUGH* radio.
 
Reading Comprehension Failure

I didn't question your RIGHT to post here. I questioned your MOTIVE for posting here.

But, of course, why answer the actual question when you can try to create an arguement.

Your contention above that terrestrial radio is dead, and that satellite radio will be the primary source of music, news, and audio entertainment is specious at best.

In fact, I'd be willing to bet that terrestrial radio will still be around - in one form or another - when satellite is just an afterthought. Satellite, by its very nature, is an expensive and imperfect way to deliver content in densely-populated areas. Satellite providers have already acknoledged that fact by installing terrestrial repeaters.

Within the next five years, densely populated areas will offer high-speed wireless Internet access - two way communication - that will render satellite delivery of music unnecessary. Sirius shareholders had better hope that Sirius has paid off Howard's salary before that day comes.

What you fail to understand is that the real issue is CONTENT. Sirius and XM aren't the only people who can pump out 100 channels of jukebox hits, or record an hour of David Bowie's innermost thoughts and feelings for playback later. Today's radio companies are positioned to offer the same content that Sirius and XM offer when they have bandwidth available, and to augment those offerings with live, local content as well.

A new day is dawning. I believe that there will be MORE jobs available in the long run, not fewer. Startup costs for an Internet stream are dramatically lower than the cost of satellite time or buying one of the limited number of broadcast channels. We'll truly see a new world of broadcasting when the majority of Americans can access that content easily and conveniently.
 
Re: Reading Comprehension Failure

> Your contention above that terrestrial radio is dead, and
> that satellite radio will be the primary source of music,
> news, and audio entertainment is specious at best.
> In fact, I'd be willing to bet that terrestrial radio will
> still be around - in one form or another - when satellite is
> just an afterthought.

History shows that old media adapt and modernize their offerings whenever new media rise to compete. No communications medium except the smoke signal has ever really disappeared...we still have regular mail, books, newspapers, magazines, telephones, radio, television, cable, satellite, e-mail and the Web all co-existing and in daily use. Hey, we're communicating now more than ever.

Radio will determine its own future by the quality of programming and the relevance of its service to its target audiences. If what we offer is good, responsive to our listeners' needs, informative and entertaining, we will not only survive, we can grow.
 
Re: Reading Comprehension Failure

> Radio will determine its own future by the quality of
> programming and the relevance of its service to its target
> audiences. If what we offer is good, responsive to our
> listeners' needs, informative and entertaining, we will not
> only survive, we can grow.
>

I could not agree with you more, and you have summed up rather eloquently and succinctly the point I was trying to make. Radio didn't die with the advent of television; it evolved. Dismissing the threat of alternate media won't make radio thrive, but adapting will.
 
Where will radio go next?

> > Radio will determine its own future by the quality of
> > programming and the relevance of its service to its target
>
> > audiences. If what we offer is good, responsive to our
> > listeners' needs, informative and entertaining, we will
> not
> > only survive, we can grow.
> >
>
> I could not agree with you more, and you have summed up
> rather eloquently and succinctly the point I was trying to
> make. Radio didn't die with the advent of television; it
> evolved. Dismissing the threat of alternate media won't
> make radio thrive, but adapting will.
>

I agree that radio will have to adapt and that adaption will be something there's a market for that you can't get from mp3 players and whatever new inventions come next. That will be a return to personality based programming. Generic wall to wall music played off a computer - the main source of modern FM programming - there will be less and less demand as the upcoming years go by.

You can now buy an mp3 player and an attach it to a mini transmitter in your car and create your own personal music station for free on an empty fm frequency. A huge selection of mp3 files, much of it easily found free on the internet, your friends mp3's, your local library, etc. - tailored for your personal taste - and no commercials or generic dj's. Who would actually prefer commercial FM radio over that? Soon, the only listeners left for FM will be technophobes.

Live AM talk, news and sports is about the only thing you currently can't get in an ipod, CD player, whatever. Corporate run FM is incredibly lame and anyone with a real interest in music of any genre will most certainly agree. Terrestrial FM radio will still have a slice of the pie when it is forced to move away from it's currently boring state.
 
Re: Where will radio go next?

> > > Radio will determine its own future by the quality of
> > > programming and the relevance of its service to its
> target
> >
> > > audiences. If what we offer is good, responsive to our
> > > listeners' needs, informative and entertaining, we will
> > not
> > > only survive, we can grow.
> > >
> >
> > I could not agree with you more, and you have summed up
> > rather eloquently and succinctly the point I was trying to
>
> > make. Radio didn't die with the advent of television; it
> > evolved. Dismissing the threat of alternate media won't
> > make radio thrive, but adapting will.
> >
>
> I agree that radio will have to adapt and that adaption will
> be something there's a market for that you can't get from
> mp3 players and whatever new inventions come next. That
> will be a return to personality based programming. Generic
> wall to wall music played off a computer - the main source
> of modern FM programming - there will be less and less
> demand as the upcoming years go by.
>
> You can now buy an mp3 player and an attach it to a mini
> transmitter in your car and create your own personal music
> station for free on an empty fm frequency. A huge
> selection of mp3 files, much of it easily found free on the
> internet, your friends mp3's, your local library, etc. -
> tailored for your personal taste - and no commercials or
> generic dj's. Who would actually prefer commercial FM radio
> over that? Soon, the only listeners left for FM will be
> technophobes.
>
> Live AM talk, news and sports is about the only thing you
> currently can't get in an ipod, CD player, whatever.
> Corporate run FM is incredibly lame and anyone with a real
> interest in music of any genre will most certainly agree.
> Terrestrial FM radio will still have a slice of the pie when
> it is forced to move away from it's currently boring state.
>


I cant agree however Radio Still plays new songs and new material, as long as this is the case, and auto manfacturers contiune to place Fm in cars there is still a market for it.

Think about it, how are you going to load new mp3's unless you heard the new song first on the radio!!!

Sure you can go online and listern, but i find that hard to do when driving down the road... and often i dont have time to sit at home and find new tracks, i count on the radio to do it for me...

as for the sat thing? sure it works but you must pay for it and always take it with you, i don't see my boss buying one for the office yet. and carring it around is a pain. Of course if you got a lot of money i guess you can subcribe to two or three of them...

ALL in All i dont see radio dieing anytime soon, it is still a FREE choice and will be for years to come...
 
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