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WJTO, Bath, ME.

B

bub

Guest
Bob Bittner has commenced a fund-raising campaign for WJTO along the lines of the one last year for WJIB. There's even a website that explains in detail. Let's hope he meets the goal!

http://www.wjto.com/
 
If the first week of listener contributions is any indication, WJTO should meet its goal sometime this summer. It's all looking good! - I'm really impressed with the number of listeners it has.
----BB
 
Sorry - but while I think it is a great station - I'm not willing to pay for somebody's hobby.

Though there is nothing illegal or unethical about what is being done here - I'm a bit uncomfortable with the practice of asking money to keep the station on the air.

If the owner didn't have deep enough pockets to make it work on his own dime (or as a regular commercial station) he shouldn't have been granted a license.
 
I don't think he ever anticipated the rate hike in music licensing fees when he fired these puppies up. He just simply wants to keep them running rather than let them go, I would say. Sort of a "I like the way the stations are commercial free and yet not public" mentality. I would say it's his programming right to decide that ads may adversely effect his program value. And if the public goes along with it, then no harm, no foul right?

Further, if it ISN'T illegal or unethical, just why would the FCC withhold a license because he chooses to operate a station in an unusual way? (One might say, pioneering?)
 
Because it is a "public trust" thats service to the community is endangered. Not that the station ever put back much into the commuinity... it doesn't at all stimulate the local enconomy, doesn't provide jobs... about all the station does in that sense is provide PSA's - and few stations do that these days.

Sure he didn't anticipate the BMI-ASCAP rates. I'm willing to buy that. But sorry, even as he was crying about possibly not having enough money to continue, he purchased yet another signal a few months ago.
 
OK, well. Some folks get their fix from drugs... he gets his broadcasting. Can't say I fault him for that. :D

I will say that unless you plead a hardship case, very few folks will be moved to help out, and let's face it, it would be a hardship case if he simply allowed it to become one.

I mean, look at K-Love and their incessant hollering that they'll have to shut down stations if goals aren't met, yet turn around and have a flurry of growth? ::)
 
I really can't see that Bob is doing anything bad here or illegal or vaguely unethical. Nor was the FCC thinking about economic gain when they talked about the "public trust."

He's just turning the table: instead of selling his product to advertisers...he's selling his product to the consumers. Seems reasonable to me. Personally, I won't give anyone money unless I get a contract promising a service in return...but maybe Bob is doing that.

I haven't donated (not my cup of tea in terms of music) but if someone were to start a blues station under this model, I'd be first in line to sign on the dotted line.
 
Ya know what? I think that in the future half the AM stations in America and probably almost as many FM's WILL be "listener supported". This would certainly lessen the importance and the power of agency media buyers.

Yes, it is a hobby, but I think with excellent intentions.... I'm playing music that other stations don't play or don't play often (especially in Boston; regarding Maine, WBAE has similar music part of the day), and the proof of the stations' value to the community is what they'd be willing to pay to keep hearing it.

Agencies have most commonly neglected stations that play music for older folks due to inept decisions, and also for a valid reason: older folks are not as easily swayed by advertising. Since the American economy runs on credit (the biggest factor in the USA's Gross National Product), older folks who carry a zero balance on their credit cards at the end of each month are just not all that desirable to reach. But the people do exist, and they deserve to have radio cater to them, no matter what form it's funded by.

WJIB and WJTO's most common comments from listeners are:
1) - They love the lack of crass commercialism.
2) - They love the fact that the station can transport them to a place that lacks the troubles of today's world.
3) - They love the softer music at night which helps them sleep. (Yes, older people often have trouble getting to sleep. The music helps and therefore provides them with better health and well-being and a feeling of comfort.
4) - The love the local announcements... Currently on WJTO, there are 44 church supper-type PSA's airing, along with 52 more local organizations' mission statements airing. Three times per hour minimum.

Whatever I do in radio, it will be playing music that is not found elsewhere on radio.

And those announcements seeking funds are aired only 8 times per day. Nowhere in any announcements did I say, nor imply that I would have to shut down the station. Those who know me, know I would not do that.

I am doing fundraising at both stations because I myself do not want to deplete my funds. Bob & wife have to eat too. In time, my funds would be depleted, running both stations without funding. None of the sent-in money goes to me. I'm asking the listeners just to keep the station "even".

In the first 2 weeks, WJTO's fundraising has looked quite promising. I'm quite sure there will be no format change. - The average check sent in to WJTO is for $47. In Boston, the average check has been $39.

So, that's my story. PS: No miracle-cures nor get-rich-quick stuff on JIB-JTO either... They want badly to get onto this virgin territory (JIB,JTO) of listeners.

This has been posted on both of this week's JTO threads.
 
Bob is being at least 100% ethical here. What matter if it's a hobby, although knowing Bob, I'd call it a passion. A radio station need not kowtow to commercial interests or be advertiser-supported in order to serve the public interest. If anything, the two are at odds. And the fact is that non-commercial, listener-supported public radio is becoming increasingly dominant over commercial radio, in part because beginning in 1996 giant corporate conglomerators with strictly commercial interests usurped the agenda of broadcasting and twisted it from an art form and a public trust into a greed-driven machine for private profit. This scheme worked for a while but now many of their stocks have crashed so even the investors got ripped off in the end. These "public trustees" have left the industry much worse off for their having pillaged it. Creativity and good jobs in the radio industry have been decimated in the name of the bubble - now popped - of corporate profits. And the public has lost the vast majority of their interesting and localized program choices. Thank goodness a few people like Bob Bittner have a more noble agenda! Read Right Of The Dial by Alec Foege.
 
bub said:
JIBGUY: How 'bout an update? Hope it's good news. :)
Click to expand...

As of 7-10-08, WJTO is up to $13,700.00. (Would have been $13.8k had a contributor from
Portland remembered to sign his check!) So, I'm halfway there. After the first flurry of contributions, it seems as though its about a steady $2,100.00 a week coming in. The first checks came in on 6-6-08, so the fund-drive is 5 weeks old now.

WJIB's 2008 funds drive is over. Goal of $82k reached after 12 weeks. Music licensing fees there alone are about $37,000.00 alone! -- UP from about $34k in 2007.
 
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