XLNC on the rocks?

[sdwulfdawg]

I received this letter today in the mail. I was rather surprised at the line "our station is in jeopardy." Is this true or just a way for me to part with some $$$ to them? The sentence aobut the station being in "jeopardy" was in bold type.

Does anyone know any "untold" story?

Dear Mr. (omitted),

At XLNC1 90.7 FM, we are committed to investing in the cultural vitality of our region. It is our mission to make classical music interesting and accessible for everyone to enjoy. We believe in the power of classical music and if you already listen to XLNC1, you know about the important services that we provide to the community.

But the future of XLNC1 is in jeopardy. Unlike other non-commercial stations in San Diego, we do not receive any assistance from the federal government or local educational institutions. We rely solely on the generosity of our members to keep XLNC1 on the air.

The XLNC1 Winter Membership Campaign is beginning and we need to your help to reach our $75,000 fundraising goal by February 10th. By becoming a member of XLNC1 during our winter campaign, you can help to support the only 2417 classical station in San Diego and be proud to know that your membership helps to preserve this local treasure.

Your tax-deductible donation helps to keep programs like The Tasting Room with Jung-Ho Pak, Musical Notes with Kingsley McLaren, and live broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera on the air. These programs transform living rooms into concert halls and bring the magic and beauty of classical music to you. Become a member today to help keep this service alive.
XLNC1 90.7 FM would like to extend its warmest wishes to you in the New Year and we hope that you will consider becoming a part of our family.

Sincerely,


Lisette Atala-Doocy
Executive Director, XLNC1 90.7 FM

PS. XLNC1 believes that partnerships with other local organizations help to support and strengthen our community. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities to provide greater exposure for your business, please contact Mike Sullivan at [EDIT].

[privacy concern]

 

[SDRadio]

I have an issue with this: a Mexico based station that gives no reference to Baja California, only to the Norte.

When Victor passed on, his estate kept the station going. I don't know all the details, but I suspect Bob Hudson knows more ....

 

[RadeoEngineer]

How could a donation to a Mexican licensed non-com be deductable? Maybe if you pay taxes in Mexico?

 

[Lopaka]

Maybe there is an American tax exempt foundation that rents or leases the station? At least on paper...

 

[Bob_Hudson]

I have an issue with this: a Mexico based station that gives no reference to Baja California, only to the Norte.

When Victor passed on, his estate kept the station going. I don't know all the details, but I suspect Bob Hudson knows more ....

I am certain that Victor's family is not as enamored as he was at the idea of spending the family fortune on something that does not make money (that's common with many family businesses - the benefactor dies and so does the benevolence). Even when he was alive I know he received heat.

That having been said, Martha Diaz did take Victor's pet charities - XLNC and the International Institute of Photographic Authors - and turn them into much more professional operations after Victor's death (Victor ran these things as hobbies with an inconsistent level of attention and support). They still have the large building that once housed IPPA, XLNC and three revenue-generating radio stations. Now it's just XLNC and the IIPA gallery and when I visited the gallery recently I was surprised at how many people still worked in the building. There's obviously a lot of overhead there, probably too much, but the Diaz family was always good at keeping lots of people employed.

As for the idea of XLNC being in jeopardy if they don't raise money, I don't know, but I seem to recall that Victor got this frequency with the stipulation that it would be for a non-profit station only. So, I don't think they could just switch it over to commercial radio, although being a Mexican frequency, who knows.

And although it is a Mexican frequency, the programming is provided by a US organization. This was the case with Jammin Z90: the Diaz family owned a Mexican company that ownd the transmitter and they owned a US company that provided the programming.