[Kzyxtalk] Non-Problems at our station

[King Collins]

Thank you Tim,

I agree with you, let's keep the conversation balanced. There have been many improvements at our station and they are part of the discussion, and I agree that management is not the devil in this matter. I have many thoughts at this point in the conversation. Here are a few in outline:

1) Most of the accomplishments you cite are technical, wouldn't you agree? But our problems are not so much technical anymore, but social. A major exception is the transmission difficulties at Philo which according to John Coate will require the Mother Ship to move to Ukiah, soon. But making the move to Ukiah in itself is more social than technical, and like 10 years ago, paid staff will adamantly oppose any move out of the Valley.

2) Some feel the STYLE OF MANAGEMENT is inappropriate for a small community radio station, and has alienated supporters, and underwriters.  Perhaps KMUD has a better way to do it. 

3) However it is not management that is fundamentally at fault in the current crisis, but the BOARD.

4) The board has failed absolutely in its responsibility to be ACCOUNTABLE to the members and OVERSEE the management.

5) The board has shown no interest and makes no effort to communicate with members and listeners, if by that we mean TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION.

In other words I disagree with John Sakowicz as to the cause of the current crisis and what the solutions may be. On the other hand, I believe Sheila's FCC complaint is transparent and covers board and management failings. And I'm pretty sure it is her complaint that is taken seriously by the FCC. 

6) The fundamental solution, I think, is dialog.  We are after all a radio station. I'm not interested in punishing anybody, but I do dearly hope that our radio station finds a way to respect the members by communicating with us. Is that a reasonable idea for you, Tim? And others?

I am trying to find a common ground in this discussion. 

King Collins
For KZYXtalk
king at greenmac.com

P.S. In an attempt to reach the inland folks I am posting messages to the lists I am aware of.  I would appreciate help in doing that. Perhaps Tim, you could mention this on the programmers list, since there are a number of inland programmers. kc

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On Feb 12, 2014, at 4:54 PM, Tim Bray wrote:

While I have my share of complaints and wishes for change, I am kind of hoping this discussion is about more than just "problems."  It's easy to focus on problems, harder perhaps to identify and think about what's going well.  

Non-problems: 
1.  The financial picture looks better than it has since 2008.  The massive debt and uncertain cash flows threatened the station's viability for several years; I remember Rich telling me about a certain critical piece of equipment that was beyond its expected lifespan, but if it failed, they had no money to replace it, and no ability to borrow - so KZYX could have gone silent.  That was a huge strain on those who understood what it meant.  Now there is only $25K owed to (I think) NPR, with a fixed monthly payment, and no bank or other debt.

2.  Backup power generator at Philo.  Every year we used to go silent when the power went out; now the generator comes on and there's hardly a blip.  This was a big deal to me, as it always seemed like the power went out most often on Sunday mornings...

3.  New digital main board in Philo studio, replacing the functional but obsolete analog board.  This has a lot of technical advantages and eliminates a few more pieces of equipment, lessening the failure risks, as well as allowing vastly more options for programming.

4.  No more ISDN line connections to remote studios, costing hundreds of dollars a month (and sometimes more, when programmers forgot to hang up after going off air).   The new Bridge-It connection not only makes the process of handing off to the remote studios much easier and more reliable, it also makes other kinds of remote live broadcasts possible - such as Town Hall or other meetings - things they could never do before.

5.  Vastly improved Website, allowing direct programmer input, direct entry for PSAs, and making it easier to find information.  John Coate did this himself; the previous Website cost $15,000 and never really worked.

6.  Greatly expanded programming.  KZYX now broadcasts 24/7 (in 2004 when I started programming, we went off air around midnight, and one of my duties was to restart the transmitter just before 7:00 AM).  There are many more hours of news and public-affairs programs than there were just a few years ago.  There have been many changes to programming, and every single one of them upset somebody, but it seems to me that we now have a much better selection than we did 6 years ago.

There is a lot of room for improvement, nobody argues otherwise, least of all me!  I just think we should consider how much has been accomplished under extremely difficult circumstances over the past few years, even as we consider the things we still find wanting.  Management has an extremely difficult job to do, with zero chance of pleasing everybody in this diverse and opinionated County.

Sincerely, 
Tim Bray
-- 
Oak & Thorn
Facebook: Oak and Thorn
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