[Kzyxtalk] Replacing Media Matters

Sat Feb 22 18:20:08 PST 2014

"What about a conspiracy theory show or a libertarian show or a Native American show or a communist show or a Green Party show or a .....(fill in the blank)." 

All good points, Doug. 

----- Original Message -----
From: "doug mckenty" <dougmck at gmail.com> 
To: tbray at wildblue.net, kzyxtalk at lists.mcn.org 
Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 10:38:58 PM 
Subject: Re: [Kzyxtalk] Replacing Media Matters 

Tim, 

I often find it strange when I hear the words coming out of the mouths of those who advocate for current station policy that have often come out of my own mouth when advocating for change. With all due respect, who is trying to force their views on anyone? Coate is a lefty politically, but he has chosen to program KZYX to cater to the center left and those who adhere to a worldview that is portrayed by NPR. He has taken a conservative tact believing it to be the right course of action in steering KZYX to financial stability. I believe he has made a mistake by excluding all those who are not center left, which surveys show to be at least half the population. 

All of those advocating for change are looking for a station that reflects the diversity of our community. 

I also believe Coate's management style to be conservative when he attempts to control the local news to the point of reducing it to next to nothing and eliminating all controversial topics. I feel it is also conservative to eliminate community input by ignoring, then suspending Open Lines, or placing barriers in the way of board members trying to establish a board access program or not helping facilitate the CAB or not implementing the PAC. 

I would also call it conservative for Coate to instruct local programmers to cover local news rather than produce local news programs himself. Local programmers should be treated as independant contractors. If their program description is approved by the PAC then management has no right to interfere with their production. I feel this attempted control to be just plain rude. 

When I have brought these thing up, nothing is done. Jeff Blankfort's show and Corporations and Democracy are used as the example that the far left should be satisfied and the rest of us are just a "small but vocal minority." What about a conspiracy theory show or a libertarian show or a Native American show or a communist show or a Green Party show or a .....(fill in the blank). I don't believe that advocating for diversity in programming and freedom of speech for all members of our community, including minority voices, is extremist. I believe that is what public radio should be all about. 

How is current programming helping anybody understand the issues from all sides? 

I cannot agree with you more than when you say no one has a monopoly on truth. That includes station staff. This is why I advocate for the implementation of the Program Advisory Committee designed to create a group of people from a cross section of our community working together making programming choices with consensus. 

Doug Mckenty 

On Friday, February 21, 2014, Tim Bray < tbray at wildblue.net > wrote: 

John Coate is on the extreme right, in exactly the same way that Barack Obama is on the extreme left: it only looks that way if you are an extremist yourself. 

It would be funny, if it weren't so tragic. This divisive and personal campaign against station staff is reducing the opportunities for real change, and making enemies of people who should be making common cause. 

John is a lefty himself, but he believes public radio should help people understand issues from all sides, educating and informing so people can make rational decisions, rather than simply reflecting their beliefs back to them. For this, he is castigated as a traitor to "the cause" by those who want this station to echo their own political agendas. He is also maybe a little more humble about his beliefs than those of you who seek to force their views on everyone else. 

We have a really diverse community in this County, and we should have a diversity of views presented on our community radio station. Nobody has a monopoly on Truth. 

Tim Bray 
Albion 

On 2/20/2014 2:06 PM, she-la wrote: 

<blockquote>
Karen, 
  The simplest answer is that, from John Coate's perspective, the stations news programs were one sided, leaning toward leftist philosophy.
  Since he, along with Mary was making the programming decisions it didn't matter what any of the members or listeners thought. This is one of the main difficulties with the station--the lack of inclusion of the public base. It is also the main reason why 1/5 of KZYX membership numbers (423) now donate to KMUD while only 44 people in Humboldt County donate to KZYX. The station ignores these statistics by having more pledge drives to bolster its membership numbers and  make it appear as if a boycott of the station by dissatisfied listeners is not occurring.
    Of course, from where Coate stands on the extreme right, everything is left of his views. 

-- 
Oak & Thorn 
Facebook: Oak and Thorn 
</blockquote>

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