[Kzyxtalk] "fact" checking

[Cindy Swan]

Hi Liz,

My hunch is that MaryA is ALSO responsible for keeping 
the CPB Grant going, too . . . lotza, lotza, lotza paperwork 
associated 
with getting the grant each year from the outfit 
that was created  “so that little stations 
could afford to pay for NPR programming.” 
The CPB also awards a significant amount to
NPR to create said programming.

It seems like if you added up the “cost” of that programming
+ “expense” of staff time filing for (and fulfilling) CPB grant requirements,
you’d have little left over. Especially in these times of grant 
reductions
across the board (ever smaller pie, more plates to fill).

Not to mention that it’s probably currently tough for KZ 
to sell local underwriting on a station that already has 
deafened the ears
of its listeners (all “potential underwriters”) 
with so much advertising-in-sheeps-clothing
such as we hear before, during, and after each NPR program!

The above must surely create stress for (any) staff. 

But what really gets my goat is that:

1) Every hour of NPR programming has at least three (3) 
(very deep pocket, i.e. large corporate funded) underwriters
. . . yet KZ has to shell out 40-50k/annum
for the “privilege”  
of providing NPR 
airtime + demographic
(so that they justify the cost of that underwriting)
—> to pay Terry Gross $250k/annum(!?!)

==> Shouldn’t the warring hoardes be taking up that charge with
“the powers that be” in D.C.? Rather than bickering over local staff salaries?

Since Coate left, there has been a lot of positive change. Keep it up.

i.e. Let’s raise funds locally, and then decide how/what/whom
to spend them on. Yes?  CPB forms are getting more and more complicated,
while their funding is constantly on the chopping block. 

I noticed during the recent pledge drive that 
locally-produced 
news and music programs rec’d far more $$ in pledges than NPR slots did.
Is your listening audience trying to tell you something? 

2) We hear the same NPR programs repeated two, three times a day!
Does KZ pay out for each repetition? Does KZ get billed by the program, 
or by the hours of programming aired by NPR? 
Perhaps MaryA can jump in and clear this up . . .why so many repeats? . . .
rather than more music?  

3) RadioLab, (a weekly NPR program that I’ve often enjoyed over the years) 
has aired the same “Story of Utne” show
for four, five weeks in a row! (If I hear the story of Utne one more time 
I shall . . .a)tear my hair out, b) scream, c) hike to the highest mt. top 
and lay me head down on a rock while praying to be “flash-frozen”. . . .
just like poor Utne was back in the day, 5,000 years ago.

Can I get a witness?
~C.



On Nov 4, 2015, at 9:55 AM, Liz Helenchild <deejayliz at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Bottom line: Program Director is responsible for keeping the steady stream of programming going out on air. Job description may differ according to place, time, etc.
> 
> Liz (former PD at K-elsewhere)
> 
> From: King Collins <king at greenmac.com>
> To: kzyxtalk at lists.mcn.org 
> Sent: Wednesday, November 4, 2015 8:55 AM
> Subject: Re: [Kzyxtalk] "fact" checking
> 
> Fact checking _ work of the Program Director
> 
> Jim Heid wrote:
> 
>> Do you know what a program director does, John? I do -- my father was one for many years at radio stations in San Francisco, Tuscon, and Pittsburgh.
> 
> It would be much more interesting to be more empirical. Jim, you know your technical stuff and you are very personable (collegial). You and Bob (Laughton) have a very good program "Point and Click."
> 
> 1)What, in your view, is the work of a Program Director? I'd like us to be more scientific about the discussion, which includes laying out what the discussion is about. 
> 
> Some questions for Jim:
> 
> And also, to understand this we need to know more about your Dad's experience. I don't mean these questions to be personal. But the nice thing about your Dad's experience is that it actually happened!
> 
> 2) What kind of technology did he use?
> 
> 3) What was the demographic of his stations? Size of potential listening audience? Power of the transmitters 
> 
> 5) Were they commercial or public or community stations, urban or rural.
> 
> Thanks for bringing this discussion down to earth.
> 
> For KZYXtalk,
> King Collins
> KZYX board member 2003-2005
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
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