[Kzyxtalk] Loyalty

[BC]

Tim, could you more fully describe the NPR conundrum.

On 9/4/2016 1:52 PM, Tim Gregory wrote:
> i understand your reasoning, doug. i dislike your example of marco's latest
> 'rejection', though. while i believe marco is grounded enough not to be another sako
> in the ranks of the station, granting him airtime COULD have similar fallout.
>
> obviously the 900lb gorilla, NPR, is not fully understood in its pros and cons, nor
> are all sane suggestions for improving our calendar week. 'npr worldview' is not
> only here, it keeps up with the times enough to know its demographic and go with the
> flow.
>
> some listeners admire that, too.
>
> i grew frustrated with both callers and hosts on thurs call-in hour...called to
> separate personal tastes v. concerns about autocratic content decisions...might have
> said it better...
>
> we're all on our learning curves...
> ---
>
>
>
>
> I feel compelled to respond to a post last week from Marco where he revealed an
> email from the current Program Director at KZYX stating that the organization was
> not interested in working with him as they were only looking for volunteers who
> would, in her words, express a "loyalty" to the radio station.
>
> What does that mean?
>
> KZYX is meant to be a community organization that, according to its mission
> statement, produces programming that is open to "all points of view."  In other
> words, those with different, and opposing, perspectives, should be able to use the
> station as a communication hub where these differences can be hashed out in an open
> and transparent manner and the radio station should operate as a common resource
> shared by all members of the community.  The bylaws and policies of the station
> clearly dictate that differences in opinion concerning station governance and
> programming decisions should be made in a similarly transparent and democratic
> fashion.
>
> About 10 years ago, a few entrenched members of the stations hierarchy chose to
> disregard many of these policies in order to enforce upon the station a "NPR
> formula" which minimized the influence of members of the community interested in
> discussing alternative or activist opinions that strayed too far from what I would
> describe as the "NPR worldview."
>
> As a result, community support for the station plummeted and the stations net worth
> dropped from $350k to almost zero.  The station has lost an average of $3000 a month
> during that time, despite the fact that the CPB grant increased by nearly 100%.
> (Though the amount has been reduced over the last two years.)
>
> Those who advocated for a return to the democratic spirit expressed in the stations
> policies often coincided with their desire to discuss alternatives to the NPRcentric
> perspectives of those who unilaterally took control of the programming were often
> simply pushed out over time.
>
> While it seems obvious that many in our community wish to hear more alternative
> beliefs, and the expression of those beliefs on air would result in more community
> financial support for the station, those who have taken control of the programming
> simply accuse those who seek democratic change over hierarchical control of
> disloyalty to the institution itself.
>
> >From my perspective, those who have taken control of the programming to impose
>> their beliefs, at the expense of the rest of the community, are the ones who act
> out of disloyalty to the institution, and those of us attempting to democratize
> the
>> process in order to save the station financially, are the ones loyal to the spirit
> of community radio with respect for the shared, common resource it is meant to be.
>
> The accusation of "disloyalty" seems to be yet another excuse to silence the voices
> in our community who believe that the radio station should be open to "all points of
> view."
>
> Doug
>
> Sent from my iPhone
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