I totally agree that we need to work with the current Board. Whereas in the first two years my efforts to improve communications between members and the Board have fallen on deaf ears, there is now an indication of movement in the right direction.<br> Check out my two upcoming articles in the AVA.(sequential) The first primarily involves the budget discussion at the last Bd. mtg. and changes the Board is making to get info out to the members; the second is a report on the two Community Advisory reports. <br> Sheila Dawn<br><br>Tim Bray <tbray@wildblue.net> wrote:<br><br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">I'm in agreement with Cindy here.
Lawsuits are the wrong tool and the wrong approach. (Akin to the
predilection for declaring "war" on such things as drugs, poverty,
or cancer; wrong paradigm.)<br>
<br>
It's interesting to me, as a relatively-recent arrival (only 14
years ago), to read of the pre-history (and to see that Beth's
"archival memory" is fallible).<br>
<br>
Devolving more to the satellite studios is one of those ideas that
sounds fine, but is much more difficult than it seems. Staffing
at Philo is insufficient, much less at satellite studios. (I see
that Cindy put "Staff" in quotes, so perhaps I do not know exactly
what is meant.) We have plenty of on-air talent, but maybe not
enough technical/operational talent. The Mendo studio in
particular is a constant source of frustration. In any case,
having satellite studios complicates the operation by a large
factor; it's one of the reasons why KMUD seems to work more
smoothly than KZYX - they only have one studio.<br>
<br>
Nevertheless, I agree that with our geographical setting, the
satellites make a lot of sense, and should be maintained and
upgraded. It's a challenge and probably always will be, but it's
the right way to operate in this place.<br>
<br>
Your last three paragraphs are excellent and I fully agree. End
the running battles of personalities, focus on the challenges of
serving the diverse audience over a large area, train programmers,
use technology to expand the reach, and build alliances. <br>
<br>
None of that will happen while people are talking of lawsuits!<br>
<br>
Tim<br>
-- <br>
<a href="https://ecologyhour.wordpress.com/">Ecology Hour</a><br>
<a href="http://oakandthorn.wordpress.com">Oak & Thorn</a><br>
Facebook: Oak and Thorn<br>
<br>
<br>
On 7/30/2014 12:41 PM, Cindy Swan wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:DB731C77-93CC-49C8-BD10-45E52941A79F@willitsonline.com"
type="cite">Beth:
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<div>Lawsuits will not help shift the paradigm, </div>
<div>but</div>
<div>thoughtful proposals</div>
<div>that would allow them to achieve</div>
<div>their Mission Statement</div>
<div>might encourage</div>
<div>Board/Staff</div>
<div>introspection</div>
<div>rather than defensiveness.</div>
<div><br>
<div>You need to know the reason</div>
<div>why</div>
<div>Round Valley dropped</div>
<div>its effort ~30+ years ago . . .</div>
<div>it was due to the </div>
<div>requirements </div>
<div>of the FCC for the license.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>At that time,</div>
<div>they were insisting </div>
<div>that we provide</div>
<div>a signal</div>
<div>and</div>
<div>programming</div>
<div>for the entire county.</div>
<div>A practical folk,</div>
<div>we knew full well </div>
<div>we were too isolated.</div>
<div>
<div>(Remember, we did not have</div>
<div>digital transmitters,</div>
<div>the Internet,</div>
<div>or even</div>
<div>"personal computers" back then . . .)</div>
</div>
<div>And our small town </div>
<div>simply could not afford</div>
<div>"matching funds" necessary</div>
<div>to construct such a station. . . </div>
<div>(est. at 500k in 1980)</div>
<div>much less power and staff</div>
<div>such an effort —</div>
<div>one that would be required to</div>
<div>service the needs</div>
<div>of the entire county.</div>
<div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
<div>i.e. Reagan (via FCC) "won"</div>
<div>and derailed Carter's</div>
<div>"Rural Underserved Radio </div>
<div>Station Development Program"</div>
<div>by making the </div>
<div>scope</div>
<div>too large.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>There was no</div>
<div>"competition" for the license.</div>
<div>Donovan simply picked up</div>
<div>(several years later)</div>
<div>where Round Valley left off —</div>
<div>and, to his credit,</div>
<div>figured out a way to </div>
<div>do it. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Philo seemed like a good solution.</div>
<div>At the time, in the middle of "nowhere"</div>
<div>equidistant from everywhere . . . </div>
<div>Too bad it hasn't worked out.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Perhaps, the scope is still too large?</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>At this juncture,</div>
<div>I am surprised </div>
<div>there is not more call</div>
<div>to de-centralize more</div>
<div>via utilizing the satellite studios</div>
<div>in Willits and Mendocino,</div>
<div>with "Staff" at each location,</div>
<div>doubling/tripling production capabilities . . .</div>
<div>
<div>(You have plenty of talent in both </div>
<div>already existing satellite locations; </div>
<div>their problem is ACCESS to Philo, </div>
<div>=> a mere 30 minutes from Ukiah.)</div>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>...rather than reducing access</div>
<div>while "planning" to ultimately</div>
<div>centralize in Ukiah</div>
<div>in the effort to capture</div>
<div>"new audience" </div>
<div>in another county. (?)</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>IMO, The latter option</div>
<div>would simply be a sell-out</div>
<div>to the "Let's Make Ukiah San Jose North" set,</div>
<div>and do little to link up our</div>
<div>diverse yet dynamic</div>
<div>(more isolated) rural communities.</div>
<div>(Yes, we live here, too. Remember us?</div>
<div>The REASON you "qualify" for those grants from CPB?)</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<div>==>for far too long, the Board has found themselves</div>
<div>fighting to stay inside a box that no longer works.</div>
</div>
<div>Making the box bigger will not solve the problem, IMO.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Personally, I would prefer to see </div>
<div>all the "he said, she said",</div>
<div>finger-pointing,</div>
<div>name calling, </div>
<div>stonewalling,</div>
<div>and bullying</div>
<div>(on both sides)</div>
<div>end</div>
<div>and the Board having an environment</div>
<div>where they can think/work outside the box</div>
<div>that it finds itself in. . .</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Only then will they be able to focus </div>
<div>on the real issue before them:</div>
<div><b>How to sustain the life </b></div>
<div><b>of a community radio station</b></div>
<div><b>that is mandated to serve</b></div>
<div><b>a county as large (or larger)</b></div>
<div><b>than most east coast states.</b></div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>IT'S A HUGE CHALLENGE!</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Perhaps they could begin by</div>
<div>Re-writing Job Descriptions and/or</div>
<div>Hiring staff with a passion for:</div>
<div>1) training/empowering </div>
<div>the next generation of </div>
<div>programmers and producers,</div>
<div>2) utilizing current radio production</div>
<div>(inexpensive, smaller-scale) technology</div>
<div>to link our entire county in creative ways,</div>
<div>3) building alliances and networks with </div>
<div>independent media producers, etc. who are more</div>
<div>"home-grown" and aware of local history,</div>
<div>issues and concerns.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>~C.</div>
<div>sent from my commonsensical grammAphone</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<br>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature"><br>
</div>