GPB Protest

Not Shocked

About 50 college radio stations are joining in a protest against a deal that is allowing Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB)  to air their programming during the day on WRAS in Atlanta. The protest is not surprising. Similar protests have been staged in other instances where Public Radio programming was allowed on college stations or when a larger public radio entity buys a college station.

Fighting for Air Time

The deal allows college DJ's to run their own programming between 7p and 5a. DJ's displaced by the deal can be heard on-line. The deal also allows GPB to reach the Atlanta market for the first time. Students will be allowed learning opportunities with GPB as part of the agreement.

The original start date was June Second. It is now June 29th.

http://hub.onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-06-26/college-stations-protest-georgia-public-radio-deal

WRVU Now Part of Nashville Public Radio.

Vanderbilt Station Sold for $3.35 Million

In a move that will satisfy classical music fans and the NPR news audience, Nashville Public Radio cemented the deal to buy WRVU. The deal was three years in the making. Approval came in March from the FCC, but was delayed until Vanderbilt Student Communications received the $3.35 million purchase price.

Not Everybody is Happy

College radio advocates have been trying to play defense, though not with much success. Fans of WRVU hired attorneys and petitioned the FCC.

Jennifer Waits, who founded the website “Radio Survivor,” says it’s really a matter of convincing schools they shouldn’t sell.

“It’s still good to stand up for what you believe in,” she says. “People can change their mind.”
Waits and others are now focusing attention on Atlanta, where just this month, Georgia Public Broadcasting announced a deal to partially take over a powerful signal owned by Georgia State.

The Cost Can Be too High

There was also resistance when the station owned by Rice University was sold to Houston Public Media for $9 million. There was a bold prediction, at the time, that the purchase of KRTU would result in a doubling of listener sensitive in for Houston Public Media. In 2013, Houston Public Media ended up laying off its classical music staff at the end of 2013 instead.

Change Can Be Contentuious

A change to the schedule at Wisconsin Public Broadcasting 

Coverage in the Isthmus reminded of some of press and comments we always got after making changes at the stations I worked for. A thick skin is required, and it is best not to take the comments that result from press coverage personally despite the fact that listeners take the changes to their station very personally.  Most notable were comments likening us to the Philistines. One caller wanted to know who made the birdbrained decision to change the programming. Another asked  who the weisenheimer was, and another combined the two calling me a  birdbrained weizenheimer. My personal favorite described the changes as having torn the fabric of public broadcasting (very descriptive).

http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=42715

The Isthmus focused their article on the abruptness of the change and the fiscal reasons. WPR published FAQ's about the change on their website. Fiscal concerns played a big part in the decision, but aren't the only reasons for the change.  I noticed no comments to the article in the Isthmus. That doesn't mean nobody is upset. In fact, if there are no complaints, problems with audience loyalty run much deeper than the hour or two that are affected. 

Hang in there.

VPT May Face Sanctions

The Daily Journal of Vermont and the Associated Press are reporting that Vermont Public Television (VPT) may be facing sanctions.
(Corporation for Public Broadcasting review recommends sanctions for Vermont Public Television)The sanctions may be imposed because VPT did not follow open meeting rules required by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

A complaint was filed in December. An internal investigation found that "VPT's board of directors properly closed the meetings but violated federal requirements by failing to notify the public that private meetings had been held."

The recommendation of sanctions comes from the office of the inspector general for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. VPT has asked the office to reconsider the sanctions. a final decision should come within 180 days.

Iowa Public Radio Needs Funding Boost

"A Change Will do You Good"

Sometimes. And sometimes it takes a while for the change to take effect. Iowa Public Radio (IPR) needs funding from Iowa's Public Universities to make up for shortfalls. Turmoil at the top resulted in funding problems according to IPR leadership.

The Creston News Advertiser reports "IPR had an extended period with interim leadership, which resulted in interrupting the plan to increase funding from large donors.” IPR is asking for over $235,000 in additional support from the university regents. The strategic plan was to be free from university funding by 2017.

CEO Mary Grace Herrington was fired by the board in 2013. Some of the board members publicly discussed the firing. The result was a settlement for Herrington of $197,000.

IPR hired a new CEO in January. Myrna Johnson was new executive director.
The report, published Friday, credits  The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (MCT) Vanessa Miller (McClatchy/Tribune - MCT Information Services)

Millennial Gateway for Public Radio

Two programs distributed by APM are being touted as hip and trendy for Millennials.

MPR now stands for millennial public radio

Concern within public radio is the aging of the audience and how the younger audience uses radio. The hope is shows like "Wits" and "The Dinner Party Download" will draw younger listeners to public radio. Both programs are distributed nationally. According to the article in the Minneapolis Star, the audience is still small for programs with national distribution. "The Dinner Party Download" draws 250,000 listeners on 130 stations. "Wits" has 131,500 listeners in 100 markets nationally. A Prairie Home Companion  (APHC) also distributed by APM, draws 4 million listeners on 679 stations. APHC's audierceis centered on the Boomers.

Listener measurements listed in the article are based on station based statistics. They do not include on-demand listening through hand held devices, web downloads and streaming. Millennials listen at their convenience...not at the station's. Still, when public radio was new we talked about All Things Considered and Morning Edition being the gateway for the rest of our programming. The concept of gateway programming worked then. It could work now.

Houston Public Media Spells It Out

It's an annual thing for Houston Public Media. This will be the sixth time Houston Public Media (Channel 8) broadcasts the Scripps affiliated local Spelling Bee. They will also stream the event

Houston Public Media broadcasts and live streams nation’s third largest local spelling bee on March 29 - Your Houston News: News

There will be 55 spellers from over 1,000 schools.

This year's contest and contestants are set but, Houston Public Media offers information on how schools and students in Texas can get involved.  

2014 Houston Public Media Spelling Bee

It seems like a great way to engage schools, children and their families.