It’s been making the rounds of the blogosphere this week. And if you keep your NPR affiliate on all day long, or load your iPhone up with This American Life and Planet Money podcasts, then this is the sex tape you’ve been waiting for. Or not.

OK, it’s not really Ira Glass, but those really are the voices of Alex Blumberg and Terry Gross. It may or may not be safe for work, depending on your coworkers’ tolerance for a little bit of grunting and groaning from fake Ira Glass.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

College Radio Day has come and gone, but I’d like to add a historic footnote to the festivities. College radio broadcasters in the 1960s convinced Congress to fund radio as well as television in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. Without that campaign, it is unlikely that NPR would exist. The story is beautifully told in Jack W. Mitchell’s Listener Supported: The Culture and History of Public Radio.

By 1966, the big foundations were pushing hard for Congress to fund public media. But the media for which they sought Congressional aid was television. The famous Carnegie Commission report for public broadcasting didn’t even mention radio.

When it came to radio, "few cared," Mitchell writes. "Most of the major public-broadcasting organizations included both television and radio, with television the dominant focus in all of them. These organizations were quite content to ignore radio to achieve national tax support for their dominant television enterprises."

But there were "a very few crusty old guys who did care," the author adds. One of them was the manager of the University of Michigan’s radio station, Ed Burrows. Burrows sent the station’s program director off to Washington, D.C. to lobby for radio to be included in what, at the time, was being called the Public Television Act, which would create the Corporation for Public Television.

His name was Jerrold Sandler. "It’s very simple," he told public TV’s top DC lobbyist in a confrontation. "You change it to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and you change it to the Public Broadcasting Act."

"Well, the word broadcasting doesn’t have the right sound. It’s not television," the TV lobbyist retorted.

"You’re damn right, it’s not television," Sandler shot back, and he fought hard to get radio into the public television bill’s language. He had help from Dean Costen, the U. Michigan station’s former chief engineer, now deputy undersecretary at Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) in Washington. It was Costen who made the words "and radio" follow television everywhere in the administration’s legislative draft for public television.

But several days later, a reporter told Sandler that "radio" had been scratched out of the bill’s language again. Sandler called Costen, who scratched it back in. Sandler then called members of the radio board of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters. Get to DC and lobby Congress like mad for radio. "You’re going to work your butts off but we’re going to cover that Congress," he told them.

Meanwhile Sandler hired a consultant to write a radio equivalent of the Carnegie Report, The Hidden Medium: Educational Radio, a Status Report, which made the case for radio inclusion.

By April 1967, the Senate Commerce Committee had approved a public media bill which now would create a Corporation for Public Broadcasting, not just a public corporation for television. "The public radio guerillas could not believe their good fortune," Mitchell continues. "They had had no right to win over the television juggernaut, and few of them had believed they really would. To them, the fight had been mainly a game played for the fun of it, the most exciting escapade of their professional lives."

This "improbable victory," made National Public Radio (now NPR) possible. But it also cost the crusaders any role in public radio’s future, Mitchell’s chapter on this episode concludes. They had stepped on too many prominent toes in the educational media universe, the men and women who would now run public broadcasting. And so none of them won leadership roles:

"Not Jack Burke of Kansas State University. Not Will Lewis of Boston University. Not Marjorie Newman of Florida State University. Not Myron Curry of the University of North Dakota. Not Burt Harrison of Washington State University. Not Martin Busch of the University of South Dakota. Not Jack Summerfield of the Riverside Church of New York. Not Al Fredette of the State Medical College of New York. And certainly not Ed Burrows nor Jerry Sandler, each of whom applied for positions at the new National Public Radio, Sandler many times. Neither was ever hired."

NPR began broadcasting in April 1971. Who went to work for the service? "Instead, the task of developing public radio would fall to radio managers who sat on the sidelines as Sandler and company waged war," or to those who had backed the television lobby, or to those too young to be have been involved in the fight.

It is sometimes the fate of revolutionaries to be left out of the revolution they lead. This appears to have been the case for the college radio "guerillas" who insured the funding that would create NPR. Nonetheless, in the wake of College Radio Day, we should remember their valiant efforts with gratitude.

Save KUSF Protest (Photo: J. Waits)

At a lunch-time protest outside Entercom’s San Francisco offices yesterday, KUSF supporters reminded their foes that the fight regarding the future of college radio station KUSF is far from over. Around 50 protesters gathered outside Entercom’s Third Street studios, voicing concerns about the corporate radio conglomerate’s role in the complicated deal that led to the removal of University of San Francisco’s college radio station KUSF from 90.3 FM. Save KUSF spokesperson and former KUSF Music Director Irwin Swirnoff explained that, “the only winners in this deal are Entercom.”

Back in January, 2011, commercial radio group Entercom (owner of more than 100 commercial radio stations) off-loaded classical radio brand KDFC to Classical Public Radio Network (CPRN).  Entercom quickly replaced KDFC’s classical music programming on 102.1 FM with a simulcast of its newly purchased (also in January 2011) rock station KUFX (K-FOX). It’s been understood that Entercom stood to make more money in advertising revenue from the rock station format than from KDFC, which may have been the reason why it handed over KDFC programming to CPRN.

Protester at Save KUSF Rally outside Entercom (Photo: J. Waits)

At the same time, CPRN submitted paperwork to purchase not only KUSF 90.3 FM, but also religious station KNDL 89.9 FM. Soon after the KUSF shutdown on January 18, 2011, KDFC’s classical music broadcast switched from its commercial home at 102.1 FM to the two non-commercial stations at 90.3 FM and 89.9 FM. Although KDFC changed owners, its programming continues to originate from Entercom’s studios.

Ever since these signal changes, KDFC listeners have expressed displeasure because they are no longer able to hear KDFC south of San Francisco and KUSF listeners have protested because they have lost their station entirely. In part, yesterday’s protest was an attempt to raise awareness about Entercom’s role in the whole deal as many KDFC listeners might just think that all that changed was a place on the dial and a move from commercial to non-commercial. Representatives from Save KUSF handed out flyers that stated:

“Entercom, a national media conglomerate helped orchestrate the shady deal which took KUSF, a valuable public asset, off the air. Entercom pawned off their long running classical station KDFC to Classical Public Radio Network…and…Public Radio Capital. CPRN and PRC, in their quest to buy the KUSF license are trying to create a media monopoly on the left hand side of the dial.”

A number of speakers, including San Francisco Supervisor (and mayoral candidate) John Avalos addressed the assembled crowd and called for citizens to write to the FCC requesting formal hearings. Avalos, who was a co-sponsor of a San Francisco Board of Supervisors-penned resolution opposing the sale of KUSF, lamented the loss of KUSF. He praised the station for the variety of programming that it aired, calling it an “island” in the midst of an increasingly corporate radio landscape.

Friends of KUSF’s lawyer Alan Korn reminded everyone that University of San Francisco’s President, Father Stephen Privett deflected questions about the pending sale back in January when he encouraged protesters to take their concerns to the FCC. Korn pointed out that the series of ensuing FCC filings have worked to raise many issues concerning the deal to sell KUSF. In fact, Petitions to Deny filed by KUSF supporters may have prompted the FCC to investigate the deal further. Former KUSF DJ David Katznelson said that he’s encouraged by the FCC’s recent letter of inquiry into the station sale and argued that, “The FCC is hearing us…We’re winning.”

Save KUSF Protest (Photo: J. Waits)

Former KUSF DJ Daniel Everett, who has filed legal actions against USF and has submitted complaints about the deal to the FCC, said that he was proud of the work being done to save KUSF. He said, “eventually we are going to…reap the rewards…when that deal goes bust…” KUSF supporter Damin Esper, stated that typically the FCC approves these types of deals quickly, but that in this case they haven’t because of the work of KUSF supporters. Esper pointed out that the loss of KUSF has left many listeners “disenfranchised,” especially those who tuned in to unique cultural shows like the locally produced Chinese Star Radio.

Save KUSF spokesperson (and former KUSF Music Director) Irwin Swirnoff said that he believes that it’s important to “stand up against the commercialization” of the non-commercial side of the radio dial. He added, “we’re not stopping our fight any time soon.”

***

Complete Radio Survivor coverage about the proposed sale of KUSF can be found here. I also wrote about my reaction to the KUSF shut down and to the Save KUSF Multi-Station Live Broadcast on Spinning Indie.  My article chronicling my KUSF field trip 2 years ago is housed there too. For more on the bigger picture of college radio station sell-offs, see my December 2009 piece, Cash-strapped Schools Turn Their Backs on College Radio. And, for a quick overview of the situation at KUSF, see my article, The Story Behind the KUSF Shutdown on PopMatters.

WRNI to Expand FM into Providence

Last week WELH 88.1 FM in Providence, Rhode Island announced that it was working on a deal to lease its signal to WRNI, Rhode Island Public Radio, for the next 10 years. WRNI currently airs NPR news programming over 102.7 FM in southern Rhode Island and over 1290 AM in Providence. As part of this pending arrangement with WELH, WRNI plans to extend a 5-year lease for its 1290 AM signal to Latino Public Radio (which previously rented a portion of WELH’s airtime). WRNI is reporting that they hope to be on 88.1 FM by October 1 and that in exchange for airtime, “Rhode Island Public Radio would pay $75,000 dollars a year for 88.1FM as well as three percent of any additional revenues from the switch. Latino Public Radio would lease 1290AM at cost.”

This is the latest news in a series of changes first revealed in July, when WELH, licensed to the private K-12 Wheeler School, announced that after 14 years, it would be dropping its contract with Brown Student Radio (BSR Radio) beginning on August 1, 2011. BSR shared the WELH airwaves with Latino Public Radio and Radio Italia, as well as with several other programming blocks, including one run by Wheeler’s own high school students. Last Wednesday, Wheeler’s Head of School Dan Miller stated on the Wheeler website that:

“Should this pending agreement be finalized, the partnership between Wheeler, WRNI (Rhode Island Public Radio) and Latino Public Radio will provide WRNI, a place on WELH, 88.1, Wheeler’s 4,000-watt signal on the FM dial, while allowing Latino Public Radio and their robust and growing listenership, a 24/7 programming home on 1290 AM.  For Wheeler, this would be a once-in-an-institution opportunity to help bring high quality and publicly vital radio programming to a broad demographic across the entire state as well as bring the strength of Rhode Island and National Public Radio programming to our frequency.”

When I first learned that BSR would be taken off WELH, I was curious about what the plans were for high school radio at Wheeler. WELH started in the early 1990s and was the result of a student’s desire for a radio station. According to Miller’s statement, students will continue to broadcast online at Wheeler:

“Wheeler would maintain its current radio curriculum and broadcasting opportunities for its students but shift almost entirely to streaming through a new Wheeler School
Radio website (wheelerschoolradio.org), the preferred radio outlet for our listenership.”

According to the new website for Wheeler Student Radio, the revamped station (WSRO), will be online 24 hours a day and will “play a wide variety of hit music, along with student programs, and live broadcasts of school events and sports.”

Readers might recall that WRNI had also been in discussions with Bryant University regarding the use of its 88.7 FM frequency (WJMF) in Providence. However, Boston-based public radio group WGBH ended up with the winning proposal and by next month, WGBH is expected to begin airing classical music programming over 88.7 FM in Providence.

WJMF departing FM to Make Way for WGBH's Classical Station

Earlier this summer when I learned that Bryant University’s college radio station was leaving its FM home, I was upset to find out that nobody seemed to be protesting the hand-over of the frequency to a public radio station. Much of the story seemed like deja vu, as a private university announced during summer break its plans to transition a student radio station to online-only status while offering up the FM signal to a public radio station in order to “preserve” classical music. In this case, Boston-based WGBH was the public radio entity and they expressed enthusiasm for being able to use WJMF for a Providence, Rhode Island-based simulcast of their classical music radio station WCRB (aka 99.5 All Classical).

Although on the surface the loss of FM at Bryant seems to parallel the recent shutdowns of KTRU, KUSF and WRVU; one major difference is the lack of an organized protest by students, station staff members, alumni, community members, and listeners. A few people posted comments here and there expressing displeasure, but there’s no centralized Save WJMF website or Facebook page.

Former WJMF Program Director Erin Donahue (2004-2007) is among the handful of people who have publicly expressed concern about changes at the station. She told me, “I was incredibly disappointed to hear of the change. A huge part of college radio is the possibility of having members of the nearby community come across your show. Now Bryant has sold off that opportunity.” She said that many station alums are “not pleased.” Donahue added, “However, as an alumni, you have to realize that if the current eboard didn’t protest the change, there’s really nothing to be done. It’s their station now.” She said,

“I don’t have a clue what the general DJ population will think of it. I hope that they speak out against it…FM is such an integral part of college radio. My parents used to drive up a hill in my hometown so they could pick up my radio show in their car. I could tune in WJMF on the radio in my dorm room or in my car. The best college stations are the ones that pick up a following from the local community. Without FM, your potential audience shrinks dramatically.”

Other past WJMFers seem to just be accepting the inevitable. Former WJMF DJ and Technical Director Matthew Wetmore told me over email,

“Originally I was kind of bummed, but once I heard what the station was getting I was ok with it.  More of a sign of the time I guess…While I do think it is important to have a FM signal, I don’t think it is necessary in this day and age.  A well marketed station online will have just a many listeners.  It is important to know that Bryant still owns the signal and the hardware, etc, so there is a chance in the future they can move back to FM.”

Sara Larrabee, who will be a junior at Bryant in the fall wrote to tell me that “When I first read that WJMF was losing its ‘call letters’ 88.7 I’m not going to lie I was pretty upset.” She explained to me that she fell in love with the station when she first arrived on campus for Admitted Students Day and that she enjoyed having her own radio show. She said that she didn’t think that the deal could be “un-done” and guessed that students were not protesting the loss of FM largely because “the publicity has been spun in a positive light.” She added, “I also think that a lot of students coming back to campus in the fall would not have heard about the changes to 88.7FM this summer so it is going to be interesting to see their reactions…good and bad.”

After delving into the story more I’m starting to realize why students and alumni haven’t been protesting the loss of FM at Bryant University’s station. In the first place, although WJMF has had an FM presence since 1973 (initially 10 watts at 91.5 FM until they moved to 225 watts at 88.7 FM in 1981) the station seems to be campus-oriented and doesn’t appear to have strong ties to listeners in the community outside of its Smithfield, Rhode Island campus. An indication of this is the fact that WJMF is currently on “auto pilot” over the summer while students are on break. To me, a lack of live DJs for extended periods of a station’s program schedule indicates that a station isn’t using its FM airwaves to their fullest potential.

But, more importantly, the current student management staff at WJMF is in favor of giving up their FM broadcasting capabilities in exchange for a partnership with WGBH. Although in other similar instances I’ve been skeptical of outside radio groups offering internships, HD capabilities, and other perks to college radio stations in exchange for the much more valuable FM real estate; in the case of WJMF and WGBH it seems like the relationship between the two stations may actually produce some tangible benefits to students.

Although I had hoped to interview someone from the Bryant administration for this article, the university’s Director of Public Relations Tracie Sweeney wrote to tell me that, “Bryant University administrators declined requests to be interviewed for this article.” I was, however, able to speak with Benjamin Roe, WGBH’s Managing Director for Classical Services, in order to learn a bit more about how the deal with Bryant came about. Although he’s relatively new on the job (he started in this role on March 2, 2011), he was able to give me a bit of the back story behind WGBH’s expansion into Rhode Island when we spoke by phone last week.

Roe told me that although the deal was in the works before his arrival at WGBH, he’s been helping to usher it through. He said that WGBH had been looking for ways to expand their classical coverage and saw an opportunity when they were approached by a broker representing Bryant University. Roe acknowledged that WGBH was not the only station that Bryant’s broker approached and a recent article pointed out that Providence-based public radio station WRNI was also potentially interested in Bryant’s signal. The article in Providence Business News stated that WRNI’s General Manager Joe O’Connor “revealed that his station at Bryant’s request submitted a bid for the contract, but lost out to WGBH, whom he described as its ‘most direct competitor.’ ‘It’s tough for the hometown team to compete with a huge, public media conglomerate in Boston,’ he told Providence Business News.” In a strange twist, it turns out that back in 2005 Bryant University contemplated running WRNI (which was at the time owned by Boston University).

Roe said that it was clear to him that with this latest deal with WGBH, Bryant University wanted to be transparent and open with its students. Along with that, he said that for WGBH, “we thought it was very important to actually be able to visit the student body and the students and have a discussion in person so that it wasn’t something that was kind of abstract, but really talking about what kind of relationship could ensure between the school and with WGBH.” He explained that he had a background in college radio from his undergraduate days and said, “I am a big fan and supporter of what college radio does and the important niche that it fills.” Roe emphasized that he didn’t want to damage the college radio experience at Bryant and instead wants to “aid and abet it.”

WGBH hopes to begin airing their classical service over Bryant’s airwaves by Labor Day utilizing the upgraded FM signal of 1200 watts. They are also searching for new call letters for the terrestrial classical music broadcast and will allow Bryant University to use the WJMF call letters for their HD and online broadcasts. In the meantime they are working with the student managers at WJMF in order to transition the station to its new platforms (HD, DTV mobile, etc.).

When I talked to Roe I was very interested in learning about the financial arrangement between WGBH and Bryant, especially since a press release stated that there would be “no capital commitment on behalf of WGBH.” He reiterated that “WGBH is not paying cash to Bryant,” but acknowledged that “there is a financial aspect to the deal, which I can’t really comment on because it’s still in negotiation right now.” However he did explain that,

“It’s a revenue share. This is predicated on the fact that we can add value to the station and so as we do fundraising and that sort of thing, there will be a recognition of the services that Bryant is providing to us and we are to them…Whatever financial aspect is something that has to be equitable for both sides and is going to be consistent with FCC rules and regulations clearly.”

At the moment WGBH plans to utilize WJMF’s airwaves while Bryant University maintains ownership of the station’s FCC license. Roe said WGBH’s goal was to form a partnership with Bryant and that “right now we’re not talking about purchasing” the station, but he conceded that “we’re going to see what happens…5, 10 years down the line.” It’s unclear if WGBH will also benefit from Bryant University’s construction permit for a new radio station in Danielson, Connecticut at 90.7 FM. Roe said “initially the discussion revolved just around WJMF,” but added that the other frequency is “kind of a dangling thread right now,” and acknowledged that “I’m not really sure what the status is at the moment.”

Another aspect of the partnership between Bryant and WGBH is that the public radio station will be offering internships (at all of the WGBH properties, including TV and radio stations), production training, and technical assistance to the students at WJMF. They also hope to collaborate on events on campus.

When I spoke with WJMF General Manager Ricky McLaughlin over email he shared with me his feelings about the new arrangement with WGBH and outlined for me why he thinks the deal will be beneficial for students at Bryant.

Jennifer Waits: When did you learn about the deal with WGBH?

Ricky McLaughlin: Mid-May

J. Waits: Who made the decision to forge this partnership?

R. McLaughlin: WJMF Radio has some great supporters within the administration who arranged a partnership that not only made sense for the University, but also for the future of the student run radio station. After the basic framework of the deal was constructed between WGBH and the University, Bryant students were involved in the next steps. WJMF staff sat in on meetings with University Administration and WGBH executives as we discussed the deal, negotiated, and deliberated. The University President, Ronald K. Machtley, and the Dean of Students, J. Thomas Eakin, took our considerations to heart. They told us that we ultimately had significant influence on whether or not the University would finalize the agreement with WGBH.

J. Waits: Was the executive staff of WJMF involved in the decision? Were you all in agreement?

R. McLaughlin: …At first, the WJMF staff was slightly skeptical about the partnership because of the loss of the FM analog signal. After a comprehensive reflection where we went over all the pros and cons, we reached a consensus. At the end of the day, we decided that the partnership was in the best interest of WJMF’s future and for future students. This partnership was clearly a once in a lifetime opportunity for WJMF and its staff.

J. Waits: How do you feel about the loss of WJMF’s FM signal?

R. McLaughlin: …The University and WJMF have not lost ownership of its frequency or towers. Leasing the WJMF analog dial position has allowed us to increase from 225 watts to 1200 watts and move to a higher tower. Even though we may be off the analog dial, we will use this power increase on the 88.7 FM HD-2 channel. Although many people have not yet adopted HD radio, our increased coverage may give us a larger imprint on the terrestrial dial. As HD receivers develop and become more affordable and programming for multi-cast channels continues to develop, the popularity of HD radio will take off. This will do wonders for WJMF and its staff.

When first being told about the proposal, I was very nervous and uneasy. ‘Going off the analog dial’ is a scary thing to hear. Additionally, I was nervous that the prospect of a partnership seemed too good to be true. Now that the partnership has formed, WJMF has already made significant leaps. WGBH is going above and beyond, offering WJMF direct help in places it sees potential and helping us find appropriate solutions so some challenges we’ve encountered. For example, we are developing a new logo to connect WJMF’s past and present. Our team designed preliminary drafts and is helping us make the designs better.

Additionally, we have been working with a WGBH website design team. We e-mail back and forth, have conference calls, and discuss ways to build a killer and sustainable new site. They have offered all sorts of technical & money saving advice that go above and beyond the scope the needed to. A gentleman on this team was kind enough to take part in conference calls during his vacation. Another went out of his way to randomly inform us of a unique opportunity to acquire a better domain name. WGBH has been an unbelievable partner thus far, and it is already clear that their input and expertise will be a huge asset for WJMF. My uneasiness has subsided, and enthusiasm has taken over…

J. Waits: On the WJMF website it states that the station and Bryant are “reviewing the possibilities for returning to analog FM radio on a new frequency.” Can you give more details on that?

R. McLaughlin: …Finding another location on the noncommercial part of the analog dial has been difficult. There is just no space on the dial. President Machtley has told me that he will work with WJMF to obtain a dial position in our area when and if the opportunity presents itself in a cost effective manner. The wattage at which we would broadcast in this situation has not been discussed.

J. Waits: WJMF is working to increase its coverage (has that happened already)? Is that the reason why WGBH was interested in your FM frequency?

R. McLaughlin: Working with WGBH has allowed us to move from 225 watts to 1200 watts. We will also have the ability to broadcast off of a WGBH DTV channel as well. Additionally, we are greatly improving our website, creating a WJMF interactive Smartphone application, and developing an online marketing strategy. Our online streaming will be upgrading as well. The University invested a significant amount of funds to turn our station into a video simulating studio with three HD cameras. We will be playing shows through Bryant’s Media Production Club (MPC) video channel. MPC will also help with the editing of shows and distribution. We may put shows on video on the website as well on some sort of on-demand player in the future…We are aiming for a soft launch of HD in mid-August.

J. Waits: I noticed that WJMF is on automation right now. When do live shows resume? When was the last live DJ on the air at the station?

R. McLaughlin: When the summer comes, the DJs go home. They return when classes resume in the fall. Our Programming Director, Tyler Pepe, plans to have an official launch the second or third week of September.

…Our last DJ in the station to do a show before summer break was Dylan Smith, aka DJD, with his show “DJD Presents Hip-Hop.” He will be a sophomore next year, and earned the station’s award for “Best New Show of the Year.” He is now our new Music Director at the station. We cannot wait get DJs back on air in September…

J. Waits: Have you heard reactions from students and alumni about the loss of FM at WJMF?

R. McLaughlin: When first word went out, many mistakenly thought the WJMF studio was being taken over by WGBH. We faced backlash from concerned alumni and college radio supporters who thought we sold out. We did not. After issuing our own press release that offered additional details, the concern turned to curiosity. As we continue to talk to alumni and alumni talked among themselves, many are becoming excited about the partnership.

Students are very excited about the change. Their biggest concern is how to listen if they do not yet have an HD receiver. The University has agreed to give HD receivers to all incoming freshman classes and to provide receivers for current students who wish to obtain one. As always, students can continue to listen to our online stream, which will see significant improvements before the school year starts. Students seem very excited about our multi-digital platform. WGBH is also helping us with a digital marketing plan to draw in students and a larger audience as well. Students are also amped for our push into mobile media. WJMF will have a feature-laden iPhone App that is to be released in early September. As DTV develops, so will other aspects of mobile listening. We plan to develop applications for other smartphones as soon as we can find the time.

J. Waits: Anything else you’d like to share?

R. McLaughlin: This deal will become better with age. As this technology develops, WJMF will reach new levels of success. The station also has contingency plans in the event a technology does not take off as planned.

Although we already have an online presence, with help from the folks at WGBH and increased support from the university we are launching a new website. We will offer customized features like chatting with an online DJ and plan to integrate the site with social media. The staff will be able to communicate through the website like a forum through a custom portal and log music through the site.

A student-run station is a unique student organization. It is where student organizations meet business. Seeing the deals being made between other universities and radio stations, knowing about other proposed deals in the works, and witnessing deals that were close to going through, the future of college radio is changing. I am confident that this ‘deal’ is the best move for WJMF’s future. WJMF sees an immediate increase in overall benefit because of the partnership. Also, WJMF hedges itself against any type of future threats. WJMF maintains its independence which means that we are a 24/7 student-run station. Any student can still have a show. Although the way one may listen changes, WJMF remains the same. We are and will always be a student-run station that runs for students.

This partnership increases the variety of media for listening to WJMF, exposes our staff to new internship opportunities, and gives staff (marketing, business, technology, web, music, and production aspects) new challenges and resume building activities. We retain our core ability for any student to have an organic show where they can develop their soft skills, confidence, and have the best time of their lives. (I know I have.)

***

WJMF’s move off of FM, along with the recently announced loss of Brown Student Radio from the Providence, Rhode Island terrestrial dial means that the college radio landscape in the area will dwindle in the coming weeks. I’ll be curious to hear if we ever do hear any uproar from returning students or from the local arts and music community regarding the loss of both stations or if it turns out that online-only (and other high tech listening options) is an acceptable alternative. I’m also pleased to hear that Rhode Island is still home to several other terrestrial college radio stations (WRIU 90.3 FM at University of Rhode Island, WDOM 91.3 FM at Providence College and WXIN 90.7 FM at Rhode Island College in Providence), so hopefully they are all still alive and well. Providence is lucky that it’s had so many college radio listening options, so I’d be interested to hear more about the role that college radio plays in the Providence music community and how the local music scene will be affected by the loss of WJMF and BSR’s FM signals.

College Radio Station WJMF to Lose FM

In a variation on a familiar theme, student radio station WJMF at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island just announced that they will be leaving their terrestrial radio home in light of a deal that the university made with Boston public radio station WGBH. WGBH’s all-classical service will begin airing over WJMF’s FM frequency in August. The student radio station will be moved to an HD-2 channel and will continue to broadcast online. According to a statement on WJMF’s website:

“These are very exciting times for WJMF radio, Bryant University, and WGBH. As you may have heard, WJMF will no longer be 88.7, but rather be an HD-2 channel off of 88.7 acquired by WGBH. What does this mean for our listeners? Although we are losing our fm dial position, we will be available on HD radio, DTV, and we will increase our presence steaming online in places such as iTunes radio. We will be broadcasting from WGBH’s HD-2 channel…The opportunity presented itself thanks to the fine folks at WGBH, and WJMF is getting ahead of the curve moving to HD.

Also, you can hear us from further away. We are increasing our wattage from 225 to 1200 watts. Watt does this mean to you the listener? You will now be able to listen to us from Westerly, Rhode Island to the outskirts of Framingham, Massachusetts…

WGBH will be re-transmiting their signal from WGBH’s 99.5 All Classical service, returning round-the-clock classical broadcasts to the Providence area via 88.7fm. The increase in coverage will be present here as well. WGBH will be operating at 1200 watts opposed to the current 225 watts, expanding the frequency’s coverage. President Ron Machtley acclaims that he is, ‘thrilled that this collaboration returns classical music broadcasts to Rhode Island while providing our students hands-on opportunities to master leading-edge technologies for delivery of WJMF music, sports programming, and talk shows not just in New England but throughout the country.’”

College radio station WJMF began in 1972 as a 10 watt station and has been at 88.7 FM since 1981. They have made a number of technological changes and upgrades in recent years, including a new studio in 2006.

So far I’m only seeing official statements about this deal and haven’t caught wind of any protests from angry students, alumni or listeners. It’s notable that this was announced a few weeks after the end of the semester when I’m assuming not many students or faculty are present on campus. I can’t assume from the statement on the WJMF website that students, DJs, and listeners are necessarily in favor of these changes, as it will mean that their station will not be accessible to terrestrial listeners who do not own HD radios. Classical fans in the area, on the other hand, are already expressing their excitement over plans to hear a simulcast of WCRB (which WGBH purchased back in 2009) over the Rhode Island airwaves.

You know public radio is truly keeping with the times when a podcast named What the F*ck gets repurposed for a 10-episode run syndicated by the Public Radio Exchange. I wrote about WTF, as it is more commonly known, back in March because it’s become my favorite podcasts, in part because host/creator Marc Maron is a great radio interviewer, on par with just about anyone else on public radio today.

However, on WTF Maron doesn’t shy away from using its namesake expletive, nor other words and topics the FCC would frown upon airing before 10 PM. Thus the show’s journey onto public radio is due to a labor of love by Jesse Thorn, who produces the independent public radio show The Sound of Young America, and that show’s editor Nick White. Over the course of six months Thorn and White edited down the archives of WTF–filtering or bleeping out words and content not suitable for daytime broadcast–into ten one-hour episodes. Thorn also says that he was encouraged to take on this mission by Ira Glass of This American Live, and Torey Malatia, CEO of Chicago Public Radio, who also suggested keeping the name WTF (as an abbreviation only). Glass even recorded several promos for the program in his inimitable style:

Although Marc Maron is not exactly an unknown personality–having been a successful stand-up comedian, a host on Air America and making talk show appearances–his podcast has most certainly been an independent, up by your bootstraps affair. I have no doubt that his name recognition helped attract an audience faster than a podcast by a true unknown, combined with his ability to attract guests who also have name recognition. Nevertheless, these factors alone do not necessarily add up to a successful podcast project.

I’m pleased to see a program like WTF have the opportunity to be aired nationally on public radio. In particular I’m glad that public radio is still a venue open to challenging new projects that aren’t necessarily produced by a particular station. This is assisted in no small part by the PRX which does provide a marketplace that is open to independent producers with a relatively low bar to entry. I’d like to think that the next public radio star will be a podcaster.

I am a monthly donor to my local public radio station so that I don’t even have call in during its pledge drives — they’ve already got my donation. So despite their attempts to make the morning drive pledge pitches compelling, by the second or third day I turn the station off in the morning because I’m sick of pledge drive. I know it’s a necessary evil, and I’ve been just as responsible working in community and college radio. So I do empathize with the listeners who pledged early to the stations I’ve worked at, too. Nevertheless, when I’m just the listener who has already donated, I just want to go back to regular programming.

San Francisco’s KQED has come up with a remedy for its early donors — a pledge-drive free webstream. This feed is only for folks who have ponied up $45 or more, and it is only online. While the station had been toying with the idea for a while, it is only with the growing popularity of mobile devices that can stream online radio that it seemed feasible.

I think KQED is smart to publicize this option well in advance of the actual drive, which begins May 5. This way they’re giving a lot of incentive for would-be donors to get their pledges in early. They’re also garnering a fair degree of publicity for their drive, which otherwise wouldn’t be newsworthy at all. Getting in a significant number of pledges in advance of the start date may also help the station reach its goal faster, cutting the drive short.

However, like all good marketing techniques, it will be interesting to see if this one has legs, and if other stations also take up the mantle. Putting up a pledge-free stream does require producing a whole other stream of programming, which may be too expensive and complex for smaller stations. And as the idea loses its novelty the incentive may wear off for many listeners who will go back to needing to be reminded dozens of times on air before they finally make their pledge.

The station also potentially risks losing multiple donations from a single donor who is moved a second or third time by a new pitch or special premium gift. I don’t imagine that these donors who give multiple times make up more than a small percentage of overall donors. But having worked and coordinated many pledge drives in the last fourteen years, I do know that these donors do exist and their overall contributions really do add up.

I predict that KQED’s pledge-free stream experiment will be successful in helping the station hit or break its goal ahead of schedule. The novelty and publicity will help see to that. Then I expect that other public stations in larger markets with the resources to pull of a second live stream of programming will jump in and see some gains, too. But I’m not entirely sure that we’ll see the idea still going four years from now. Or, we may see the idea get diluted, with the pledge-free stream turning into the fewer-pledge-breaks stream.

I am very interested to see how this plays out.

The saga began back in August 2010 when Rice University issued a press release stating their plans to sell the station to University of Houston. Paperwork was submitted to the FCC in November 2010 and was met with a Petition to Deny by the group Friends of KTRU in December 2010. In a letter (PDF) dated today, the FCC officially approved the transfer of KTRU from Rice University to University of Houston. University of Houston plans to air classical music programming over KTRU’s FM frequency. According to the letter:

“We find that neither the Petitioners nor the Objectors have raised a substantial and material question of fact warranting further inquiry. We further find that grant of the Applications is consistent with the public interest, convenience and necessity. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, that the Petition to Deny filed by Friends of KTRU IS DENIED, the Informal Objections submitted by Janet Greenberg, Karen Bush, and William McGuinness, IV ARE DENIED, and that the applications for approval to assign the license for NCE Station KTRU(FM), Houston, Texas (BALED-20101029ACX) and FM Translator Station K218DA, Houston, Texas (File No. BALFT-20101029ACY) from William Marsh Rice University to University of Houston System ARE GRANTED.”

The 6-page letter from the FCC outlines the arguments set forth in Friends of KTRU’s Petition to Deny, stating:

“Petitioners oppose grant of the Applications, arguing that the proposed assignment of licenses is not in the public interest and that Rice and UHS have otherwise violated the Commission’s rules and state law. Specifically, Petitioners allege that: (1) The assignment will involve a format change that contradicts the Commission’s policies in favor of broadcast localism; (2) the assignment undermines the educational purpose of an NCE station and UHS’ proposed programming description is inadequate; (3) the assignment will result in a concentration of NCE FM licenses in the hands of UHS; (4) the UHS public file is missing a required ownership report for one of its existing NCE broadcast stations; (5) the negotiations between UHS and Rice violated the Texas Open Meetings Act; and (6) the agreed purchase price is deflated and harms the public interest. The Informal Objections reiterate the claims raised by Petitioners.”

The FCC’s response indicates that none of these allegations are grounds for denial of the license transfer. Specifically, the FCC points out that they do not evaluate applications based on proposed format of the station. They also found that since University of Houston already operates non-commercial educational stations, they are a qualified applicant in this case as well. The FCC further argues that there are no local ownership rules for non-commercial stations, stating, “Petitioners argue that allowing UHS to operate two of the five NCE FM stations in the Houston market would increase consolidation in the market, harming the public interest. However, as Petitioners admit, the Commission’s local radio ownership limits do not apply to NCE FM stations.”

In the Petition to Deny, Friends of KTRU stated that University of Houston had violated Public File rules due to missing ownership reports. In their response, the FCC said that, “Public file violations, on their own, do not establish grounds for denial of an application unless intentional misconduct is evident.” Since a case was not made for misconduct, this was not seen as rationale for denying the application. However, the letter did acknowledge the FCC’s firm stance on Public File violations, stating, “We will, however, refer the KUHF public inspection file matter to the Enforcement Bureau for consideration.”

Further, the FCC letter argued that any questions as to whether or not the negotiations over the station sale violated the Texas Open Meetings Act could not be addressed by the FCC since any possible violations are not against FCC rules. Additionally, the FCC argued that they do not investigate matters related to the purchase price of a station.

When I spoke with KTRU Station Manager Joey Yang today about the recent FCC decision, he said, “Obviously I’m disappointed,” adding that it’s disheartening to see that, “simultaneously the FCC preaches localism” while at the same time they argue that “programming content is not their concern.” He said that KTRU will continue to broadcast over their current FM frequency of 91.7 FM for the time being and after the signal is transferred to University of Houston, they will continue to broadcast KTRU over the Internet, via their iPhone app, and on their new HD channel.

According to Joey, Rice and University of Houston will have 10 business days (beginning next Monday) to complete the station sale. He said that he’s guessing that KTRU will continue to broadcast over 91.7FM until the end of April. Joey also pointed out that the timing of this is challenging, as the semester is drawing to a close at Rice University (classes end April 22) and students are busy completing their final projects and exams. Finals finish up on May 4.

Joey said that they will be meeting with their lawyers to discuss their next steps and that they are considering filing a Petition for Reconsideration with the FCC. Updates will be posted on the Save KTRU website.

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You can find Radio Survivor’s complete coverage of the situation at KTRU here, as well as an interview with former Station Manager Kelsey Yule over on Spinning Indie.

Tombstone at KUSF Wake on March 25. Photo: J. Waits

Lawyers and wordsmiths on both sides of the fight over KUSF 90.3 FM have put pen to paper, filing lengthy documents supporting their positions to either defend the purchase of KUSF by Classical Public Radio Network (CPRN), or to cast doubt on the propriety of a formerly commercial service being broadcast over a non-commercial educational station.

As those following this saga know, back on January 18 University of San Francisco (USF) shut down the transmitter for its college radio station KUSF 90.3FM. Later that day, they began piping in a simulcast of programming from commercial classical station KDFC (which at that time was airing on 102.1FM) over KUSF’s airwaves and announced that the station had been sold to Classical Public Radio Network (which is 90% owned by University of Southern California and 10% owned by Public Radio Capital).

Opposition to the proposed sale has been led largely by the group Save KUSF and has taken a number of forms including rallies, protests, letters to the FCC, and resolutions crafted by numerous politicians and by the USF Faculty Association. The most formal objections were two Petitions to Deny, which were submitted to the FCC opposing the station sale to CPRN. The group Friends of KUSF filed their Petition to Deny (PTD) on February 28 and an individual, Ted Hudacko, submitted his own Petition to Deny around the same time.

Friends of KUSF’s Petition to Deny covered a lot of ground, but several of its main claims were:

1. It’s unclear if CPRN is actually a qualified educational entity

2. Proposed program service of CPRN does not serve an educational purpose

3. University of San Francisco prematurely relinquished control of its station

4. When inspected by the public, KUSF Public File did not include required documents

5. Station Identification was not properly announced following the KUSF takeover

Following the filings of these Petitions to Deny, both USF and CPRN sent letters of opposition, citing their critiques of the PTDs and affirming their confidence in the validity of their application for the station transfer. Replies to these oppositions were submitted to the FCC by both Friends of KUSF (on Friday, March 25) and by Ted Hudacko. Both replies ask the FCC to halt the station sale, calling for a hearing in order to more thoroughly investigate the proposed sale and the parties to that sale.

Attorney Peter Franck, who is representing Friends of KUSF, stated that, “the documents filed originally, as well as the self-serving declarations of a USF administrator and a co-director of CPRN simply reveal a bootstrap attempt cover the essentially commercial nature of this transaction and of CPRN’s plans to continue the broadcast of elite oriented classical music, with no educational purpose or content.” Similarly, Ted Hudacko told me that, “The changes to KUSF-FM fundamentally eliminate all educational aspects for USF and students of all ages and destroy thoughtful and irreplaceable community and informational services for the people of San Francisco, including the under-served and disadvantaged.”

In order to put these replies into context, it’s important to take a look at the oppositions filed by both USF and CPRN. USF’s strongly worded opposition to Friends of KUSF’s Petition to Deny states,

“Petitioner’s objection to the assignment of KUSF to CPRN amounts to ‘much ado about nothing.’ The complaints are, in large part, unsubstantiated, false or entirely misplaced, and conclusively fail to raise a material and substantial question of fact.”

It goes on to argue that Friends of KUSF is not qualified to submit a Petition to Deny, stating that they don’t have standing to file a claim as they have not demonstrated an “injury in fact.” USF also states that “CPRN is fully qualified to be a non-commercial licensee.” Most notably the opposition suggests that Friends of KUSF’s concerns about localism, diversity and public interest are actually a “guise.” In the opposition USF argues,

“Petitioner disingenuously disguised its objection to the format change as matters of localism and diversity. Petitioner’s claim that the assignment of KUSF is contrary to the public interest on diversity and localism grounds is merely another red-herring; it is a ruse for a differing opinion on programming decisions and must be denied.”

USF’s opposition states that USF has maintained control of KUSF since January 18th and admits that there have been a “couple of glitches” related to transmission and on-air station identification. As far as station identification goes, USF’s opposition argues that the usage of the station name KDFC is simply branding and that “KDFC is not currently in use as a call sign by any broadcast licensee, but instead is a brand of classical music known in the San Francisco Bay Area and can be used like any other format brand.”

This point was interesting to me in that in on January 18, the day of the KUSF shut-down (and for nearly a week after), KDFC was still the call sign tied to the broadcast license of the commercial station broadcasting over 102.1 FM.

The conclusion to USF’s opposition asks for the Petition to Deny to be dismissed, stating that, “Petitioner’s allegations amount to little more than a kettle of red herring heaped upon themselves in the hopes than [sic] one of them might stink.”

Similarly, CPRN’s opposition to the Petition to Deny states that, “The Petition is riddled with false, unsupported and misleading factual contentions, straw-man arguments and half-truths, and inapposite legal citations, none of which even if on point would justify denial of the application. This assignment accords with FCC law, rule and policy; the Petition should be summarily rejected.”

While arguing that USF has maintained control of its studio for KUSF, CPRN’s opposition also admits that it still has ties with the commercial radio group, Entercom, that previously controlled KDFC. The opposition states,

“USC reached an agreement with Entercom, which was in the process of changing the classical format of its station KDFC, to acquire the KDFC call letters and its classical record library. USC paid Entercom. CPRN is leasing a studio in Entercom’s San Francisco facility from which, pursuant to its January 12, 2011 Public Service Operating Agreement with USF, CPRN provides classical programming under USF’s supervision and control. CPRN also pays Entercom technical staff for equipment maintenance at the CPRN studio. Entercom has no involvement whatsoever with CPRN’s acquisition strategy or with KUSF’s operations or management, and has never paid anything to USC or CPRN.”

They also assert that there is no evidence to support Friends of KUSF’s claim that the loss of the station “will have a devastating impact on the Bay Area’s local music and arts community,” calling this statement a “gross hyperbole,” suggesting that “CPRN, whose programming will be originated in and for San Francisco and the Bay Area, will have a dynamic and positive impact on the local arts community and complies with all FCC localism policies for NCE-FM licensees.” An included declaration by Classical Public Radio Network’s Brenda Barnes addresses this as well. She states, “…the claim that grant of the application will cause a ‘fundamental decrease in localism and diversity on Bay Area airwaves’ is erroneous —CPRN will provide the only classical-cultural radio format in the area…” The opposition also points out that the FCC recently approved the transfer of KNDL to Classical Public Radio Network, suggesting that this proves that they are a qualified non-commercial educational licensee.

CPRN’s opposition also brings up for the first time a promise of internships for USF students at Classical Public Radio Network beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year. It also mentions plans for a community advisory board and a local on-air arts magazine.

In response to these two oppositions to the Petition to Deny, Friends of KUSF filed a reply with the FCC on Friday, March 25. In the reply, Friends of KUSF argues that the oppositions by USF and CPRN show

“that the initial application was seriously deficient, by supplying (1) a wholly new legal description of the applicant; (2) a wholly new program service proposal; and (3) several wholly new window-dressing palliatives, such as the pledge to create a local advisory board. In effect the Assignee has recognized the essential truth of Petitioner’s core contention—that the applicant failed to demonstrate it was legally qualified to become a noncommercial, educational licensee. A proposal that is so fundamentally revised to attempt compliance, post-petition, requires the specification of issues and a hearing.”

It further argues that the oppositions still do not prove that  “CPRN is qualified to become a noncommercial licensee, or that it will provide a noncommercial, educational broadcast service.” It points out that “no attempt is made to explain how the broadcast of classical music, by itself, satisfies any educational objective.” Additionally, it speaks to CPRN’s recent promises regarding localism, stating, “CPRN’s belated promise to address local issues in the future must be viewed alongside its lack of such programming now.”

Ted Hudacko’s reply points out that his Petition to Deny was met with no response by USF or CPRN (largely because their oppositions to Friends of KUSF argue that Hudacko’s filing had no standing). He argues that as both a KUSF listener and musician who has benefited from KUSF airplay he is qualified to formally oppose the station sale. He also cites other injured parties, including students (who lost an educational resource) and the San Francisco arts community. He states,

“This Petitioner, unacknowledged as such by USF, has suffered specific injury and damages by the elimination of the former KUSF-FM Entertainment Calendar in which performances by the Petitioner’s band, the Economen, were announced on-air and promotional tickets were given away. Friends of KUSF includes numerous artists, filmmakers and musicians whose careers have suffered harm as the direct consequence of no longer having KUSF-FM broadcast their musical compositions and recordings or announce their live appearances and screenings at local venues.”

Included in Hudacko’s reply are statements from other musicians, as well as from representatives from numerous music venues, all arguing that the loss of KUSF has impacted their work and business due to the loss of not only airplay of certain artists, but also because of the severing of underwriting announcements, the end of the on-air Entertainment Calendar, and the demise of ticket giveaways to local shows.

In an attached exhibit to the reply, Anthony Bedard, the Talent Buyer for Hemlock Tavern states:

“Just the promotional tickets alone accounted for a minimum of 2,400 people per year (200 per month) in increased attendance at our shows. The loss of clientele due to the lack of local radio play of artists performing at the Hemlock combined with the loss of vital free public concert calendar listings is demonstrably hurting our business. We have experienced a 10-20% drop-off in show attendance in the two months since KUSF-FM 90.3 went off the air.”

Hudacko also suggests that USF has ceded control of the station to CPRN, stating that KUSF General Manager Steve Runyon “has reported that he is currently locked out of the transmitter room” and pointing out that there are questions as to whether or not newly appointed KUSF Chief Operator Michael Bloch “is qualified, knowledgeable or empowered enough to be considered the station’s Chief Operator beyond his holding the title and administering the Public File.”

Hudacko also brings up USF/CPRN’s claims that the Petitions to Deny were concerned with simply a format change, arguing that this is untrue, especially in light of the large amount of classical music programming played on KUSF (15-20 hours a week) prior to the “format change” on January 18. He argues that, “…in fact what has been done has been the termination of an actual noncommercial educational broadcast service and replacement of it with a crypto-commercial station with no direct educational function run by the same individuals who only one day earlier were running commercial classical KDFC 102.1.”

Now it’s up to the FCC to navigate through the various arguments posed by Friends of KUSF, USF, and CPRN. If the proposed sale of KTRU at Rice University is any indication, it could still be a long fight. KTRU’s sale to University of Houston is still pending FCC approval following several Petitions to Deny, oppositions, and replies. Paperwork for that sale was originally submitted to the FCC back in November 2010.

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Complete Radio Survivor coverage about the proposed sale of KUSF can be found here. I also wrote about my reaction to the KUSF shut down and to the Save KUSF Multi-Station Live Broadcast on Spinning Indie.  My article chronicling my KUSF field trip 2 years ago is housed there too. For more on the bigger picture of college radio station sell-offs, see my December 2009 piece “Cash-strapped Schools Turn Their Backs on College Radio.” And, for a quick overview of the situation at KUSF, see my article, “The Story Behind the KUSF Shutdown” on PopMatters.