More victims of plain vanilla progress, survival of the bean counters, the world under anesthesia mentality. Check out the Web site – saveKBCS.org – and decide for yourself. Be sure to read this post on what is going on and what effect, if any, savekbcs is having with the higher ups. It looks to me like a heavy hand cutting away original content in order to chase a bean counters idea of economic competitiveness. The radio station is community supported. Either the community pushed for these drastic changes in programming and personnel or the heads in charge have a personal agenda that trumps the small people from the ground, whether they be volunteer dj’s or listeners (I know I’ll miss the programs that are getting cut and/or downsized. Phase one is very bad, phase two seems like a different radio station all together). Or, maybe, what made KBCS what it is was wrong all along and what the station needs is less independent thinking from within. Let the volunteer aspect fade into the sunset and wise decision makers at the top call all the shots. Just like commercial radio. Perhaps there should be no distinction between private and community based radio programing, just different financial methods to deliver generic product with the widest mass market appeal.
What is happening to public radio and is it happening on a national scale? Covered at the GrassRoots Radio Coalition Web site.
