My local public radio station, KPFA, has just concluded yet another fund-raising drive. The constant hammering for money is perhaps the most recognizable characteristic of such stations. Previously, their best argument for funding was that they provided information and interviews that you could not get elsewhere. This is no longer the case, for the most part, because of the Internet. So, some people might think that it is time to devote their funds to other causes and indeed this particular fund-raising session did not go well for the station.
Having set you up for a bashing of this sort of operation, let me now turn 180° and argue for continued support for these fine institutions. But I do feel that such stations play an important role in our progressive community, and can continue to play an important role if they make a few changes. I discuss these in some detail below the fold.
To maintain their existence, public radio stations need to recognize that we are now in the 21st century. The old refrain that we are being given privileged insight into material not available elsewhere simply isn't true. Virtually everything I hear on the station is available on a website somewhere. Where the stations really shine is when they provide local coverage and support for local actions. They often cover demonstrations in great detail while the mainstream media is busy ignoring them or just concerning themselves with how many people show up. One thing the station does not do often enough is publicized process actions in advance. This would provide additional reasons to listen and to fund such stations.
In some cases, listener sponsored radio pays much more attention to issues where the mainstream media is silent. Among these issues are the situation in Haiti, genetically engineered crops, and prison reform. In addition, they provide perspectives on culture that are not readily available on the airwaves. My drive time usually includes "hard knock radio" where I get to hear new currents in African-American music that I would never be exposed to otherwise, along with brilliant commentaries from death row inmates and inside views of the corporate world. There is simply nothing like that show anywhere, as far as I know.
Progressive radio also supplies a great deal of discussion of health-related issues that cannot be found elsewhere. Unfortunately, some of this stuff should not be available anywhere as it is simply, bogus nonscientific support for such obvious frauds as homeopathic medicine. In addition, sometimes new things or embrace before they can be checked out. For a long time, every other house show was touting a supposed inventor thinks of greatly increasing consumption of soy, though recently there have been great reservations and even strong indications that the stock is simply unhealthy. We turn to progressive radio for the facts, and sometimes the standards of fact checking leave much to be desired. This is true not just of health shows, but we are also subjected to a great deal of pontificating about 9/11 from a definitely tinfoil perspective. That only bothers me because when these broadcasts are aired the opposing viewpoint, which sometimes debunks the material, gets no mention or discussion. I am personally still uncertain about what went on and find the evidence of some controlled demolitions to be quite strong, but when I hear somebody adopting a view on the air, I want to hear counter arguments against those who claim to debunks such theories, not simply a repetition of the point of view.
My point is that listener sponsored radio still provides a good service, one that can be elevated to a great service if the changed nature of radio in the 21st century is taken into account. Some shows are just fine the way they are, including hard knock radio and of course the Grateful Dead hour, now renamed "dead to the world" for some time. But when it comes to presenting information that we can use, I think that listener sponsored radio needs to take a good look at some of its standards and practices.
In the meantime, continue to show them some love if you can. I am still forced to devote all of my loose change to saving up to buy medications and couldn't help out this time around, but will in the future if circumstances permit. But when you give them your money, please ask especially for more coverage and advanced notice of local political activities. And more balanced presentation of health issues.
Specifically, I'd like to see them give much more time to local progressive candidates in an interactive format. And take a much stronger position in encouraging people to get involved in protest activities and other demonstrations regarding public policy. They do some of this already, but it often gets lost in the sea of diverse programming that fills their schedule.