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No matter how one approaches it
Aug. 15th, 2010 12:54 pmThe paradox inherent in the Red Radio concept is that such a station can't accept advertising or underwriting without destroying its credibility, and no radio station can survive on listener contributions alone. All so-called "listener-supported" stations get the majority of their operating funds from other sources: CPB, arts and cultural organizations, universities, family foundations, local businesses, endowments, etc. The listeners are told, "we can't make it without your help", which is true, but listener contributions will only meet a part of the station's expenses. Except for stations that are propaganda arms of religious organizations (e.g. Family Radio, Moody Bible Institute), non-commercial radio stations tend to lead far more complicated and precarious lives than their for-profit rivals, who have only two constituencies to please: advertisers and listeners.
"The Karl Marx Hour is brought to you in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation"? I don't think so. And CPB money comes with far too many strings attached (just ask one of my clients, whose CPB-funded consultants have made it substantially change its musical content over the past couple of years). So, how is Red Radio to get funded?
With modern technology, it's possible to operate a music-formatted station with less than a single full-time employee, but news and talk programming takes a lot more man-hours, and *good* news and talk programming requires a degree of talent that does not come cheap. It might be possible to do something with three full-timers and a handful of volunteers, but this is not my area of expertise, and I don't know anyone in radio who'd be willing to take on such a project.
In the end, it's still radio; it has to have a viable target audience and a realistic mission. It has to be run by an experienced broadcaster, and finding that person must be the first and most important step.
This is not a project for 2010; it would take several years to get a station on the air. That is unfortunate, because I sense that the current economic depression (which is what I believe it is) presents a window of opportunity that may not last.
"The Karl Marx Hour is brought to you in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation"? I don't think so. And CPB money comes with far too many strings attached (just ask one of my clients, whose CPB-funded consultants have made it substantially change its musical content over the past couple of years). So, how is Red Radio to get funded?
With modern technology, it's possible to operate a music-formatted station with less than a single full-time employee, but news and talk programming takes a lot more man-hours, and *good* news and talk programming requires a degree of talent that does not come cheap. It might be possible to do something with three full-timers and a handful of volunteers, but this is not my area of expertise, and I don't know anyone in radio who'd be willing to take on such a project.
In the end, it's still radio; it has to have a viable target audience and a realistic mission. It has to be run by an experienced broadcaster, and finding that person must be the first and most important step.
This is not a project for 2010; it would take several years to get a station on the air. That is unfortunate, because I sense that the current economic depression (which is what I believe it is) presents a window of opportunity that may not last.
