|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
Local voices on the air is LOCALISM
|
| |
Localism on this page relates to the distance between the FM-Service listener and broadcaster.
The fewer the miles between the studio and the listener, the greater the localism factor.
The FM-Airways become a fresh medium when you hear your local friends exercising their voice
and we hear ourselves think and interact.
Now, imagine a region capable of completely interacting with itself wirelessly.
Impressive wireless broadband telecommunications delivery systems are available now.
The last 30 years of FM has increasingly created an expansion of a Read-Only(RO) culture.
Very few local voices on the air these days speaking to us, laying fallow.
Our radio experience is largely of pre-formatted into standardized theme stations like Public Jazz,
Rock, Country, Easy-Listening, Pop, Classic, Oldies with targets/ploys to sell us, all the time.
Our listening experience constantly subjected to persuasions of carefully crafted play-lists.
A packaged persuasion kit generated by Media Think-Tanks on 'K' St. and Madison Ave.
KUBU seeks to bypass much of that by connecting more Iowans together by their airwaves.
KUBU will offer public training on methods to make your computer a workstation.
The Community Public Radio KUBU envisions ISP partnerships with tested wireless technologies
reaching fertile ground for innovative telecommunications access solutions in rural Iowa
KUBU hopes to achieve a tower to enable a Read-Write(RW) Culture to emerge
and grow between Cedar Rapids from Dubuque and McGregor South to West Branch.
With such a tower Community Public Radio may even broadcast Internet Wi-Fi and
become an affordable High-Speed Rural Wireless Internet Provider.
A RW Culture that Simo-Casts ISP with RF-Radio empowering a region reflective ability
to hear itself and to succinctly respond to itself,
diversely providing for the Public Interest, Convenience & Necessity.
|
|
Lay of Iowa's Media Research Landscape
|
| |
BFIA and Fallon Forum Team up to Take on Right-Wing Talk Radio in Iowa
Dave Bradley and Trish Nelson will
be guests tonight on the Fallon Forum, broadcast live from 7-8 pm.
Join us for the fusion of politics
and civility at 98.3 WOW-FM and
on-line at 983wowfm.com.
Call (515) 312-0983 or (866) 908-TALK to participate in the
conversation, and if you miss the show, you can hear it as a podcast.
We've posted some links here to go with tonight's program.
First,
is a list of commercial stations in Iowa that air conservative talk.
We first collected this information in 2008, then did a review in 2009,
and 2010. An asterisk indicates new information for 2010. Below that
is a list of links to resources.
Summary:
We found 2 Iowa commercial stations that broadcast some progressive talk and 15 that broadcast only conservative talk.
Of the stations listed below that air conservative talk, none also aired progressive talk except 98.3WOW-FM.
Summary:
Of the 16 commercial stations that air conservative talk:
- 2 stations broadcast 3 hours per day of conservative talk
- 4 stations broadcast 6 hours per day of conservative talk
- 1 station broadcasts 8 hours per day of conservative talk
- 2 stations broadcast 9 hours per day of conservative talk
- 7 stations broadcast 12-14 hours per day of conservative talk
Following the list of stations are links to information and resources.
Burlington Talk
Radio KCPS
KCPS 1150
205 S. Gear
Avenue
W. Burlington, Iowa 52655
Phone (319)
754-6698
E-mail kcps@aol.com
Glenn Beck,
9-11a; Limbaugh 11a-2p;Dennis Miller 2-5p; Michael Savage
7-9p; Jerry Doyle 9-12am;
(Since 2009, took out 1 hour of O'Reilly, replaced with 3 hours of Doyle) Total: 13 hours/day
*Burlington KBUR 1490 am
Hannity 2-5, Roger Hedgecock, 8-11
Total: 6 hours/day
Cedar Rapids WMT 600
600
Old Marion Road
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Phone:
319-365-0600
Toll free: 800-332-5401
*600 on your US
Cellular Phone
johnlaton@clearchannel.com
Limbaugh 1p-4p;
Jim Bohannon 9p-12a Total: 6 hours/day
KXIC Iowa City 800 AM
(319) 354-9500 /866-609-TALK
(8-2-5-5)/news@kxic.com
Hannity,
Dennis Miller, 3 hours each Total: 6 hours/day
WOC Quad Cities
1420 AM
563-344-7025
news@woc1420.com
Limbaugh
11a-2p; Hannity 6-9p;Dennis Miller 9-12a; Total: 9 hours/day
Des Moines WHO
Radio
1040 AM
2141 Grand Ave
Des Moines, IA
50312
Phone:
515-245-8900
vanharden@clearchannel.com,
Program Director
joelmccrea@clearchannel.com,
General Manager
Jan Mickelson,9a-11:30;Limbaugh
1-4p;Steve Deace 4-7p;Michael Medved 9-12 ;Jim
Bohannon 4-5am
(Dropped Michael Reagan, added Bohannon) Total: 12 1/2 hours/day
*Dubuque
WDBQ(no website)
1490 AM
5490 Saratoga
Road Dubuque
Phone: (563) 557-1040
Limbaugh 11a-2p
*Acc. to Wikipedia: As of September 2009, added: Smerconish, Ingraham, Hannity, Fred Thompson
Est. Total: 13 hours/day
*Estherville KILR
1070 AM (no
website)
Phone: 712-362-2644
Limbaugh 11a-2p
Added: Bill Bennett, 2 hrs; James Dobson 1/2 hr, Laura Ingraham, 2 hrs., Hannity 3 hours; Savage 3 hours; Total: 13 1/2 hours/day
Mason City KGLO
AM 1300
341 S Yorktown Pike
Mason City, IA
50401
(641) 423-1300
Tim Fleming, tfleming@kglo.threeeagles.com
Brian Fancher, bfancher@kglo.threeeagles.com
Limbaugh 1p-4p
M-F Total: 3 hours/day
Sheldon KIWA (has advertiser list
on website!)
1550 AM
411 9th Street
Sheldon, IA
51201
Phone:
712-324-5377
E-mail: Walt Pruiksma, Station
Mgr., at walt@kiwaradio.com (good
luck...there is a picture on the website of Walt with Bush)
E-mail: Wayne
Barahona, Program Director, at wayne@kiwaradio.com
Limbaugh
11a-2p; Hannity 2-5p; L & H Saturdays also
Added Laura Ingraham and Mike Huckabee Total: 9 hours/day
Sioux City
KSCJ
1360
2000 Indian Hills Dr
Sioux City, IA
51104
(712) 239-2100
sarthur@powelliowa.com
Limbaugh,
11a-2p; Hannity, 2-5, O'Reilly (Fred Thompson now?) 5-7, Glenn Beck 7-10, Dennis Miller 10-12
Total: 13 hours/day
Waterloo KXEL
AM 1540
514 Jefferson
Street
Waterloo, IA 50701
General
Manager: Tim Mathews tim@radiogroup.net
Phone: 319-234-2200 or
800-584-7024
Coverage Area: Waterloo-Cedar
Falls-Cedar Rapids-Iowa City
8-11a Glenn
Beck; 11a-2p Limbaugh; 2-5p Hannity
Dropped Bohannon, added Mark Levin 6-9, Smerconish 6-8
Total: 14 hours/day
*Marshalltown KFJB1230
Hannity 2-5
Total: 3 hours/day
*Ames 1430 KASI
Laura Ingraham 9-12, Neal Boortz 9-12
Total: 6 hours/day
*Spencer KICD 1420
O'Reilly
Talking Points Memo 2 minutes 2x day; Mike Huckabee Report 5 minutes 2x
a day; Glenn Beck 3-5; Saturday Beck 3-6; Sunday Lou Dobbs 9-12
Total: 2 hours, 14 minutes/day; Weekly total: 8 hours
*98.3 WOW-FM Des Moines
Mark Levin 11-2 am; Dennis Miller 2-4; Glenn Beck 10-1; Sean Hannity 4-7; Michael Savage 8-11;
Total: 14 hours/day
98.3 WOW also broadcasts the Fallon Forum 7-8; Bradshaw 1-4, progressive programming for a total of 4 hours/day.
LINKS
Who owns your local radio station?
www.northpine.com/broadcast/ia/rmarkets.html
Radio Stations in Iowa
www.ontheradio.net
Iowa Broadcasters Association
http://www.iowabroadcasters.com/resource/ibadir10.pdf
The Public and Broadcasting: How to Get the Most Service from Your Local Station
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/decdoc/public_and_broadcasting.html
The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/06/talk_radio.html
Study: Localism Key to Correcting Conservative Talk Radio Imbalance
http://www.blogforiowa.com/blog/_archives/2009/2/23/4101530.html
Is Conservative Talk Being Rammed Down Iowans' Throats?
http://www.blogforiowa.com/blog/_archives/2010/6/22/4559319.html
Pew Research on Health Care Reform Validates Need for Media Reform
http://www.blogforiowa.com/blog/_archives/2010/6/28/4564588.html
Powell Memo
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/corporate_accountability/powell_memo_lewis.html
Grassley letter to Genachowski
http://www.votesmart.org/speech_detail.php?sc_id=490012&keyword=&phrase=&contain=
Prometheus Radio Project
http://prometheusradio.org/
Dave Bradley's writings on the history of the stolen media:
Iowa
in the Age of Consolidated Media
Getting
Our Message Out: Fighting Fire with FM (and Net Neutrality)
The
Great Surprise – The Telecommunications Act of 1996
The
Plane Facts About Media: What I Learned While in Flight
A
Brief History of Media Consolidation
Observations
on the Media in Iowa
|
|
Yes, Iowa City: There is HOPE on the Horizon for Low-Power-FM!
|
| |
|
| |
IowaFM News Release March 4, 2007 Common Frequency info@commonfrequency.org
Broadcast Localism [Radio for People] [Prometheus Radio] [Discussed in MPLS/MN June 6-8 2008 NMRC-IV]
The FCC wants your comments by APRIL 28, 2008 regarding re-writing FCC rules concerning how broadcast stations serve the local public interest. Without your direct comments to the FCC you are leaving it up to the broadcasters to decide for you.
What Does This All Mean?
In the past couple years the FCC has received written comments and input at local hearings in which the public has expressed that broadcasters are doing a poor job at serving in the public interest. In other words, due to the last decade of consolidation, stations have tightened playlists, automated operations, abolished news departments, and minimized coverage of local events and elections. Most of this precipitated from changes in ownership rules in the 90's, and eradication of FCC station public ascertainment requirements and fairness doctrine in the 80's. The abolition of these requirements has eliminated any minimum public service standards for broadcasters, and has crippled the public's ability to demonstrate that a broadcaster is not serving the local public interest.
Nowadays, when a broadcast station wants its license renewed, all it has to do is send a form to the FCC where it is stamped "approved". Because of this, broadcasters determine themselves how to serve the public interest, which means, providing automated programming at the lowest cost ("Jack FM"), or programming that solely reflects the ideology of the license holder. The problem with this is that Title III Section 307(b) of the Communications Act requires the FCC to make laws for broadcasters regarding the oversight of local community needs-regulations similar to those abolished in the 80's during radio's qualitative decline. Currently, if a broadcaster is not serving the local public interest, it is amazingly difficult to prove this to the FCC-and even if guilty, the broadcaster faces virtually no repercussion of any sort. Additionally, since the AM/FM bands have limited capacity, there is no way anyone from the public can demand additional full power channels to start a stations to serve the local community. Broadcasters will continue to automate local stations and maintain tight playlists that omit local and independent artists if the public doesn't step up and comment about it to the FCC.
What is the FCC Doing About This?
The FCC recently, and surprisingly, released a "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" which details a bunch of suggestions regarding how Commission could better regulate radio to serve the local public interest. You can read the entire document here:
(http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-218A1.pdf)
or read a summary of what it all means here
(http://www.dwt.com/practc/broadcast/bulletins/02-08_LocalismReport.htm). These aren't new ideas. For the most part, they are thinking about returning rules that forced broadcasters to be accountable to the public, pre-80's, before the rules were dismantled. The process for rulemaking at the FCC is based somewhat upon the public's commenting to the FCC regarding their proposals. The FCC Commissioners read these comments to reveal what the public feels about the issues, and then make judgments accordingly regarding which rules seem in the public interest. This means any person, group, or corporation can influence which rules get made.
Fortunately, the FCC has made it extremely easy for the public to file comments on a proposed rulemaking; they want your ideas about how to inject public participation into local radio. Unfortunately, very few members of the public actually file comments because few people know about rulemakings, or have time to keep up with rulemakings. Because of this, larger broadcasters end up making policy because very few provide comment. As of March 4, if you search for public comments about the rulemaking (http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi, type '04-233' into "proceeding"), the overwhelming majority is against it. Religious broadcasters are prodding their listeners to lobby against it by filing comments. Note: Comments regarding the FCC's latest Localism release go back to December 2007.
It is expected that many of these rules won't fly because broadcasters do not like them.
Major broadcasters object to the proposed rules because it will require them to ask the local communities for feedback about their programming, and make automated programming tougher to implement. Additionally, if a broadcaster cannot show that they serve the community with a small percentage of local programming, license renewal will include more than sending a form to the FCC for an automatic OK.
We need you to make a comment by APRIL 28, 2008 because the FCC only gives a small amount of time to comment on proposed rulemakings. Your comment can be for it, for some of it, against it, or propose your own solution-but speak up, because that's how Democracy works. Big Media and religious radio fans are currently supplying the bulk of the comments to strike down any new rules for local participation in radio. Common Frequency maintains that broadcasters need to do a better job at serving the local public interest. If this rulemaking fails, it will be difficult to reintroduce.
File your comments here (http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi). You can type something up in MS Word, make a PDF, or just type in comments directly on the FCC site itself. In the "proceeding" blank type 04-233; the rest is self-explanatory. Read any of the summary article links below, scan the rulemaking, or comment on the following subjects that the FCC desires input on.
Should all radio stations should have a "community advisory board" made up of people from the community, or something to that nature, to procure input on how to best serve that local community? Should only commercial radio stations participate? College and community stations? Religious radio stations? Should there we focus groups or town meetings?
Should radio stations be required to do local surveys (phone, email) on how the public thinks they are performing in the community?
Should radio stations be forbidden to operate on automation? Should there always be someone in the studio for emergencies?
Should religious broadcast networks be allowed to own dozens of stations nationwide with no local studio, linked together via satellite?
Should radio stations broadcast a certain amount of hours of local news or public affairs?
Should stations be obligated to play local music?
If you think any of the above ideas will really not help localism, explain why, and try to come up with better ones-or different versions. The comment process is your chance to help to establish the "rules of the road". Try to think of some things that you think will improve radios local service without cramping your stations ability to operate.
Articles:
http://www.dwt.com/practc/broadcast/bulletins/02-08_LocalismReport.htm
http://www.freepress.net/news/30637
FCC Proprosed Rulemaking:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-218A1.pdf
* * * * *
Non-Commercial Broadcasters: Further on Localism Concerns
There is concern among non-commercial (public/community/college/LPFM) broadcasters on how mandated localism requirements would be implemented, and how localism could impact minimally staffed operations. There could be a knee-jerk reaction from non-com broadcasters lobby to negate all proposed localism requirements among smaller noncommercial broadcasters because this could be mean overextending volunteer staffs that are already maxed-out. It is worth noting, however, that non-commercial broadcasters survived fine with localism requirements before lifted in the 1980's. Non-commercial public and community broadcasters should review the facts before arriving at any opinion. Localism requirements could raise the bar for broadcasters that are not doing their jobs.
Many community and college broadcasters already serve and exceed any localism standards by default. Perhaps for broadcasters who rely on a minimal budget can request a more adaptable form of maintaining localism requirements. We note that college and community broadcasters should not ask for a localism requirement exemption for all non-commercial broadcasters because the largest offenders of localism abandonment are satellite broadcast networks (many of which hold non-commercial broadcast licenses). Satellite-relayed network broadcasters are the reason why there is no more room left on the non-commercial educational band (or "NCE" for short, 88.1 FM -91.9 FM on the radio) for new local college, community, and public radio stations.
Local Main Studio Waivers
With the advent of what are called "studio waivers", religious broadcast networks can simply apply for 100 - 100,000 watt stations on the educational non-commercial band, and have no local studio whatsoever in that community. These stations are allowed to deliver their programming via satellite to multiple cities on multiple frequencies while only owning one studio located hundreds to even thousands of miles away from the automated station. With this loophole, these out-of-town networks can submit many FM applications to the FCC for new stations without even having any local presence, or any programming that has to do with local matters. Because these groups have submitted thousands of non-commercial applications to the FCC for this purpose, local groups (colleges, non-profits) are barred from applying for these established frequencies. It is important that all non-commercial broadcasters support some type of localism requirement that would bust the loophole that is keeping local frequencies in the hands of satellite-linked broadcasters that don't provide any local programming at all. Many educational institutions and nonprofits exist that can't get non-commercial licenses because an automated, satellite-relayed station is utilizing that frequency in their local community. Most of these satellite-relayed broadcasters are religious broadcasters. Their religious programming is not the issue; it is that they are not taking the responsibility to serve the local public interest. There is a difference between a local religious radio station serving the community and a network of stations that carry nothing of local pertinence to the community.
For example, the following shows the frequencies occupied by only ONE of the dozens of religious broadcasters nationwide called Educational Media Foundation (K-LOVE/Air-1). They have a few main studios that connect to 250 full power stations and 330 translators nationwide, mainly utilizing non-commercial, educational licenses. They do not provide any local programming whatsoever in these markets.
The above maps do not show their additional 330 translators. These networks can program whatever they want in complete disregard of whatever is happening locally. In some places, much of the NCE band is taken up by broadcasters outside the immediate market .
Studio waivers can aid the service of public and community broadcasters in the way of covering underserved audiences in a specific region. Many times public broadcasters produce content for a specific city and would like to extend that content to an adjacent community where that type of service does not exist. Sometimes a public broadcaster can produce programming applicable to a particular region, which may require more than one frequency to cover. Acquiring another frequency for an area to rebroadcast programming may be cost effective; having a complete staffed new studio attached to this station may not be cost effective. If this broadcaster agrees to run some programming that is locally or regionally specific to this area covered, we believe that this "local studio waiver" is in the public's benefit when applied in moderation. But an entity that randomly has stations across the country that does not supply any local, regional, or diverse underserved programming is not operating in the local public interest.
Balancing Service: Local vs. Non-local, Community vs. Broadcaster
How do we balance the need for service in the terms of new regulation? Currently, if a group wanted to start an NCE station to cover-for example-Bakersfield, CA for purely a diverse local crowd, there is no way for this to be accomplished because the band is all taken up.
One solution would be for the FCC to make news rules to require out-of-town, local studio-waived broadcasters to carry a portion of programming-news and public affairs-that is pertinent to the local audience. If out-of-town broadcasters cannot adequately supply this, then maybe a local group should be able to take their frequency. Another solution is to eliminate studio waivers and require all stations have local studios. But the FCC needs to hear your comments on what you think about local radio, and what they should require of broadcasters.
The FCC has mentioned other ways to facilitate the addressing of local concerns on the airwaves. Some of these ideas include requiring stations to have a local community advisory board, or have the station take local surveys. Admittedly, these might force broadcasters to integrate community issues programming into their regular programming. Religious broadcasters say that community boards would force their stations to include programming that they do not want to carry-even programming that might be contrary to what they believe. Since the airwaves technically belong to the public, should broadcasters be required to cover more than one viewpoint in the community? Or does 100% free speech of the licensee apply? What type of people should be on a proposed community board? What should be the FCC's protocol? Should stations be forced to take local surveys? Should there be certain stations exempt from these rules? Should community stations run by volunteers, or stations that have a certain minimum number of hours of local programming be exempt?
Note that non-commercial licenses educational licenses (NCE), unlike commercial licenses, are handed to non-profits for free, with no yearly use fee to boot. Most religious broadcaster have educational broadcast licenses. Additionally the FCC believes, "as temporary trustees of the public's airwaves, broadcasters are obligated to operate their stations to serve the public interest-specifically, to air programming responsive to the needs and issues of the people in their communities of license." (see paragraph 6 of Localism Report). Licenses are handed out "first come first serve" use, and not by best usage as deemed by the community. Thus, licenses are granted to folks who either have money, means, or knowledge of obtaining a license. This system of determination of who obtains rights to free speech over the public airwaves is inequitable unless the FCC stipulates that broadcasters must serve aspects of the public interest.
Not too long ago the FCC had rules that required broadcasters to provide balanced coverage of controversial opinions (known as the "Fairness Doctrine" [read wiki entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine]). Would something like this improve broadcasting?
How can radio serve your community better? Your comments are needed.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Example Letter Format
To: Federal Communication Commission
From: Person and/or Organization & Address
Re: Broadcast Localism MB Docket No 04-233
Comments on Proposed Rulemaking
Dear FCC:
(I/and/or our organization) would like to provide input regarding the Commission's proposed rulemaking regarding broadcast localism. [Explain who you are or your organization].
I would like to express my support for any new regulations that would ensure broadcasters maintain minimum standards for serving the local public interest. [Explain any beef you have with local radio, or the deficiencies of local radio: Lack of local programming? Lack of a certain type of programming? Lack of community radio?].
In order to solve these problems, I believe radio stations need to be more connected with the community. [This could include any of the following ideas, or propose your own: Enacting rules that require balanced viewpoints, more coverage of local elections, community boards for radio stations, requiring a studio in the community of license, requiring the station to do surveys, less automated programming, requiring programming to originate locally instead of via satellite, or none of the above, etc]
[Sincerely, Cordially?]
* * * * *
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
