This one is certainly going to frustrate some of you. Seems like everyone's getting a bailout these days so why not a public radio station? If you can't raise enough money during a pledge drive, not to worry, just hit up your local government, they'll take care of you. Could you imagine a commercial radio station GM going to the local City Council to ask for a loan because his sales team just couldn't close the deals in Q2? She'd get laughed right out of the room. This also makes you wonder if the City of Utah will now get more favorable news coverage, among other things, from the station because of the money exchanging hands. It's always about the money.
KCPW Public Radio is an NPR affiliate and Utah?s first and only 24-hour commercial-free news and information station. The station is owned by Wasatch Public Media, a Utah non-profit corporation. It's membership-supported and now, apparently government supported as it received a low-interest (5%) loan from the Salt Lake City Council for $250,000. The station already pays the city $1,200 rent (for 3,000 square feet by the way) because the station is housed in a city library.
The station hopes to repay the city with proceeds from a fund drive. However, the city may forgive the interest in exchange for on-air spots promoting the city. The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board was not real happy with the City's decision. Read the editorial HERE
(10/14/2011 6:59:40 AM)
What an inane, cynical, and poorly written piece of politicized drivel. It's quite clear from previous commentaries that Radio Ink believes public radio should just go away, but this hard-headed, meanspirited, and mindless piece of reporting -- topped with the headline "Government Bails Out Radio Station" -- goes way over the edge. The Salt Lake City council obviously sees a need for a public radio station to exist in its community, and has structured an arrangement to help it through what appears to be a period of donor difficulty. But a "bailout"? Come on... If you've been paying attention to the news, Wall Street banks received their "bailout" three years ago. The automotive industry [GM and Chrysler] got a bailout two years ago, and they are now thriving rather than bankrupt. But to cxharacterize in the framework of "seems like everyone is getting a bailout these days" is so far off the mark that one wonders if Radio Ink's editorial team has been spending too much time in Glenn Beckistan, learning how to speak first and think later. And to suggest that SLC will get more favorable news coverage because of the arrangement KCPW has with the city council is about as inane as saying that any commercial news station will treat its advertisers any differently than any other business or individual in the market. I expect so much better than this from you, Radio Ink.
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