WPTS To Be Honored By Pittsburgh City Council

5-20-13

Three Pittsburgh City Council members have co-sponsored a resolution, unanimously affirmed by the Council, to declare Tuesday, May 28, 2013 ?92.1 WPTS Day? in the City of Pittsburgh. This resolution follows a second consecutive Top 5 finish for WPTS in MTVu?s ranking of the best college radio stations in the country. It also recognizes WPTS Radio?s decades-long history of providing University of Pittsburgh students with valuable hands-on experience in broadcasting and related fields, as well as providing the campus and the surrounding community with high-quality radio programming.

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WTOP Reporter Shoved by Former City Council Chair

6-7-2012

Jim Farley jokes to Radio Ink that his reporters now want combat pay after Washington D.C. City Council Chairman Kwame Brown shoved his forearm into WTOP reporter Mark Seagraves' chest and pushed him up against a wall. Brown was asked a question about an FBI investigation into his campaigning. Brown asked his staff to remove Segraves. Brown later "winked and smiled" to Segraves in the chamber from the council dais.

Brown later apologized to Segraves for the incident, and brought him into his office where the two spoke for a few minutes. Brown explained the wink he gave Segraves earlier on Tuesday was due to "a contact lens problem."

Brown resigned this week

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John and Ken Comments Lead to City Council Resolution

3-26-2012

Leave it to a City Council in the state of California to pass a resolution aimed at eliminating free speech. Late last week the Los Angeles City Council, in a 13-2 vote, approved the resolution that calls on local TV and radio stations to limit racist and sexist comments in their airwaves. The politicians decided it was time to act after KFI's John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou called the late Whitney Houston a "crack ho." The duo were swiftly suspended by Clear Channel and ordered to go to sensitivity training.
The resolution is in no way enforceable. The council wanted to tell the community that these types of controversial comments is ?intolerable? and can potentially lead to ?an environment where negative comments can go unchecked and corporate guidelines and policies are no longer being enforced?. The motion urges ?the management of radio and television stations in Los Angeles to do everything in their power to ensure that their on-air hosts do not use and promote racist and sexist slurs over public airwaves in the City of Los Angeles?.

Read more about this story in SALON

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Parents Television Council Uses Stern to Raise Funds

12-30-2011

The PTC says time is running out and they are asking members for donations before midnight December 31st. "The challenges we will be facing in the coming year are already laid out before us: NBC recently announced they would be bringing radio shock jock Howard Stern aboard as a judge on America?s Got Talent ? one of the only family-friendly programs remaining on NBC. The PTC vehemently opposed this decision, and in 2012, we will be working to make sure every sponsor knows what kind of obscene, misogynistic hate-speech Howard Stern will be bringing to the table as a judge."

In its letter to members, the PTC goes on to say to be able to fight the Stern hire, they need help and getting a deduction on your 2011 taxes is a perfect reason to donate. "Please consider making a donation to support PTC programs in 2012.  Any gifts received before midnight on December 31st are fully deductible from your 2011 taxes." We are doing what no one else can or will do? and we?ve managed to accomplish all of this with minimal staff and financial resources.  Think of how much more we could accomplish with your help in 2012. A gift in any amount, $5, $50, $500 ? whatever you can afford -- will go a long way toward ensuring the PTC can continue to build on this year?s successes well into the New Year. 

(12/30/2011 1:04:42 PM)
The PTC is a joke and a bad one at that. Just some guy with some letterhead and a few close-minded friends. They use the fear they manufacture about Stern to shake down businesses and take advantage of other close-minded individuals.

They should be called the Pathetic Thugs for Censorship.

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Salt Lake City Council Bails Out Radio Station

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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