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Radio Resistor's Bulletin #5 (Pirate Radio On- line
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[Airwaves editor's note: Radio Resistor's Bulletin is being fwd'd to
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Date: Sat, 8 Jan 1994 18:36:59 -0800 (PST)
From: "Frank Haulgren - R.R. Bulletin" <[email protected]>
Subject: Radio Resistor's Bulletin #5
RADIO RESISTOR'S BULLETIN #5 1993 / 1994 c 1993
RE-DISTRIBUTE FREELY. Please cite RRB #5 when excerpting.
comments and articles to:
Radio Resistor's Bulletin
PO Box 3038
Bellingham, WA 98227-3038
E-MAIL [email protected]
We are specifically looking for pieces about women involved in
community radio and the micro or pirate movements for RRB #6.
Please submit by January 25, 1994. However, all kinds of materi-
al and all points of view are welcome. FRANK HAULGREN
Page 1
THE FUTURE: More of the same or less of the different...
By Frank Haulgren
Non-commercial broadcasting sits on the edge of a new age. At
first glance this new age may seem to be defined by rapid change
in available technologies. Just steps away from us are interac-
tive television, 500 cable channels, Digital Audio Broadcasting
(DAB), perhaps even micro-radio or micro-TV, and even the "infor-
mation superhighway". But to see only the technology and the pos-
sibilities it dangles before us is to be duped. The real engine
that can drive and define this looming new age is people -- peo-
ple who grow increasingly wary of and hostile towards media that
seems to be serving the needs of the state and corporate
economies. These two monsters must cringe recognizing the irony
that these new technologies present. Product! More product!
But at the same time providing access to the tools and knowledge
that enable real democratization of society.
Writing for the ZEBRA News out of Denmark, Steffen Knudsen
and Lisa Klocker call the appropriate use of new communication
technologies an enabling force for democratic development. They
write, "If progressive movements and organisations are to in-
fluence the political development seriously, they need more
powerful media. . ..It should be just as natural to make commun-
ication projects as to dig wells and support poor farmers.
...(Amazon) rubberworkers need their own radio (stations) in
order to take active part in drawing up their own future. Cattle
kings and oil companies will, like any other authority, consider
the radio a dangerous weapon in the hands of rubberworkers. This
because the radio has a much more immediate effect than for in-
stance a health project. ...Within hours after the inauguration
of a new radio or TV-station, local (or) even national power
structures can be challenged."
This call for a participatory people's media is growing
everywhere. Radio B-92 in Belgrade has captured the support of
its community and has become a trusted information channel by
the people. Black Liberation Radio in Springfield, Illinois has
likewise siezed the hearts of that city's African American com-
munity. Last issue we reprinted an editorial by Lisa Vinebohm,
editor or AMARC's newsletter InteRadio, in which she spoke (as
Knudsen and Klocker above) for the empowerment of aboriginal
peoples through the community radio movement. All this is happen-
ing at a grassroots level. It is happening because the people
who stand outside of the mainstream media (and this, unfortunate-
ly, has come to include the bulk of non-commercial radio) have a
very different vision of the possibilities presented by this
evolving technology and because the communities they are speak-
ing to and of also embrace this vision, rejecting the one tied
to consumption and the bottom line.
Some herald DAB as providing a place on the radio dial for
everyone. The evolving technical specifics of this system, howev-
er, seem to dictate that radio broadcasting will become increas-
ingly centralized, controlled by fewer people and that the future
of localized small audience radio will be threatened by this new
technology. DAB could, in some schemes, supplant conventional FM
broadcasting entirely.
Neil Postman has said that the question we should ask when ex-
amining any new technology is not "if" we need it but "why" do we
need it. Harold Hallikainen maintains in his Radio World arti-
cles (see p.4) that given current micro technologies there is
space on the exisiting FM band for low power stations if the FCC
chose to allow them. So why do we need DAB and more stations with
far reaching signals? Why replace an exisiting technology that
has served quite well with another? Why 500 TV channels when
most people can't find a thing worth watching on those we have?
What increasingly disturbs me a year after the first issue of
RRB is the pace at which access and local concern for minority
audiences (once the stock-and -trade of non-comms) is giving way
to concerns about "success", "credibility", and professionalism.
Concepts that once were the far off concerns of commercial broad-
casters. Lydia Sargent, writing in an issue of Z Papers devoted
to the state of progressive media, says, "To reach more people,
by way of being taken seriously in the larger media world, you
are supposed to make your message more palatable, but this usual-
ly becomes toning down the message and eventually selling out.
You can never break into mainstream visibility unless you func-
tion the way the mainstream functions..."
This is a time of "demassification", says Alvin Toffler. Our
society is abandoning the cultural baggage that has been carried
since the industrial revolution. The time of mass production and
mass consumption and perhaps even mass communication has passed.
We see educational institutions once modeled after factories
strive to redefine success among students. Environmentalists are
successfully changing the definition of economic impact by in-
cluding consideration of environmental factors and the cost of
their mitigation in the cost analysis of major construction pro-
jects. Broadcasters seem to be swimming upstream, however, look-
ing large, measuring with obsolete tools and seeking to limit
access to a preferred few (be they listener or volunteer) rather
than embrace the concept of inclusion.
In David Kirsch's letter on page 2 he correctly states that
the people must fight for access to all media in order to insure
democracy. And he's right. There is a lot more at stake than
what kind of music gets played on your community radio station.
###
p.2
Micro Radio: Not For Everyone & Not The Best Answer
Dear RRB,
I appreciate your refreshing newsletter and the spirit it up-
holds. I'd also like to enter the discussion on "Sandbox Radio."
Even though this is the land of Jesse Helms, Balance & Accura-
cy in Journalism (BAJ) got its start because there are so many
people in this area of North Carolina who are fed up with the
lack of diverse and non-mainstream public affairs programming on
the radio.
BAJ is now campaigning to strongly encourage WUNC-FM (a power-
ful and wealthy NPR station) to include some diverse and contr-
oversial programming as well as the shrink-wrapped and dumbed-
down fare it currently has on.
I strenuously disagree with the suggestion in the front page
piece (RRB #4, Who Knows What Evil Lurks in Sandbox Radio) that,
"the time may have arrived to give up seeking a return to 'com-
munity radio' and start anew. Recreate - with the scale small
and the possibilities undefined."
I believe it is important to use all possible media to main-
tain access to information for those without much power and
wealth. That includes micro radio. But please don't concede any
territory. People should organize and struggle for greater con-
trol of public and community radio. Some points to consider:
The airwaves are ours not theirs (the corporate and
governmental hacks). The original mandate for public
broadcasting was for controversy, unheard voices and
diversity. It was established for the express reason
that it could be protected from the corporate and
government pressures to which networks are subjected.
People expect more from public and community radio.
Even though NPR and its local stations are very far from
the original mandate, it tends to reach those with the
most education and influence within communities, such as
teachers, doctors and other professionals. NPR got a
progressive reputation over the years even while it
shifted more and more to the right. Media critic Norman
Solomon likens the situation to this: throw a frog into
boiling water and it will jump out, but put a frog into
lukewarm water and slowly raise the heat and it will boil
to death. Many folks will respond if they become aware
of the problem.
Micro radio may be terrific for an urban concentration
of population. But consider the geography of an area such
as the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill), which
covers a wide and decentralized region of city, suburbs &
country. A micro station would cover a micro stationary
audience and an even smaller mobile radio audience.
(People commute long distances by car and are captive
audiences of the rush hour radio programs, hence the big
influence of NPR News). A strong signal like that of
WUNC-FM easily covers the Triangle and many miles
beyond.
Even if a prolonged effort to demand the reinstatement
of public input into public radio is unsuccessful, the
effort itself is worthwhile because it is consciousness-
raising. People getting sufficiently disgusted by NPR News items
on bubble-gum blowing contests can feel good about
supporting stations that broadcast stimulating and
provocative shows.
BAJ is not only involved in pressing for an improvement in
mainstream sources like WUNC, it is also involved in supporting
and producing alternative media such as The Unofficial Story on
WSHA-FM from Raleigh's Shaw University, The Prism (a free all-
volunteer monthly newspaper) and local broadcasts of Pacifica
Evening News on WSHA and WXYC-FM (Chapel Hill).
BAJ is distributing a bumpersticker: "PUT THE PUBLIC BACK IN
PUBLIC RADIO", for $2 each. BAJ, PO Box 824, Carrboro, NC 27510.
Thanks again for your great work,
David Kirsh
NOTE: David Kirsh is a journalist
writing occasionally about media
in EXTRA!, published by FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting)
####
p.3
FCC Uses 20 Cops to Obtain Pirate's ID
Excerpted from RECLAIMING THE AIRWAVES,Oct.1993 the newsletter of
Free Radio Berkeley and the Free Communications Coalition (the
People's FCC)
In a scene resembling a French noir film, one person associ-
ated with San Francisco Liberation Radio was detained by 20 San
Francisco police officers until his ID could be presented to FCC
agent David Doon.
At approximately 9:30PM on Wednesday, September 22, Richard
Edmondson was approached by David Doon who asked for identifica-
tion. After refusing to produce identification or answer any
questions, Richard drove away and was stopped on Webster St. by
SF police officers who blocked off the entire northbound lane of
the street with 8 vehicles. A confused scene ensued wherein the
police officers had virtually no idea of what was going on or
why such massive backup had been called. Edmondson was ordered
to get out of his vehicle with his hands up and in clear sight by
clearly agitated SF police who subsequently handcuffed him. Pol-
ice officers were heard to say "Who is this guy" and "What do we
have him for". For several minutes these questions went
unanswered. By the time the FCC agent arrived to examine Edmond-
son's ID there were at least 20 SF police officers on the scene.
After learning of what was going on, some of the officers
were clearly exasperated at having their time wasted by this FCC
agent. A few were amused and asked for information regarding San
Francisco Liberation Radio's frequency and broadcast schedule.
After his ID was verified, Edmondson was released without any
further consequences by the SF police.
San Francisco Liberation Radio's Richard Edmondson described
it this way: "Before it was all over there were at least 20 pol-
ice officers on the scene. They were all so pumped up with adre-
naline you would have thought I had committed the crime of the
century. It was clearly irresponsible for this FCC agent to call
for such a massive response without giving clear reason or in-
struction to the SF police. When police officers go into a si-
tuation not knowing the details they naturally assume the worst.
For one dark moment I feared my life was in danger."
This was an obvious case of over-reaction by FCC agent David
Doon who clearly endangered the life of Richard Edmondson by cal-
ling in such a massive police response. The FCC must be held ac-
countable for the actions of their agents who use such extremely
excessive and reactionary methods to suppress a growing micro
power broadcasting movement. It would have sufficed for David
Doon to have written down the license plate number of Edmondson's
vehicle and run a DMV check.
As more micro power broadcasters go on the air in the Bay
area and Northern California, we can anticipate further actions
by the FCC to harass and intimidate those involved. However, we
shall not be moved by their threats and police state tactics.
######
p.4
Publication Notes & REVIEWS:
RADIO IS MY BOMB, anonymous, Free Radio Campaign - Fin-
land In 1988 the Free Radio Campaign in Finland published an
anonymously authored booklet called RADIO IS MY BOMB. The text of
this book and its electronic's diagrams are now available elec-
tronically via anonymous ftp. (See InfoBox on page 3 for de-
tails.)
This essential book is divided into two sections. The first
contains some fairly detailed technical information about
transmitter and antenna construction as well as explanations of
and notes about using signal compressors, limiters, osillators,
harmonic filters and a good deal more very valuable information.
While part one provides essential practical information that
someone on your micro broadcasting team had better be knowledge-
able about, the second part provides a wealth of information
that gives a solid grounding for working through questions and
issues that have much grayer answers.
Consider your medium: AM, FM, SW, television? Will you broad-
cast live or via tape? How do you plan an escape in the event the
authorities come knock, knock, knocking at your door or pounding
up the pathway to your hilltop broadcast site? What kind of
internal structure should your "station" have? What does one say
in the event of a bust?
RADIO IS MY BOMB is a necessary textbook (well, as much as
there can be one) for anyone considering wading into micro broad-
casting. Though the shopping lists may be a bit dated given the
pace at which micro technology races, the theory remains sound
even if the specifics seem a bit too European: "On a tower block
in London the DTI squads can tell where you are, within 20 me-
ters, less than 10 minutes after you switch on... The detection
squads...are officially responsible for stamping out 'radio in-
terference'... They use mobile detection vans and lots of un-
marked cars... The DTI squads are not supposed to arrest you, so
they bring along the local filth on busts..."
Ditto the FCC. (See story on page 3)
If you are interested in more than playing your favorite music
for a select small audience and feel the need to challenge a sys-
tem that unfairly and perhaps illegally keeps the disempowered
off the public airwaves, RADIO IS MY BOMB poses some serious
questions that will need to be worked through: "The word 'commun-
ity" has lost any real meaning through misuse and overuse...
The old style communities are a thing of the past... as the sys-
tem breaks us all down into consumers. So if you're talking
about 'community radio' you should be quite clear what you mean
by it... What class, ethnic, interest, political or gender sec-
tions of the people are you aiming (at)? Or better, creating
your pirate radio with? Or are your really working on your own
career? Or trying to create 'community' in your own head?"
And finally, RADIO IS MY BOMB provides just good stuff that
gets lost in the shuffle of excitement. How to set-up. How to
knock-down. How to set up a studio. And this bit, perhaps the
most valuable and often overlooked consideration for anyone pur-
suing a vision: "It's hard to give advice about long term
development, but there's a few things worth saying. First of all
it's important to pace yourselves. It's easy to start off with a
lot of enthusiasm, then get busted off the air, or just burnt out
with too much work or too few people. However good or dif-
ferent you are you will be very lucky to build up a regular audi-
ence or mass support overnight... Breaking down passive consump-
tion of the media is not easy... Your long term aim, as a pirate,
should be to reach a situation where you have so much
support...that the state just cannot wipe you out at will."
The title, RADIO IS MY BOMB, comes from a remark Chantal Pater-
nostre, a Belgian anarchist and broadcaster for Radio Air Libre
(a Brussels Pirate station in 1985), made while being interrogat-
ed on charges of arson and bombing. After more than a year in
prison authorities apparently believed her claim and let her go.
####
3 ARTICLES BY HAROLD HALLIKAINEN. Radio World,
November 10, December 8, 1993 January _, 1994
(See InfoBox P.6 for subscription details.)
Harold Hallikainen has written a series of three articles for the
monthly Radio World. The articles discuss the impact that the
FCC's interpretation of spectrum scarcity and its licensing prac-
tices have had on the existing micro broadcasting movement and
how a reinterpretation of the commission's rules could open up
various opportunities for micro radio.
Article #1 "The Fairness of Spectrum Leases?" (RW 11/10/93)
broaches the touchy issue of First Amendment rights and how the
FCC uses the concept of spectrum scarcity to control the elec-
tronic media in a way that would horrify if applied to print.
Hallikainen proposes a system of spectrum leasing rather than
spectrum "selling" as we now see. While he concedes that such a
scheme would likely do little to open the airwaves up to those
without hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend, he suggests
that spectrum leasing (as he details it) might put the incredible
amount of money that is now paid to broadcast attorneys more ap-
propriately into the public coffers.
Article #2 "Ideas on MicroBroadcasting", (RW 12/8/93) explores
the FCC's rules governing low power FM broadcasting and secondary
services such as FM translators and repeaters and how these rules
might be altered to accommodate legalized micro radio. Halli-
kainen's arguments are well documented and compelling. For exam-
ple, in discussing the FCC's rationale that translators have the
potential to provide larger numbers of options to the "consumer",
he cites a study by the National Association of Broadcasters.
This survey of small counties and large population areas showed
that, overwhelmingly, translator applications tend to propose ad-
ditional service to areas where there is already significant
choice and, consequently, extreme spectrum scarcity.
"The fact that translators are authorized at all seems to in-
dicate that it is possible for low power stations to operate in
the gaps between highpower stations and still meet interference
requirements," he notes.
Article #3, "License Free Low Power FM?" (RW 1/94). In this
piece Hallikainen briefly mentions the cases that KAPW (a half
watt station in Phoenix, Arizona) and Free Radio Berkeley have
pending with the FCC. While both have been cited with Notice of
Apparent Liability fines far in excess of what their actions war-
rant ($17,500 and $20,000 respectively) both continue to operate.
Suggested is a practical strategy whereby the FCC could identi-
fy "holes in the spectrum" and define specific transmitter set-
tings that would be significantly greater than current rules al-
low, protect existing licensed stations and allow low power FM
stations, such as KAPW and FRB, to operate unharrassed.
Referring back to his original article, Hallikainen asks the
question that both of these micro operations and the information
he has provided seem to pose. "If freedom of speech is applied
to broadcasting, does the FCC have a 'compelling governmental
interest" to prohibit low power stations that can (as KAPW and
FRB have) operate without interference with existing stations?"
###
MONDO 2000, #11 $5.95 Mondo 2000, #11, contains an extensive
feature by Wes Thomas on pirate media. There is extensive cover-
age of Free Radio Berkeley & Stephen Dunifer, an article about
setting up a national micro broadcasting network, a step by step
on Do It Yourself FM with great pictures of some homebrewed
equipment, an interview with Veran Matic, Director of Belgrade's
Radio B-92 movement (mentioned in the last RRB), an article about
Internet radio (which provides access to digitized audio files
which subscribers can download to a PC and play back), and a
comprehensive guide to guerrilla media resources. All this and
more, well worth $5.95 and a trip to your local book seller.
CURSEword!, #7. November 1993 Free The voice of KCMU-FM's
strident opposition presents its anniversary issue with a pretty
good recap of last year's battle over control of the one-time
flag ship station of Seattle's (and the world's) alternative
music scene. Ring up the Hotline 206-298-CURS or write to
CURSEword, PO Box 85839, Seattle, WA 98145-1839
p. 5
STATION UPDATES: Community Radio On The Rocks!
Station Updates: Information comes in from
around the country regularly about college
and community stations that are falling to
"professionalization". This time around Station Updates looks
farther afield than it has in the past and posts the first
installments of some new struggles as well as bringing news
about some "old favorites". RRB
KOPN-FM Columbia, Missouri
Community Radio
By Jay Teutenberg There has always been a lot of passionate
volunteer disapproval with the direction KOPN's staff/board has
been taking us. But, it's only recently that we are learning
exactly what that direction really means. Basically, the yuppies
have stolen our community station.
Our board/staff has teamed up with the National Federation of
Community Broadcaster's (NFCB) David LePage and under a plan
named "The Healthy Station Project" (HSP), they are hammering
the final nails into the coffin of free radio in Columbia, Mis-
souri.
KOPN's board/staff has agreed on a 3 year plan to become the
number one station in Columbia, securing 30% of the affluent 25-
45 year old crowd of listeners by the end of that period. The
vehicle for this is going to be the Triple A format (Adult Album
Alternative) . Even though we already have a new commercial sta-
tion (KBXR) doing Triple A, KOPN is going to compete using a
different variation. We have been told that this will involve
"hotboxes" and "rotation clocks", possibly with the djs eventu-
ally being told what cuts to play and when. They are looking for
a "more homogeneous, predictable, consistent" airsound, (which
will probably sound a lot like World Cafe, is my guess).
The board/staff maintains that we must go in this direction
because we are in such dire financial straits - caused by a bad
decision to relocate KOPN's (fund raising) bingo game, and the
other usual causes such as government money drying up, etc. How-
ever, last year the staff's salaries amounted to $145,000, ap-
proximately half our budget. This year the station will carry
forward a debt note of $20,000, in addition to the other accounts
payable. What I am getting at is that while the board/staff
points at how they have taken a 10% pay cut for the 4th quarter
it has been their salaries and their decisions that have created
this dire situation. They now use it as an excuse to take con-
trol away from the volunteers and community.
David LePage has laid it out in black and white terms, either
we can lift the budget to $400,000, or we can run at $100,000
with no paid staff or CPB (Corporation for Public Broadcasting)
funding. No one has talked much about what it would be like to
run without paid staff, just left it as sort of an 'unspeakable
horror'. (Editor's note: Jon Bekken's paper, "Community Radio
at the Crossroads:...", mentioned in RRB #4 clearly outlines this
particular cycle of addiction.)
Our board has a long history of being very difficult to deal
with. Their meetings are run by people who are very skilled at
controling direction and frustrating the com-munity's input.
Over the years they have assumed near total control of the board
with the exception of one seat - 1 out of 12.
Although the station's volunteers are preparing to make a
more organized argument when the big format change comes, I
doubt the situation will be changed by other than forceful means,
such as interfering with their fund raising, underwriters, etc.
I don't know if there is going to be enough community support to
save KOPN. If we cannot restrict the flow money before their
commercialized programming begins to pay off, we are sunk.
The volunteers at KOPN-FM left themselves open for this, in a
way. We didn't work hard enough at getting out into the community
and encouraging new listeners. We didn't see the problem with
accepting money from the government, from bingo, from other non-
listener sources. Our biggest problem has been lack of organiza-
tion among the djs and other volunteers. The staff/board has
been able to divide and conquer, and make us feel like we're
powerless to do anything about it.
The information from the Net has been extremely valuable to us.
Not only for resistance ideas, but also from knowing that we are
not alone, that there are others fighting, and a few winning. We
needed to realize that this is a nationwide trend, and to look at
the big picture. I have been in touch with just under 10 con-
tacts who have an interest in KOPN's battle, and there are 5-10
people in town who have e-mail and are involved also. The trouble
is, whenever a meeting takes place off-line, there is no way for
anyone else to learn from it. To update a new member of our
'resistance' is too inefficient, we wind up saying the same
things over and over. I would really like to see the topic of
resistance to professionalization on a listserver, linked to
the Usenet, and the ftp archives consolidated or at least a
directory of pertinent sites maintained. It would also be cool if
one of the resistance newsletters could be a snail-mail interface
to those who are off the Net.
Communication will mean organization and education, and that's
what we need if we hope to outwit such an entrenched adversary.
NOTE: Jay Teutenberg is a volunteer at KOPN-FM a community radio
station in Columbia Missouri. He speaks only for himself and
does not represent the station or any specific organization at-
tempting to beat back the changes at KOPN. Jay can be reached by
e-mail at [email protected]
#######
KRCL 91 FM Salt Lake City, Utah.
By Robert Nelson. There hasn't been any huge crisis and
showdowns between KRCL's staff and volunteers like the one raging
at KCMU in Seattle. It's been a gradual, subtle change in direc-
tion: let's target the upscale listeners at radiothon, let's use
commercial radio strategy, like arbitrons, and shoehorn them to
fit demographics. Longtime programmers have been told to "dumb
down" their shows; don't play so much esoteric stuff, play more
recognizable tunes/artists. Some of staff's "pet shows" get ad-
vertised in mass media where they've never (run) such ads before.
Last summer there was an abrupt change in programming. The
World Beat people affected were given two week notice that they
were losing a half hour from their shows. No advance warning, no
appeals, no input; accept it. A meeting was called and
volunteers were extremely offended that such a large change was
quickly rammed in. Staff said they did it because they wanted to
make the change as painless as possible. However, the
volunteers felt like they were being taken for granted and pa-
tronized. Now they have changed the policies on programming
changes. Volunteers can participate in a comment period regard-
ing the shows and times involved. The staff will weigh into
account the volunteer's suggestions before they implement the de-
cision. Although volunteers still have no "vote" in the final
decision making process. I guess there are pros and cons to
this.
The station manager has a formal review this year. I think
the staff is more aware that volunteers do care more about the
station than just programming a show. I don't think they'll be so
cavlier in decisions in the future.
I support staff and generally think the station manager is do-
ing a good job. (Many others at KRCL think he is too dictatori-
al). However, I am perceiving a greediness oozing into certain
decisions regarding fund raising. Our contributor categories
used to go from $35, $50/60, $75. Now they were raised to $40,
$75. There isn't much of a middle category anymore. Where does
that leave students, artists, working people who love the station
but can't absorb a $75 pledge? They feel like their lousy $20
bucks goes unwanted.
Staff is now very concerned not just with money pledged but
collection rates. After our last radiothon, we were supposed to
air these admonishing PSA's the tenor of which was basically, "OK
you listeners, remember, you pledged; now DON'T FORGET TO
PAY!!!." Even though we say to them throughout 'thon, "Take 6
months to a year to pay, pledging's a voluntary act, we won't send a
bill collector after you..." And we send people bill reminders
every month. That ought to be enough reminding.
Think of it - we've been bombarding them for 2-4 weeks before
hand that 'thon is coming. Then 10 days of beg, beg, beg. Then,
after it's over (staff) wants us to keep hounding them...???
'Thon's been over for a month and every week it's still these
damn PSA's. I think that's an insult to our listeners...
########
p. 6
Puget Sound Stations:
KUGS-FM, Bellingham: New GM, Dan Tritle, took over the first of
November. One of his first official acts was to accompany the
outgoing interim GM before the AS (Associated Students Board -
caretakers of the station's license) and stand by a recommenda-
tion that the KUGS Advisory Committee (KAC) be disbanded. The
university's newspaper, The Western Front, reported on 11/2 that
the KAC could be reinstated after the charter and mission state-
ment were re-written. The problem, the paper stated, was that
the current charter allowed non-students to be seated on the ad-
visory committee. The AS passed the recommendation unanimously.
And, the November 27th, Bellingham Herald ran a story announcing
KUGS' strategic success in capturing a larger share of its tar-
geted listener group. The Herald states that in the 15 months
since the bitter battle which resulted in a purge of many non-
student programmers and a dramatic shift in programming to a ro-
tation format featuring "alternative rock" almost exclusively the
number of coveted 18-24 year olds listening to the station has
doubled while the 35-54 year old listener group has been halved.
Not much of a net gain to speak of but the age group is the one
the the station's management and AS wanted. Whillhight Radio
Research out of Seattle reports that the number of Western Wash-
ington University students listening has risen from 7.3% to
18.4%.
Though Tritle said in the Herald article, "We're well aware that
our signal goes out into the community. We haven't forgotten
them..." Anyone tuning in Thanksgiving Day though would have im-
mediately realized that the station is now primarily for and
about students. Dead air was the main fare proving the GM's fol-
low on statement to the above, R...but, it's the students who
we're mainly serving."
KCMU / CURSE, Seattle: The stand off between the University of
Washington's KCMU-FM and CURSE (Censorship Underminds Radio Sta-
tion Ethics) continues. While CURSE has won over many of the
volunteers who were hired to replace striking CURSE members and
their supporters, pushed World Cafe to the weekends and accumu-
lated a significant escrow of pledge monies that could have gone
to the station, KCMU may finally be finding new support. Its
fall on-air fundraiser was the most successful since the battle
began more than a year ago.
GM Chris Knab has been replaced by an interim GM, sister station
KUOW's development director Tom Mara.
Depositions by the 14 former volunteers and listeners who have
filed a First Amendment suit against the UW, the university's
director of broadcasting Wayne Roth and Knab have been filed in
Federal Court and a June 1994 court date is set. For a
comprehensive year end review of the KCMU/CURSE situation, get
yourself a copy of CURSEword #7. (See InfoBox, p. 6)
###########
p.6
*********************************
Info Box. Info Box Info Box
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CURSE / CURSEword
PO Box 85839
Seattle, WA 98145-1839 Hotline 206 298-CURS
Free Radio Berkeley / Peoples FCC
1442 A Walnut St., #406
Berkeley, CA 94709 phone 510-464-3041
e-mail [email protected]
RADIO WORLD
PO Box 1214
Falls Church, VA 22041 Phone 703 - 998 - 7600
BAJ (Balance and Accuracy in Journalism)
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Carrboro, NC 27510 PUT THE PUBLIC BACK IN PUBLIC RADIO
Bumper sticker is $2.00
RADIO IS MY BOMB, anonymous
Available electronically by anonymous ftp from
dg-rtp.dg.com
/fm10/incoming/radioismybomb.zip
Or contact RRB if you're not
connected and we'll see what we can be worked out.
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SUBSCRIBE DEVMEDIA (name)
Additional 12/6 insert
URGENT 12/6/93 BREAKING INFORMATION
As Radio Resistor's Bulletin #5 went to the printer the follow-
ing information was received.
San Francisco Liberation Radio and Richard Edmondson have been
served a $10,000.00 Notice of Apparent Liability by the FCC for
alleged illegal broadcasting. They have retained Louis Hiken of
the National Lawyers Guild Committee for Democratic Communication
to represent them.
Free Radio Berkeley has received a reply to its 13 page legal
response to the $20,000 Notice of Apparent Liability levied
against Stephen Dunifer last spring. Dunifer paraphrased the
FCC's response this way: "Your legal arguments do not mean a
thing to us, send us a check for $20,000.S
Both San Francisco Liberation Radio and Free Radio Berkeley will
continue to broadcast despite action taken by the FCC. FRB is
intent on getting a network of micro stations on the air and
notes that many stations are now coming up all over the Bay area,
In a related case the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals surprised U.S.
micro broadcasters and ordered the FCC to respond to briefs
filed in support of KAPW's Bill Dougan and Tom Reveille. The
case is slated to come before the court in San Francisco on De-
cember 14, 1993. The court's order states in part: "The court is
interested in the way (the FCC's) regulations serve public con-
venience, interest and necessity and the government's interest
involved in precluding micro power broadcasts."
Louis Hiken released a statement saying that, "The Committee for
Democratic Communication, FRB and SFLR are pleased that the court
has seen fit to question the FCC's total prohibition of micro
broadcasting. The court order reflects an awareness that the FCC
appears to have totally exceeded its authority as a regulatory
agency and, instead, has come perilously close to being an arm
for government censorship - an institution which serves to stifle
democratic communication."
In a statement released by the National Lawyers Guild attorney
Peter Franck, former president of the Pacifica Foundation and
Guild member, called micro radio the "pamphlet of the 90Us and
beyond."
Further information regarding all of these cases is available
from:
NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD COMMITTEE ON DEMOCRATIC COMMUNICATION One
Sansome Street, Suite 900 San Francisco, CA Phone 415-705-6464
Free Radio Berkeley and The Free Communication Coalition Phone
510-464-3041 1442 A Walnut, #406, Berkeley, CA 94709 e-mail
[email protected]
San Francisco Liberation Radio Phone 415-487-6308
KAPW, Bill Dougan PO Box 47473, Phoenix, AZ 85068-7473
602-548-1054 R R B
12/23 The court will not issue its ruling for several weeks. In-
formation received indicates however that of the 3 judges hearing
Dougan's case one was sympathetic to the idea of Micro broadcast-
ing, one was on the fence and the third was hostile to the whole
idea. While the 9th Circuit Court has a reputation for its li-
beralism its rulings have not always stood up well in higher
courts.
Watch for additional information on this.
RADIO RESISTOR'S BULLETIN
PO BOX 3038
BELLINGHAM, WA 98227-3038
E-MAIL [email protected]
RE-POST FREELY.
END.
--
William Pfeiffer - Moderator/Editor + Better Dead
rec.radio.broadcasting - Airwaves Radio Journal + Than Satellite Fed
- Internet email - + *********
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