[Peace-discuss] Re: [Prairiegreens] Flag flap

[Al Kagan]

Robert has gotten a new perspective because he has now experienced 
just how great a community radio station can be.  WEFT is a good 
station, but in my opinion, it is greatly underutilized.  The balance 
between music and public affairs is tilted way too much toward music. 
Don't get me wrong, I love music and we need all kinds on WEFT.  But 
we also need much more solid news and public affairs.  Those of you 
who attended the IMC's conference a couple of years ago on how they 
do it good in Madison heard about another example closer to home. 
Personally, I remember what radio was  like during my college days in 
Boston.  It was truly phenomenal.  I will never forget Danny 
Schechter, "The News Dissector."  Some of you may have seen his work 
over the years.  Radio was a key element in education against 
imperialism and organizing against the Vietnam war.

The main issue that seems to hang us up is local content.  Of course, 
I am all for it, but not to the exclusion of material produced for a 
national audience.  We need more progressive national programming 
whether or not we are able to produce more locally.

A second issue is the timing of the programming.  I know that lots of 
WEFT listeners are students and people who have non-traditional jobs, 
so that timing is not a big issue to these folks.   But we need a 
bigger vision.  We should be reaching out to the large numbers of 
people who work traditional hours and who would love to hear 
alternative news and public affairs in the early morning or evening. 
I am just so frustrated that Democracy Now is on at 4 PM!  Why can't 
it be on at 6 PM so I can listen to it after I get home from work? 
Or why can't we have it at 7 AM instead?  I bet the audience would be 
double or triple  if it was on at one of those times.  Do we really 
think music is so important that we don't mind giving up a much 
bigger audience for some minor timing changes?

A third issue is that whenever I raise these points, people tell me 
that I should get involved and do it myself.  I reject that response. 
I work a full-time job with major time commitments, do lots of 
political work, nationally and internationally, and do some political 
work locally.  I don't have time to do it myself.  I should be able 
to expect my local radio station to use what is already nationally 
available to educate, motivate, and mobilize the community.

Thanks for listening.


At 10:09 AM -0600 11/15/03, Jason Pitzl-Waters wrote:
>>5. Take OVER WEFT!!!!!!! WEFT needs a renewal. Its dominated by the 
>>alternative music with a handful of decent public affairs. Take 
>>over the PC, BOD, and make it real community radio. not just for 
>>different subcultures. KPFK is more about providing that grassroots 
>>coverage from bottom up. It is ordinary people not just leftist 
>>intellectuals doing the shows.
>
>Considering that the majority of "alternative" music is herded into 
>a musical "ghetto" after 10pm I can hardly agree that WEFT is 
>"dominated" by it. I suppose a more accurate statement is that there 
>is more music than public affairs on WEFT, which in itself is true.
>
>I'm suppose I am somewhat offended by a call to make WEFT "real" 
>community radio which means that the current makeup of WEFT is 
>somehow "fake" community radio and doesn't represent the people 
>living in and around Champaign/Urbana. Perhaps in your world view it 
>doesn't, but that doesn't mean your vision is accurate for everyone 
>in this community.
>
>Contrary to the opinions of some conspiracy theorists, WEFT has 
>always been open to more public affairs, especially locally produced 
>shows, but the people have to come forward, produce the shows and go 
>through the process of application for open slots like everyone 
>else. That sounds pretty open to me.
>
>Plus WEFT *has* been adding new public affairs shows, like "Digital 
>Citizen" on alternating Wednesdays from 8-10pm, or "FALA" which 
>mixes political hardcore and punk with news and commentary late 
>Friday nights (or early Saturday mornings) from 3-6am, or "C-U in 
>Action" which alternates with "Parenting Issues" every Saturday 
>morning at 7:30am, or my new show "Pagan Thoughts" which alternates 
>with Lori Serb's and Mick Woolf's public affair programs on Sunday 
>mornings at 10am.
>
>Lastly, to any progressive who feel they must remove "alternative" 
>music from our only community radio station in favor of public 
>affairs I can only quote Ms. Goldman and say "If I can not dance, I 
>want no part in your revolution."
>
>Cheers,
>
>Jason Pitzl-Waters
>
>host of...
>TheSkysGoneOut
>http://www.wildhunt.org/sky/
>Sundays from 10pm-12am
>and...
>Pagan Thoughts
>http://www.wildhunt.org/paganthought/
>Alternating Sundays from 10am-11am
>on WEFT 90.1fm, Champaign IL
>
>
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-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu