[Peace-discuss] Re: Headline News

[David Green]

Hi Mick,

Thanks for the clarification. Without context, it
seemed to me that over 3K of the 50-60K that you try
to raise during pledge drives was a pretty high
percentage for 15 minutes of news 5 days a week.

Best,

David


--- mwoolf at prairienet.org wrote:

> > Why on earth has WEFT been paying so much money
> for
> > NPR headlines in the first place? It's just
> ridiculous
> > and discouraging to think that I'm paying WEFT for
> > what anyone can hear by tuning in to WILL.
> >
> > David
>
Green--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> David,
> 
> I'd like to answer your e-mail by providing some
> context on the news that
> WEFT has carried, and the associated costs.
> 
> Before I do so, let me first point out that the
> Corporation for Public
> Broadcasting has covered our affiliation fees for
> various program services
> for years, including Pacifica, PRI with National
> Native News, our connect
> fees to the Public Radio Satellite System, NPR
> Headline News, Counterspin,
> The Grateful Dead Hour, and more.  While each
> taxpayer does end up
> contributing to the CPB, whatever small percentage
> that may be, each
> individual WEFT contributor's dollars are allocated
> toward helping to pay
> for the station's overall operational expenses,
> rather than the station's
> programming fees.
> 
> WEFT aired Monitor Radio News for several years, via
> the Christian Science
> Monitor.  It had a different tone, a more global, or
> international feel to
> it as opposed to the NPR Headline News. WEFT even
> used to air portions of
> the BBC some years ago as well.  Unfortunately,
> rising costs, and the
> dissolution of Monitor Radio changed the landscape.
> 
> We checked into alternative national headline news
> services of which there
> were none at that time after we lost Monitor Radio
> News, other than AP
> which we did not want to carry.  The Programming
> Committee at that time
> decided that it would be good to continue with some
> news headlines.  The
> idea was that WEFT did not want to lose our
> listeners who might be looking
> for a news update, but rather continue to provide
> something, rather than
> nothing.  This is something that effected not only
> WEFT, but many
> community radio stations.
> 
> The station settled on NPR, hoping to make find some
> alternatives in the
> future.  Duplication of WILL's services was fully
> discussed at that time,
> and from time to time as well.
> 
> Initiallly, we ran the NPR Headline News several
> times throughout the day
> (6:01A, 7:01A, 8:01A, 9:01AM, 12:01P, 4:01P), and
> then cut out the 9:01A
> and 12:01P feeds after modifying our daytime
> schedule a few years ago.
> 
> Through the years, NPR has worked with WEFT and
> other community stations
> on giving us a break on the cost.  They have been
> extremely generous and
> understanding toward us with keeping our costs well
> below the actual fee
> schedule. Through the years, the costs have
> increased to NPR for
> production, but they have also increased in an
> effort to bring WEFT and
> other non-member stations closer to the actual fees.
>  Thus, WEFT has paid
> various percentages through the years of the actual
> costs.  The fee
> increased substantially this current fiscal year
> (9/30/03 - 10/1/04)
> bringing us up to I believe, 75% of the actual
> costs.  If WEFT were to 
> utilize the services this next fiscal year, NPR
> would like to see us remit
> 100% of the costs for the program.
> 
> Earlier in this current fiscal year, as we were
> working with the Public
> Radio Satellite System on a proposal whereby they
> would pay $12,000
> -$15,000 out of a their funds to subsidize WEFT's
> costs to resolve our
> satellite troubles (shoring up our roof, a new
> satellite dish, roof mount,
> etc.) which they did, I brought the subject of the
> increasing NPR Headline
> News costs to the attention of the Programming
> Committee and the WEFT
> Board.  I proposed at the time that we reassess our
> situation, and
> consider some alterative news sources.
> 
> There is now a renewed interest and effort in seeing
> what is available
> with respect to current, daily headline news as well
> as other sources, and
> their related costs.
> 
> Free Speech Radio News has also been considering
> headline news, but
> nothing has come of it yet.  The National Radio
> Project was also
> considering a half hour newscast (we took its 4-week
> pilot project a few
> years ago) and some headline newcasts, but that has
> not manifested either.
> 
> We are looking for Internet as well as satellite
> programming related
> options.  We'll see what tranpires.
> 
> I'm hoping this provides some context with regrard
> to available options
> that that station has considered in the past as well
> as currently,
> increasing costs, and WEFT's goals to provide some
> type of nationally
> based news service(s) to our listeners.  The idea
> all along was to seek
> alternatives to NPR or duplication of services.  We
> hope to get reach that
> objective as best we can.
> 
> --Mick
> 
> 
> 
> 



	
		
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