If the station loses that government support and can’t raise the money elsewhere, it would likely have to cut its most costly operations—local news and information gathering, Ferro said. A couple of producers hired in November to create more local news stories would have to go, she said, as might some staffers who help create talk shows like “To the Point” and “Which Way, L.A.?” both popular mainstays, hosted by veteran newsman Warren Olney.
Mar 12, 2011
Say what?
KCRW General Manager Jennifer Ferro talked to the Los Angeles Times about the threat to the station if Congress ends federal funding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Her doomsday scenario hits kind of close to home.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
6 comments:
Gee Gary, that should pretty awful for you. Perhaps you can get a job editing a Patch :-).
At least you don't work for Dean Singleton.
I hope they don't cut Huell Howsler. That's quality television we can count on. Not.
John: I'm not worried - we have the capacity to raise money for a show like WWLA. I was just surprised that we got called out by the GM.
These are brutal economic times. We're going to see painful cuts to significant government programs. If you're saying your radio station has the capacity to fundraise to keep its most important programs alive, then why on earth shouldn't your federal funding be cut?
I had generally opposed the proposed cuts to public broadcasting because they appeared to be motivated by politics rather than finance. Your comment has me reconsidering my stance.
Anon 8:20: I do think that "Which Way, LA?" could raise money to stay whole. That doesn't mean a cut in federal funding wouldn't cause major disruptions in this country's public radio network, especially in rural areas where fund-raising is near impossible. There's also a question of whether the news service role of stations would change/disappear if Corporation for Public Broadcasting money goes away - after all, it's much easier to raise money to pay for KCRW music, so over time shows like WWLA could go away. But the funding system should always be open to debate. Here's a show that looks at some of these very questions: http://www.kcrw.com/news/programs/tp/tp110310npr_president_resign
let's also note, 8:20, that when someone says they could fundraise to stay alive after their funding is cut, it means people who might not otherwise pony up would be more willing to cough up the cash if they think the organization needs it to survive. it's this kind of thinking behind the GM's statement. She wants her donors and other supporters to believe a program like WWLA is at risk.
Post a Comment