Community Radio and Community

Recent experiences have strengthened my respect for what local people, with good ideas and energy, can accomplish with little money.

Southwest Environmental Center, La Semilla, and the Mountain View Market Co+op are all locally-created. None is the local office of any state or national group. Each fends for itself. 

Same for Friends of the Taylor Family Monument, The Beloved Community Project, Doña Ana Communities United (with its Timebank), and The Great Conversation. Neat ideas getting implemented on a shoestring. Dreams being realized. 

My own experience? More than two years of hard work and uncertainty, collaborating with a great group of people, grumbling over frustrations along the way, all to put a community radio station on air. Two years feeling like an idiot, wondering if it would ever happen.

Now I'm humbled and grateful to be listening to people do interesting local interviews and an astonishing variety of music shows on KTAL-LP, 101.5 FM. Some are pros. Others, with little experience, always kind of thought they could do radio – and they can! It's delightful.

Tuesday, Nan Rubin interviewed two local men doing some interesting local film-making. Doing it – not just talking about it. Wednesday, I was privileged to host the three municipal judgeship candidates, each sounding as if s/he would make a great judge; then the articulate District 6 City Council candidate Yvonne Flores, whose opponent declined to appear; then representatives of the Potters' Guild and El Caldito talking about the annual Empty Bowls event. (Potters make bowls, local restaurants donate soup, and folks like us contribute money to the soup kitchen and get in return a handmade bowl, tasty soup, and enjoyable conversations.) 

Thursday, Kari Bachman treated us to a wonderful hour with Florence Hamilton. At an age most folks don't reach, Ms. Hamilton spoke movingly about growing up in segregated Kansas City, Missourahh, struggling to find work in a world where young black women were meant to be domestics or elevator operators (“Light-skinned only,” read the newspaper ads), and later watching her kids experience the mixed bag that was school integration after the 1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education. Her comments were a welcome respite from the steady drumbeat of mostly white male pronouncements that all that racism stuff is past.

I'd stack those three morning shows up against the three morning shows most any other local radio station did this week in any comparable or much larger city. 

Our trials in getting “Que tal!” on air also enhanced my sympathy for the great group of people I watched working for months to make the recent SWEC gala the best ever; and for the folks who created and sustain the Timebank, where people contribute what they can do and get something done for them in return. Same with Beloved Community, now coping with a loss of funding, yet still committed to making young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities feel uniquely beloved. And too the Progressive Voters Alliance, where people confronting changing political realities gather to exchange ideas – with two minutes or less per speaker. Then there's El Caldito, community staple, feeding more needy people each year.

A recent radio interview also gave me insight into how hard folks work so that Las Cruces has a symphony of exceptional quality for our size.

With globalism all the rage, and Washington a playpen, these local efforts are truly heroic. And I could name many more! Fellow Las Crucens struggling to survive and do right. 

Add in a vibrant and generous arts community, and our desert home is rich in the stuff that really matters.

                                                                -30-

[The above column appeared in the Las Cruces Sun-News this morning, Sunday, 22 October 2017, as well as on the newspaper's website and on KRWG's website.  A spoken version will air periodically on both KRWG and KTAL-LP.  (Speaking of which, at 9 a.m. this morning on KTAL - 101.5 FM - "The Sunday Show" features an interview with Roman Catholic Bishop Oscar Cantú.)]

[Mostly, I felt delighted by how the radio station is doing.  It desperately needs money; but people are getting a chance to host radio shows are doing so quite well.  I run into people who enjoy the station, for both its local programming and the acquired show, and tell me they listen to it all day.  It's strange.  I remember wondering more than once whether we'd ever even get on the air.  I still worry how we'll survive.

Meanwhile, I had recently watched friends go through intense planning for or work on successful events for non-profits.  (I think some folks are more active than ever because of distress over last fall's national election results.)  We have a pretty fine community of caring people here.  Some we're hearing from in radio interviews as well.]  

Update on Earlier Sunday Columns

This column is an update on several past columns about matters as to which there have been recent developments worth mentioning.

A December 2014 column concerned initial efforts to build a non-profit community radio station in Las Cruces. Since then, it has acquired a name (K-TAL, aka “Que tal?”); a studio location; some money to help get on the air, and a lot of new volunteers. At a recent meeting we heard from many talented and enthusiastic people who want to help make this happen. Some of them have extensive radio experience or other great backgrounds. The next few months should see us acquiring the necessary equipment, setting up the studio, raising more funds, getting some interesting shows from elsewhere, and starting to train local folks to create and air a wide variety of interesting shows. 

An October 2015 column outlined why we should set up a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) concerning the detention center. Recently the County Commission directed the County Manager to put together a proposal. The CAC must be independent of the Commission and seen to be independent. I''m hoping that in addition to Commission appointees we see members appointed by LULAC, perhaps the NAACP, the mental health treatment community, and others. If you have suggestions, write Julia Brown or watch for announcement of a work session on the subject.

A more recent column hoped the authorities would act appropriately to evict Bundy and friends from the Malheur refuge in Oregon. To some degree, that's happened. Sadly, one fellow was shot when he reached for a pocket with a gun in it, although I've wondered if he meant to hand in his gun but just didn't make that clear to the authorities. But he'd said he wouldn't be taken alive. Those captured should face appropriate charges.

Overall it's a little depressing to glance back. Columns about lawsuits by former County employees (two big jury verdicts) and by alleged victims of detention center mismanagement (e.g. Mr. Slevin)? More such lawsuits are coming, with one set for trial in March, I think. Some of the alleged bad actors seem to find a strong champion in Julia Brown. I don't know why. I've written columns about alleged misconduct by Detention Center Director Chris Barela; but while charges have been filed and a grand jury will take a look at him shortly, delay let the statute of limitations run out on some charges. (I state no conclusions about whether or not he should or will be convicted. Depends on the evidence. He's got a real good defense attorney.)

I've written a lot about what seems to me excessively acrimonious politics, and about the influence of outside oil and gas interests, and even the Koch Brothers; but although the dishonest recall campaign failed a year ago and PAC attacks on Mayor Miyagashima failed to dissuade many citizens from voting for him, money in politics is a problem we haven't solved and probably can't; and the acrimony grows to absurd proportions with the national examples of Donald Trump and the other clowns vying for the Republican Presidential nomination. Politics is way too influenced, if not controlled, by money.

And HJR9 could help the corporations destroy the U.S. as we know it, by triggering a potentially disastrous constitutional convention orchestrated by ALEC.

And one very sad local note: I've written columns praising Chope's. One included an image of the matriarch, Lupe Benavides. A great lady. Her death this week is sad for Chope's, for La Mesa, and for all of us. 

But her life exemplifies how much good one person can do.

                                                          -30-

[The column above appeared in the Las Cruces Sun-News this morning, Sunday, 7 February, and will appear later this morning on the KRWG-TV web-site (News --> Local Viewpoints).]

[Guess I should add two updates from this morning's Sun-News: the County Commission will vote Tuesday morning on a resolution asking County Treasurer David Gutierrez to resign, as my previous column  did; and February 16 will be Miguel Silva Day in Las Cruces and probably Dona Ana County.  There'll be a ceremony at 10 a.m. at Klein Park.]

[It's a beautiful, sunny morning here.  Cold, but warmer than it has been.  Bird-baths only lightly frozen this morning.]
          * * *        ** *        * * *        * * *        * * *        * * *        * * *        * * *
          strong morning sunlight.
          cat springs, mouse dead.  soon the cat
          will follow the mouse
          -- as will i, later the sun.
          who will notice our passing?

Community Radio - for All of Us

We have a great opportunity that both political parties, the P.V.A., the Tea Party, Aggie Solidarity, churches, and soccer moms should all relish. It's called community radio, and might not exist if not for Pete Tridish (known widely as Petri Dish), who passed through Cruces recently.

I like him, 'cause he thinks outside the box.

The FCC used to insist on a wider space on the dial between huge stations, so their signals wouldn't interfere with each other.

Petri pointed out that there was plenty of space for much smaller stations – say, 100 watts – in between the 50,000-watt behemoths. The little guys could use their localized signal to do interesting local things, without harming the big guys' signals

He convinced the FCC, and in 1998 the FCC enacted a rule to open things up. (This was after he'd spent a few years moving equipment from place to place and ducking FCC raids while running a “pirate” station.)

The National Association of Broadcasters (“NAB”) was horrified by the rule-making. The little guys might compete for local advertising dollars. NAB lobbyists chatted up senators and congresspeople. Thus in 2000 Congress enacted a law undoing the new FCC rule.

NAB claimed the small signals would interfere with the bigs. Congress insisted on a five-year engineering study. After two years the folks charged with doing the study had gotten a look at the facts, and announced that the NAB claim was so fatuous there was nothing to study. A 100-watt station could cause problems only in the immediate vicinity of its transmitter.

It took another few years to undo the 2000 law, but eventually the FCC started issuing licenses for small stations. (New Orleans, allowed no small stations under the 2000 law, could now have five.)
Throughout history, radio authorities have favored big broadcasters, with their deep pockets. Says Petri, “Drawing the largest audience made for the largest profits, so the assumption was, build the biggest station you can. And there's nothing wrong with that.”

The behemoths can do some things very well: national elections, wars, huge catastrophes, etc.
But they can't tell you much about your city council or the quality of local education. There's no incentive. “Stories about the Iraq War or the President pay a lot better than stories about the local city council.”

Petri is quick to articulate the irony: exactly the stuff we citizens can have the greatest impact on, such as local governments and improving local education, are exactly what we're most ignorant about, since national media ignore local issues; but we're flooded with information on issues we can do little about.

And what of accuracy? Big stations belong to big corporations. If GE, a huge defense contractor, owns a network, how confident are you that the network's news is accurate regarding a possible new war --- which, if it starts, will make GE a fortune?

Community Radio has time for local discussion, local performances, and slices of local life.
So what's this mean for us?

Within the year, Las Cruces could have a new radio station most of the City and some folks North and East of it should receive. It's licensed, and soon will have call letters. Supporters have started fund-raising. A small group has been meeting periodically to help with the early tasks.

The station hopes to be a resource for everyone, regardless of political views.

Look for notice of a meeting in January to invite input and ideas from any and all. Or consider donating a little money toward space and equipment and the all-important coffee-maker.

If you want to get on the group's mailing list, email lascrucescommunityradio@gmail.com at your convenience.
                                           -30-
[The column above appeared in the Las Cruces Sun-News this morning, 21 December.]
[I should probably have stressed that there's still a fair amount of work to get a new station on the air. In particular, we need to locate and lease studio space -- and the space has to work for radio.  Fund-raising for a year's operations is a definite task, although the amount needed is reasonable. 
And helping teach on-air talent something about the practicalities and non-substantive elements of running a radio show is important.
At the same time, a lot has already been done.]

[I got invited to the early meetings because I've worked some with radio and TV.  Nan Rubin ran 'em, being the most knowledgeable about starting and running a community radio station.  At the meetings were mostly people with significant radio experience.  People sounded interested in a successful community radio station representing a many facets of the community as feasible.  They weren't ideologues.  The license was procured technically by SWEC, because it was a convenient pre-existing non-profit group.]

[I think I'll stay involved in this thing.  I'm hoping that folks with something to say or discuss will use it, whether their subjects are political or not and, if political, whatever their political views may be.]

[I don't see the new station as competing with other available stations here because so much of it will be material those stations aren't interested in or don't have time for or suppose won't be profitable.  If we're lucky and work hard, the station will provide a unique service, covering Las Cruces and the County in a broader and deeper -- yet more spontaneous and lively -- way.  It'll offer a lot less prepared material from elsewhere and a lot more of what our friends and neighbors and local government are doing and thinking.  Along with music and features.  Definitely no Rush Limbaugh.]