Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 14:28:29 -0500 (EST)
From: radiobob@falcon.cc.ukans.edu
To: folk_music-digest@nysernet.org
Subject: Folk and public radio--another example of the roadblocks

Well all, as a full time staffer at an NPR station, and one who does
a 6 hour folk, Celtic and bluegrass show, I've had plenty I've
thought about saying, but was afraid that once the floodgates were
opened.....

Anyhow, here's an example of why folk (bluegrass, Celtic, world
music, etc) are being purged by public stations left and right.
The latest issue of Current (the public broadcasting newspaper) has a
story on the latest project by the PRPD (pubic radio program directors
group)--getting stations to join in on a challenge to raise core
audience by 4 percent.  Sounds innocent enough, eh?  Well, core
audience means those who listen to your station over half of their
time they have the radio on.  Hence, people who come to your station
just to listen to folk, bluegrass etc are not part of your core
audience.  Which means the PRPD doesn't WANT those people to listen.
They aren't part of the core audience, so they don't count.  In
fact, in the article, the PRPD says whether stations actually make
the 4 percent core growth isn't as important as getting more stations
to adopt PRPD's programming recommendations of having JUST ONE format
or, at most , TWO formats.

At our own station, the bluegrass portion of our folk programming
was cut back from two to one hour, despite consistently strong
fundraising and listenership.  More than anything else, this was
because bluegrass listeners were fringe, and not core, listeners.
Luckily, our station retained bluegrass, and continues to be a multi
format station, with news, classical and jazz during the week and
various things, including our 6 hour Celtic/folk/bluegrass block on
Sunday.  But the trend is to dump all but one or two formats.  Hope
we can keep holding out.  IN fact, in many cities, there is no jazz,
no folk,  on public, or any, radio.  Scary.

Bob McWilliams

Bob McWilliams
radiobob@falcon.cc.ukans.edu
KANU
Broadcasting Hall
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 66045
913-864-4530   fax 913-864-5278