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KPFK Managers Wants Ratings Or The Shows Will Be Booted-The Commercial Drive At Pacifica
KPFK manager Alan Minsky is now telling programmers if they don't have the arbitron ratings the show will be knocked off the air. This is the new Pacifica's management idea of how to get new programs and listeners. They are following the direction of NPR and the corporate agenda for media.
From: Alan Minsky
To: programmers ; staff
Sent: Wed, July 21, 2010 11:31:22 AM
Subject: Important Letter to KPFK Programmers
Dear KPFKers,
We’ve reached a critical point at KPFK, as the painful length of our recent fund drive betrayed.
At the beginning of my time as iPD, I was instructed by the National Office to increase the station’s listeners; in particular, as measured by the Arbitron numbers. This has occurred. Through the beginning of June, the listenership for the station had steadily risen from 120,000 before the fall 2009 programming changes up to a plateau of 180,000. This is great.
However, the increase in audience is weighted almost entirely in our Monday through Friday morning programming – in essence from 6am until 1pm – while 5pm is also substantially out-performing what was there before. With only a few exceptions, the afternoon, evening, and weekend programming is dramatically underperforming by this measurement.
Furthermore, this is true not only in terms of Arbitrons but also in fundraising – as we consistently have to pre-empt our afternoon, evening, and weekend programs in order to raise money. This is unacceptable. Lew Hill, Pacifica’s founder, understood that listeners would pay for what they value; that compelling programming would elicit the financial support required to sustain such an ambitious media project and broadcast operation; that the ability to fundraise would necessarily be a factor in determining what shows remain on the air.
Indeed, the fact that so many of our shows are not contributing to fundraising for KPFK is a major factor in the unacceptable length of our fund drives.
Therefore, I along with the current management team see an urgent need to make changes in the programming in the afternoon, evening, and weekend.
In the next few weeks, we will be making some very hard decisions. We have about eight to ten new hours of Mission-driven programming that we believe will dramatically improve our listenership and our fundraising in the coming year. In order to make room for these new shows, we need some of the underperforming shows to step aside.
Therefore, we are asking all KPFK programmers to take a hard look at their shows and decide themselves whether they can make a positive contribution to the station by increasing their audience size and raising money for the station in fund drives. If you recognize that your show cannot make such a contribution than we, the management team, would encourage you to either:
1. offer to cut the length of your show (e.g. from one hour to 30 minutes a week)
2. move your show off-air to a web-based show available on KPFK.org
3. end your show
We will wait to hear back from programmers for one and a half weeks (until 07-30), after which time we will begin to make the decisions about which shows to cut back and which to excise in order to free up the time to introduce new programming onto KPFK Radio. Please reply directly to myself, Bob Conger and Jennifer Kiser.
This is a difficult process, but essential for the greater good and health of the station and foundation.
Sincerely,
Alan Minsky
KPFK interim Program Director
To: programmers ; staff
Sent: Wed, July 21, 2010 11:31:22 AM
Subject: Important Letter to KPFK Programmers
Dear KPFKers,
We’ve reached a critical point at KPFK, as the painful length of our recent fund drive betrayed.
At the beginning of my time as iPD, I was instructed by the National Office to increase the station’s listeners; in particular, as measured by the Arbitron numbers. This has occurred. Through the beginning of June, the listenership for the station had steadily risen from 120,000 before the fall 2009 programming changes up to a plateau of 180,000. This is great.
However, the increase in audience is weighted almost entirely in our Monday through Friday morning programming – in essence from 6am until 1pm – while 5pm is also substantially out-performing what was there before. With only a few exceptions, the afternoon, evening, and weekend programming is dramatically underperforming by this measurement.
Furthermore, this is true not only in terms of Arbitrons but also in fundraising – as we consistently have to pre-empt our afternoon, evening, and weekend programs in order to raise money. This is unacceptable. Lew Hill, Pacifica’s founder, understood that listeners would pay for what they value; that compelling programming would elicit the financial support required to sustain such an ambitious media project and broadcast operation; that the ability to fundraise would necessarily be a factor in determining what shows remain on the air.
Indeed, the fact that so many of our shows are not contributing to fundraising for KPFK is a major factor in the unacceptable length of our fund drives.
Therefore, I along with the current management team see an urgent need to make changes in the programming in the afternoon, evening, and weekend.
In the next few weeks, we will be making some very hard decisions. We have about eight to ten new hours of Mission-driven programming that we believe will dramatically improve our listenership and our fundraising in the coming year. In order to make room for these new shows, we need some of the underperforming shows to step aside.
Therefore, we are asking all KPFK programmers to take a hard look at their shows and decide themselves whether they can make a positive contribution to the station by increasing their audience size and raising money for the station in fund drives. If you recognize that your show cannot make such a contribution than we, the management team, would encourage you to either:
1. offer to cut the length of your show (e.g. from one hour to 30 minutes a week)
2. move your show off-air to a web-based show available on KPFK.org
3. end your show
We will wait to hear back from programmers for one and a half weeks (until 07-30), after which time we will begin to make the decisions about which shows to cut back and which to excise in order to free up the time to introduce new programming onto KPFK Radio. Please reply directly to myself, Bob Conger and Jennifer Kiser.
This is a difficult process, but essential for the greater good and health of the station and foundation.
Sincerely,
Alan Minsky
KPFK interim Program Director
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Just because KPFK management wants to make sure programs actually have listeners doesn't mean they are 'following the direction of NPR.' If they were calling for corporate underwriting or on-air plugs for sponsors, that would be a serious concern.
Programmers have to prove their worth by raising funds as part of the regular fund drives; why not justify their existence by showing the level of listenership they have? There are probably several programs on KPFA that have a tiny listenership and raise little money for the station. Maybe they should be subsidized and remain on the air even if they only reach a small population. Maybe few people listen because the shows aren't really worthwhile. Maybe some have a few devoted listeners who donate to the stations.
Unfortunately an unintended consequence of Minsky's plan will probably be that ridiculous programs like "Visionary Activist," with its 'New Age' host blathering about astrology and guru worship, or "Stone's Throw" will probably show they do have a devoted following and will remain on the air, to the detriment of real news and information programming.
Programmers have to prove their worth by raising funds as part of the regular fund drives; why not justify their existence by showing the level of listenership they have? There are probably several programs on KPFA that have a tiny listenership and raise little money for the station. Maybe they should be subsidized and remain on the air even if they only reach a small population. Maybe few people listen because the shows aren't really worthwhile. Maybe some have a few devoted listeners who donate to the stations.
Unfortunately an unintended consequence of Minsky's plan will probably be that ridiculous programs like "Visionary Activist," with its 'New Age' host blathering about astrology and guru worship, or "Stone's Throw" will probably show they do have a devoted following and will remain on the air, to the detriment of real news and information programming.
Oh please. The station appears to be righting itself and no longer sinking financially -- that is, it is attracting the support of its listeners. Nothing incites envy like success. Give it a rest.
Fund raising ability of a show should be secondary to the merits of a show. Dr. Oz was just challenged on his promotion of certain products with unsubstantiated claims. The same situation exists with the AWARE show. Although there is an attempt to improve personal emotional and physical problems, this is done without any scientific basis and with a very large secondary monetary gain on the part of the people and products that are promoted. I, as an MD for 41 years-board certified pediatrician, consider this to be highly unethical. I have been a supporter of KPFK since the 1960's as were my deceased parents and I am seriously disappointed in how this programming is presented.
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