[BC] WBAA at Purdue license issue explained

[Mike]

Doug,
   Did someone leave a bad taste in your mouth against public 
broadcasters?  Having worked both sides it not as joyous as you seem to 
think trust me.  Yes we may have newer equipment than many of the 
commercial stations but the majority of us don't have any leaning over 
our shoulder with their hand out asking for their ownership cut and 
every penny that comes in the door goes into the station and staff.  I 
have seen more than one public station get in trouble as well.  Wasn't 
long ago one was fined and an air talent was fired for what boiled down 
to payola.  Don't recall the calls right now but it had to do with 
someone trading air play time for concert tickets and things of that 
nature.  There are many others.  We all have to play by the same rules 
and on top of that we have to fight for every penny we bring in the door 
  from our listeners, underwriters, or any place else we can legally get 
it which is getting smaller in number by the week.
   Just curious where your grudge came from.  Most of the time when I 
hear this it's because of a misunderstanding on how the system works or 
how things are handled or I have even had a few that it boiled down to a 
little bit of jealousy because of what we could do and they couldn't for 
one reason or another.
OK flame away
Mike


Douglas B. Pritchett wrote:
> No. There will be no fine. There will be no trouble. You see, WBAA is a 
> non commercial public broadcaster which places it high above those 
> money-grubbing commercial broadcasters who are only interested in 
> profit. WBAA has to continue serving the broad intellectual audience of 
> West Lafayette, without governmental meddling, since as a public 
> broadcaster, they are serving the "greater good". Let a commercial 
> broadcaster or mom and pop AM somewhere try this limp-wristed 
> explanation "the computer ate my license renewal"  and the Commission 
> will fine them, and might even cancel them. Oh, and WBAA has great 
> material for their next pledge-drive: "keep us on the air, we had to 
> spend all our money on a Washington attorney........"
>