"Fake News" in the LPFM department

I've had conversations with writers at some newspapers, and they tell me they don't write the headlines. That's obviously the case here, because the article isn't about becoming a "collective shout." There is no movement towards organizing or collectivizing LPFM radio. In fact, it's quite the opposite. They prefer their individuality and uniqueness. The problem, and it isn't addressed in the article, is the rise of LPFM is hurting the FCC's AM revitalization plan. Conversely, the growth of AM translators is limiting the spectrum space available for new LPFMs. This will be an issue moving forward.

DavidEduardo said:

From the New York Times:

"As Low-Power Local Radio Rises, Tiny Voices Become a Collective Shout"

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/06/us/low-power-radio.html

The article attempts to convince us that there is a groundswell of LPFM listening, activity and influence across the country.

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A groundswell that is not showing up in the basic metric that measures radio listening. By virtue of their non-commercial status, LPFMs cannot show up in diary markets, but Nielsen does show listening to non-commercial entities in PPM markets. In tracking all 48 PPM markets, there are only two LPFMs which I am aware that have shown up on a consistent basis, and neither of them have registered at all in the past six months:

WOLD-LP/Woodbridge, NJ and its oldies format showed up in the Middlesex, NJ book from early '15 through last May.

WLIX-LP/Ridge, NY and its standards format showed up in the Long Island book from December '12 through July '16.

I think the article is pretty straightforward and accurate. Civic and political activism are finding voices in low-power radio. Whether a significant number of people are listening to any of these stations is not addressed directly, but there are quotes in the story from people involved with the stations admitting that putting out a listenable signal and letting people know that signal exists is a challenge. The main problem with the story, as Big A said, is with the headline. The Times eliminated its copy desk several months ago, so I'm not sure who's doing the final bits of editing now. The head on this story sure looks like it was written by an editor of some sort with a bias, which is shameful. As Huff points out, the LPs that are most likely to attract listeners provide music that commercial broadcasters can't monetize, not social or political advocacy.

CTListener said:

As Huff points out, the LPs that are most likely to attract listeners provide music that commercial broadcasters can't monetize, not social or political advocacy.

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However, the social and political advocacy is typically coming from the side that also can't be monetized by commercial stations.

LPFMs are unlikely to ever catch on as a sustainable business model. The coverage is too sketchy to sell. There's already a non-commercial portion of the band, LPFMs just overcrowd an already crowded band and serve no one well.

umfan said:

LPFMs are unlikely to ever catch on as a sustainable business model.

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Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought the idea of LPFMs was NOT to be a business. That's why they're not only LP but NC. They're intended to be volunteer hobby operations.

Many misconceptions here, and mostly not in the article.

I read the article. It is typical. It's a bit over the top. There are many types of LPFM stations. Obviously the religious stations predominate. Many are satellite delivered formats of the licensee's flavor of belief. There are politically 'left leaning' stations that term themselves community stations. For many, they allow the general public to host their own show and most carry some Pacifica offerings. There is the group that is comprised of radio people who aspire to call the shots at a radio station. There is a group of LPFM operators that function just as the small town radio station for their community. Sometimes they are the only station with anything local on the dial.

The reason for the 'slowdown' in LPFM is the window opened for filing back in Fall 2014. Almost every station is constructed or about to be. It is not that LPFM is waning. You just don't have lots of chatter about LPFM like you did when hundreds of stations got their Construction Permits.

Of all the 'types' of stations only the left leaning group holds gatherings throughout the country on a regular basis, but not too many enjoy the ability and funds to attend. I am not sure they feel they are really part of this massive grassroots movement. They all seem to be fiercely independent. Many different groups of LPFM stations have several discussion groups to share information and ask questions. For the most part, nobody thinks of themselves as a movement but rather a station attempting to serve their niche. Some joined state broadcast groups. Some were told they could not join.

LPFM stations go to non-profit organizations entering radio, mostly for the first time. Quite a few lack any help from a radio person and frequently if they find any help from a person who has been in radio, it's typically a DJ. Of all the groups, most have little understanding of what is required to run a radio station (the logistics and how the pieces fit together). Some believe they can recreate radio with their personal opinion of what radio should be. Even some with no radio experience do very well, across all types of LPFM stations. Most find their vision and reality are like black and white. Across the board there are stations in every type that super serve their communities and have managed to be able to hire staff and function much like a full power non-commercial in smaller scale.

While most LPFMs have no clue about funding their stations and literally can't even cover their monthly operating expenses through grants, underwriting and donations. There are those exceeding $200,000 a year in billing, maybe more. That's not a huge number but not terribly bad for a small town AM in rural America. Generally speaking, most LPFM operators hate sales and don't understand sales.

The worst enemy of LPFM is the mind. There are those that hate commercial radio so much they refuse to apply any of the basics every radio station utilizes to build an audience and funding. There are those who think they have the secret to bring people back to radio by playing their personal favorites. Even many churches fail to realize 'outreach' means doing something other than church 24/7. There are shining examples of operators trying to reflect their communities via their LPFM. These folks are doing well and are actually valued by the listening public.

Many of these stations have boards that all individually think they are gods of radio or they don't understand the business, creating infighting and sometimes they dissolve. One well meaning fellow took on board members across all walks of like in his community. Board meetings were like cat fights. In the end, one special interest group bullied the other board members so much, the board was comprised primarily of their friends. They booted the founder and took over the station. I gather the problem lies in board members wanting a radio station versus board members who had served on a board in the past and understood a board member governs versus operates.

LPFMs can be community stations, run by volunteers or be formatted like conventional radio with hired staff. They are not all volunteer or hobby operations although those are much more common.

LPFM has a nice position to fill: to super serve a small geographic area with programming that hits as many in that service area as possible as well as selling Underwriting to the small businesses right in their primary trade area at a price they can afford. Many times the LPFM is the only affordable choice for the small business. For those DXers that think they do not deserve being on the air, they do. They have a FCC license and the FCC's blessing like every other station on the dial. Such comments are obviously not well thought out. Ironically, LPFM stations as a whole want to and strive to abide by FCC rules. In every bunch there are a few that are bad eggs.

One LPFM that seems to really be doing well is KDRP in Dripping Springs, Texas. They began as a single LPFM, adding translators and splitting off to another non-profit to operate full power stations. They show up in the ratings in Austin, Texas. Granted they're at the bottom of the pack but at least their eclectic format shows up.

If this second window is like the first, about 1/3rd of the applicants that got a Construction Permit either never build or will eventually turn in the license within 3 to 5 years mostly due to a lack of funding. A reason this happens is a LPFM must be licensed 3 years to 'transfer' to another group. There are certain geographic restrictions to qualify any group for a LPFM license. Thus, the number of potential non-profits that could obtain the station are few in number. And LPFMs cannot be sold. You can only recover actual expenses. Many turn in the license because they cannot find someone qualified and no broker is going to help them because they can't make any money from it. From what I have observed, it's really not that much different than full power radio.

In fact, I try to help LPFMs and have a website to share information. I am simply trying to pay forward for all those people who take me under their wing to share. You'll find a link in my profile.

Some excellent points...

Still, there's this:

b-turner said:

Quite a few lack any help from a radio person and frequently if they find any help from a person who has been in radio, it's typically a DJ.

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You write that as if somehow that's a bad thing. Care to clarify?

Would you open a restaurant knowing nothing of how to run a restaurant or an auto repair shop without being a mechanic? Each business, radio included, has the need for knowledge of how to operate and function.

I'm not saying this to imply anything negative toward your comment, but that I think you'd agree if you were opening a restaurant or an auto repair shop you'd want someone with knowledge of that business to run the operation versus someone with no knowledge.

Some of what I have come across...

There's the guy that felt since album rock radio listeners bought albums, a real classic rock station should play every track off every album.

There's the operator that couldn't figure out why nobody was calling to buy Underwriting when he posted a 'special rate' on the station website and another couldn't understand why the mailed flyer produced no callers. He wouldn't go see businesses.

There's the guy that doesn't realize saying your dial position of the air is a good thing. "There's already listening, so what's the point?"

There's the guy that says he is the local station but never does on the air. He doesn't have any local content and can't figure out why the local groups are not flocking to his door.

There's the station that airs a format that might hit 1% at most of the audience in his 5,000 population 60 dbu. He doesn't know why he's getting no donations and no phone calls.

There's the station that can't understand people aren't listening. He never did a press release and doesn't involve himself in the community. He just started and forgot to tell the community. He just knew his station would take the town by storm. Because he is now on the air he doesn't understand why everyone doesn't know the station exists.

There's the station that lets anybody on to do a show and when the 4 letter words started flying and people started verbally attacking other people on air, he discovered he needed to have some rules about what could be said and done on a program.

There are a few that don't understand the FCC will find you eventually if you ignore all the rules. They fail to think anybody can listen and perhaps a listener will know better.

One fellow told me playing reggae and deep cut rock tracks was the perfect launch for a classical station. Make sense of that one.

One guy ran 100% music, nothing I recognized as familiar, and never did any ID (not even his top of the hour) and could not figure out why nobody knew of the station. After a few months he decided to go silent. When I say 100% music I mean absolutely nothing but song after song.

And there's the station getting nowhere selling Underwriting after 5 pm. There's a reason they call it business hours!

If a LPFM board/operator has some basic knowledge of the fundamentals of radio, they have the tools to get listeners, get funding and get noticed. Sadly the basics are more often than not known to many LPFMs. I suspect you might not care too much for where radio is at this point and that something different s a good idea. I agree but I think we might be talking apples and oranges. Whether different or the same, the basics are all the same.

I will point out that as a guy that was a DJ, programmer, then did sales and finally the GM chair, that radio is very insulated within its walls. Too frequently the programming side doesn't get the sales side and vice versa. Here's what I mean: a sacker, stockboy or cashier is likely not the right person to manage a grocery store. They might be the best in the business at what they do but they might not understand the duties a store manager must perform. In radio, it is all too typical the programming side is clueless about sales and likely even more common, the sales department has no clue of programming. Heck, even a bunch of GMs that came from sales haven't much knowledge of programming.

A good station knows how to get the funds they need to operate, good programming to attract the listeners and a plan to stay top of mind in the community it serves. It needs all 3 whether they are commercial or non-commercial. Eliminate one of the three and you'll be hurting. That's why most LPFMs are hurting: they're missing one or more of the three.

And I will point out that while there are groups that can share knowledge, some have never had the opportunity to apply that knowledge in a real life radio station. Those groups with people who have some real life radio experience behind their advice are much better options because they are based in reality.

b-turner said:

I'm not saying this to imply anything negative toward your comment, but that I think you'd agree if you were opening a restaurant or an auto repair shop you'd want someone with knowledge of that business to run the operation versus someone with no knowledge.

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Clearly I must be misunderstanding your point because as I read it currently you're suggesting that because someone is a DJ, that person lacks the knowledge to help operate an LPFM.

B-Turner has his examples. Here are just a couple of mine. And then I move on to things more important.

- My first large market radio station was owned by an industrialist turned congressman. His local GM came from sales. No programming background. His OM came from Boston. His PD from Dallas. Both had experience with companies like Malrite, Metromedia, and Fairbanks. The GM fought to maintain the idea that those in the air studio were the bottom feeders of the radio station. In reality, his sales staff mostly disappeared out of radio, some went to to sell cars, some married and raised a family. Yet the bottom feeder air staff included personalities that went on to national syndication through Westwood One and others who worked for ABC, CBS and MTV. The semi retired OM owns radio stations and race horses. The PD went on the obtain a doctorate and today manages hedge funds while living in Europe.

- My next large market station was owned by a lawyer who decided at a young age that he wanted to own radio stations. He built one of radio’s best respected companies. He still owns a small group of those stations. He wisely strived to maintain the ideal that sales and programming were equal parts with different talents that worked together for a common goal. A few from his sales staff went on own radio stations themselves. Some from his air staff went on to also own radio stations or achieve national syndication. One morning show producer went on to radio ownership, then cable franchise ownership. He’s retired but a few years back provided seed money for construction of a performing arts facility at his college alma mater.

Oh, and the smallest station I worked for, an AM daytime included a midday person who now is a internationally known motivational speaker working with companies like GE, Hallmark and Intel.

Now certainly not every person who has passed through an air studio can claim a similar result. You talk of sales persons not knowing programming. Yet you chose to only broadly paint the DJ as a bottom feeder, the grocery store bagger lacking skills to manage the store. That’s your viewpoint, your prerogative, your choice to write your post in the way you want.

That’s also your mistake. I personally haven’t pulled an air shift in 17 years. But I’m damned proud of the 22 years I worked in an air studio. I’m equally proud of the persons that I shared that mic with. And when I see someone diminish that work, I’m going to stand up in their defense.

Cheers.

Well, I think that s true. If the DJ has had to sell and perhaps be a program director, then they're not really a DJ. If all the experience is being a DJ exclusively, then, no, they don't have all the knowledge, just some. In the same respect if a person has only sold commercials or underwriting they don't have the knowledge either, just some of it. And I count observation as well.

If you've built media kits, constructed personalized proposals for businesses based on the needs they expressed to you and you can build great programming as well, you are well on your way. I have been in programming and jocked many years. Then I was forced in to sales. It took a year for me to learn enough about sales to not make those fatal mistakes that destroy the sale. Finally I got the chance to manage and that too was a real learning experience, partly drawing lines in the sand where sales and programming were as equal in power as I could make it be. There's nothing like that call from your group manager saying "go out and collect another $3,200 or you won't meet payroll tomorrow afternoon". I'm not saying you have to have years of experience, just have a good handle on the basics.

If you by chance are running a LPFM, I want you to be the exception that proves my blanket statement wrong. And if you should run in to a roadblock along the way I'd be happy to try to help you get past it by hopefully offering some ideas that hadn't come to your mind yet.

Seven of the examples in my last post were from people who were DJs exclusively. One actually was a major market jock for 30 years. None of them had done more in radio that DJ. None had programmed, managed or ventured in to sales, not even that the small town station where you had a board shift and sold a few ads on the side to supplement the low wage.

DavidEduardo said:

What is being said is that LPFM stations need a much broader circle of advisers or team members than just a person with experience in one aspect of the business.

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I think that's why there are so many applications and unbuilt LPFMs right now. A lot of inexperienced people applied and were granted licenses, and they're encountering a lot of difficulties actually carrying out the legal and business requirements to put their station on the air. Getting the license is the easy part.

David, respectfully, had you or b-turner acknowledged that the same applies to sales, promotions, engineering, etc I might not feel as strongly as I do. Instead, despite b-turner's very pointed and very clear own words, you insist no one is being singled out. Frankly, it's the same mistaken BS that my long gone from the industry GM from years ago tried to instill in his staff. I'm as offended by it now as I was then. If you'd be so kind as to do what I've asked in PM, thank you.

My words are being taken out of context. Nowhere did I say a DJ was equal to a sacker at a grocery store. I merely accurately depicted that a sacker, stocker or cashier were not qualified to manage a grocery store by working that position. I believe I pointed how how equally important both sales and programming were. As a jock for years I detested those that thought of the jock as a dime a dozen insignificant part of the station.

The point you seem to want to argue with me about is that running a radio station is not more than just the DJ. Cite every example you want of a DJ doing this or that but I guarantee you one thing: it wasn't only JUST the knowledge of being a DJ that got them there but rather additional knowledge they gained along the way. David Eduardo and I agree there is much more to radio than the DJ position and that is what it is, a position in a station. And that's my point. In fact, it works both ways. Some in sales don't think programming is important. I ask them what they think they are selling. Programming, including the jocks is the product or venue they sell. If it's less than stellar, it is an inferior product.

By the way, the best guy I worked for was a CPA and banker. He was a brilliant broadcaster but he gained that knowledge after becoming a radio station owner with a few years learning things the hard way. Luckily he wanted to listen to people that knew and he had enough people around him that helped him along.

David and I speak from experience here. I still love to jock, dabble in programming, write and produce a great commercial and write a proposal a client just can't say no to. I don't work but rather get to play in the industry I am passionate about each day. I never dread Monday..

WorldFamous: Please reread my posts. What you accuse me of is addressed in my posts. I do say the same applies to sales. I have to wonder if you might have a chip on your shoulder, perhaps not. I would suspect we have both worked for people who valued us at about the same level as something they stepped in while we gave it our all behind the microphone.