KQES-LP- more like New Duck Dynasty instead of New Tang Dynasty

[Andy Travis]

There's some lousy LPFM stations. There's also some pretty lousy AM and FM stations owned by people who should know better. But there's some standouts - like X-Ray in Portland and KX in Laguna Beach, CA. It goes back to intelligence and character of the licensee. You can find that, or lack thereof, regardless of the signal class.

As for KQES, I think it should be dealt with the same way as the religious groups that backed hundreds of LPFM applications - as a scheme that circumvented the intent of the service and was against the spirit of the regulations. It's obviously backed by a propaganda organization.

 

[Kelly A]

So tell me, if you believe the only stations that people listen to are the big 50-100KW sticks, how do stations like Voice of Vashon 101.9, KVSH, survive being on the air 6 years + a pandemic?

Because Vashon is a small, rural community literally on an Island with not even a bridge back to the mainland. Also, the sociology-economic makeup of Vashon Island is VASTLY different than Bellevue. How many shopping malls are there on Vason as compared with Bellevue? How many car dealerships? What about freeways and interchanges? What is the population density of Bellevue vs. Vashon? I mean really, come on.

I mean, Vashon Island has several C0 full-power FMs 20 miles away on Cougar and another 6 to 8 on Tiger, completely listenable. And they have AM sticks ON the island. Do you really believe volunteers are broadcasting to three or four ears if that, somewhere on the island? Because if they were, I don't think KVSH would exist.

Maybe a total of less than two thousand. Probably three or four at a time. Vashon is a small community (say it together now..)
on-an-island. Of all places for an LPFM to survive, a small community (10,219 persons) with the limited land mass of an actual island, would garner more support than a major metropolitan area saturated with quality listening choices.

Yes, we know my generation is mostly listening to Spotify and TikTok and whatever garbage artists come out as YouTube 'viral sensations.'

You may think they're "garbage", but that's completely subjective. Obviously there are more younger people listening to that garbage than all the LPFM's put together. And, I submit, that there are more upwardly-mobile and well healed families in Bellevue, WA. that would listen to streaming choices from their homes, but radio while stuck in traffic on I-405. Although, that's even changing..

But DavidEduardo has said 90% of Americans still listen to the radio. So let me ask...how would you change KQES-LP for the better? Leave it as is, with probably 100 listeners at peak hours? Or try and give it new life?

Do the over-congested broadcast FM band in the Seattle area a favor: Shut it down and turn in the license.

 

[Nathan Obral]

There are several C0 full power FM stations right up the hill in Bellevue at a place called Cougar Mt. Right behind Cougar to the East are several additional stations located on W. Tiger Mt. For those living in the Bellevue (Seattle/Tacoma) Metro who still listen to radio, primarily during their commute, why in God's green earth would someone go out of their way to listen to some flea power FM who's signal would be listenable for a few city blocks? Answer: They wouldn't. Certainly not enough of them to support even a sandbox station for very long.

If there were no other community groups bidding for the LP licenses, then someone or some group is going to get them somehow.

A radio station—even a community-run station—is not inexpensive, and operating it without the ability to run traditional advertising or employ anyone makes the task much harder. Plus doing a radio show over an LP requires a lot of passion for it in the absence of compensation, and the people who would be most likely to do such a show have other venues to access music or other aural fare.

That’s why I was curious if no one else was even interested in these licenses, and they wound up in the hands of these outside groups merely by default.

 

[b-turner]

LPFM stations are not open to outside groups. The Licensee is required to have a physical location (even if a desk in a home) and board members all within a certain number of miles from the community. The programming might be via satellite but the coice of that programming lies in what the local licensee chose. Sure, it's like that group of Catholic parishioners that form an entity and choose to run EWTN off the bird or a few SDA members choosing to air one of the Seventh Day Adventist networks.

Most stations I have come across that have volunteer student, adult or student and adult volunteers where folks get to create their own show typically have very few listeners and very little support. I know LPFMs run that way that barely rake in $2,500 a year. I did a show long ago at such a station, a 100,000 watter, that eventually went under because they never could reach the required $10 an hour in any type of support (underwriting, donations or items sold for cash).

 

[Bongwater]

The Epoch Times are a regular pusher of social media disinformation on hot button topics like COVID, the last election, etc. A regular favorite of QAnon-heads. In spite of the "F-Donald Trump" week, (which almost no one remembers.) It's MAGA for the Chinese-American community.

Why are the rest of us sweatted when applying for an LPFM if they allow this organization to run several stations? I don't get that, is it really just the size of their pockets? Really? Because apparently, money don't buy everything. Especially if you have too much of it to even care.

I'm sure anybody on this board could run an LPFM a lot better than these fools. And at last, at least one person will be actively listening. Even if it's over the control room air monitor.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

The Epoch Times are a regular pusher of social media disinformation on hot button topics like COVID, the last election, etc. A regular favorite of QAnon-heads. In spite of the "F-Donald Trump" week, (which almost no one remembers.) It's MAGA for the Chinese-American community.

Why are the rest of us sweatted when applying for an LPFM if they allow this organization to run several stations? I don't get that, is it really just the size of their pockets? Really? Because apparently, money don't buy everything. Especially if you have too much of it to even care.

I'm sure anybody on this board could run an LPFM a lot better than these fools. And at last, at least one person will be actively listening. Even if it's over the control room air monitor.

the orgianizations running these stations are legally different and the fcc probably can read between the lines but really cant do much about it. the paperwork and everything makes them legally seperate entities.

 

[b-turner]

This is no different than St. Mary's Catholic Church and St. Peter Catholic Church both applying for a LPFM and both choosing to air ETWN programming. Perfectly legal. I gather your real beef is the politics of the license holder more than anything else. Why don't you get with The Epoch Times and file for a LPFM in the upcoming window? Don't complain, change things instead.

 

[Kelly A]

I'm sure anybody on this board could run an LPFM a lot better than these fools.

I doubt it. There are a lot of good intention-ed folks who have tried their hand with LPFM. Many have lost their homes and life savings in the process.

And at last, at least one person will be actively listening. Even if it's over the control room air monitor.

Wearing a set of wireless headphones while listening to your own playlist is a lot less work.

 

[xmtrland]

I doubt it. There are a lot of good intention-ed folks who have tried their hand with LPFM. Many have lost their homes and life savings in the process.

Don't run it, but I did help form Voice of Vashon and get them where they are now. Yes unique situation. Lucky to have great volunteers and key paid staff. And most importantly people that know how to write grants and fund raise.

 

[Kelly A]

Don't run it, but I did help form Voice of Vashon and get them where they are now. Yes unique situation. Lucky to have great volunteers and key paid staff. And most importantly people that know how to write grants and fund raise.

Voice of Vashon is actually a good example of how an LPFM can be relevant. But it's a unique environment too: Small community, literally on an island, run by island volunteers/neighbors. It's like what a small community newspaper used to be.
An LPFM or LPTV trying to survive surrounded by full class stations in a major metro is a exercise in futility. It will never reach enough audience to be noticed, and a large pool of potential volunteers invites the potential for politics and infighting.

 

[Bongwater]

I doubt it. There are a lot of good intention-ed folks who have tried their hand with LPFM. Many have lost their homes and life savings in the process.

Wearing a set of wireless headphones while listening to your own playlist is a lot less work.

Same with full class stations. The only saving grace being you can sell that signal for $$$ whereas LPFM (¢¢¢) has to be transferred to another non-profit.

Wireless headphones aren't as much fun as 8 watts covering 4 city blocks. Don't ask me why. It just isn't. At least to everyone who has LPFM licenses.

 

[Frequency1]

One of the board members of KVSH-LP is a former Los Angeles long time radio person Rick Wallace. It helps to have people on the board that know radio.

​

 

[xmtrland]

One of the board members of KVSH-LP is a former Los Angeles long time radio person Rick Wallace. It helps to have people on the board that know radio.

​

Now he is our fundraising Guru and voice of Wisdom. Did you ever hear him on the air in LA?

 

[DavidEduardo]

One of the board members of KVSH-LP is a former Los Angeles long time radio person Rick Wallace. It helps to have people on the board that know radio.

Here is something about Rick from the LA Radio People archive:

WALLACE, Rick: KFWB, 1967-68 and 1971-76; KABC, 1976-78; KPOL/KZLA, 1978-80; KMPC, 1980-82. Rick was news director at KPOL and KMPC.

Rick lives on Vashon Island, Washington where he is working on getting a Low Power FM license for Voice of Vashon. He's also volunteer manager of Vashon Emergency Operations Center and president of non-profit VashonBePrepared.

As the manager of the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) on Vashon Island, it’s up to him to get the emergency operation team in motion when “the big one” hits the Pacific Northwest. That means jumping on his ham radio and instructing each volunteer member in the community to go to EOC headquarters (a large space at the main fire station) and report to the Island Incident Commander (normally the fire chief).

 

[Frequency1]

Now he is our fundraising Guru and voice of Wisdom. Did you ever hear him on the air in LA?

I heard Rick a lot on KABC when KABC was a real radio station. I also knew him. That was a long time ago,

 

[xmtrland]

The on air side of Rick, I never saw, graduating on Vashon Island from High School in 1982. That is a nice resume David shared. Voice of Vashon did get the LPFM license and Rick served as our board president for a while, He has been very busy lately with Vashon BeBePrepared and the Covid responce on Vashon.

He has done a really great job of assembling a fine emergency management team on Vashon. My hand will be full during an emergency with the KIRO 710 transmitter site on Vashon since it's the local PEP station. We will be meeting with him soon so I can show him the latest FEMA upgrades at the transmitter site.

 

[Michi]

We have our share of bad actor LPFMs that give the service a bad reputation. LPFM is just that, a radio service. It is what people do with it that can make it or break it. Of course, the sneakyness of using these shill organizations and a hidden party in interest (in this case NTD/SOH/Epoch Times) is merely a way to circumvent the "one to a customer" rules that many of us fought for in the early days of LPFM. When LPFM was first created, the ownership cap was 10 stations and no localism requirement. The hope was that the FCC would have periodic windows, so the FCC limited the first window set (2000/2001) to one local applicant. But then came a few roadblocks such as the Radio Broadcast Preservation Act of 2000 and then the 2003 "anything goes" Great Translator Invasion (Auction 83), which eliminated many LPFM opportunities nationwide.

The problem is that there are many who advise me of valid cases of bad actors in LPFM and I agree that these certain stations are bad actors, but no one local is willing to go on record about it. Southern California and Houston are areas with a huge amount of LPFM abuse and Florida is an overall cancer. (Mind you, there are some good So. Cal LPFMs such as KBUU-LP, KWSV-LP, KXRN-LP, KQLH-LP (not NTD), KLDB-LP, KQBH-LP (which is also not NTD), KLIE-LP, etc.) Fortunately in Southern California, someone finally spoke up on the NTD/SOH applications there. In their opposition, NTD/SOH even admitted to what could be seen as a hidden party in interest.

During the LPFM window, I did deal directly with those who were truly behind these stations in time share negotiations and all I can say is shady as f. I did intervene early on in the case of former KQEK-LP, Cupertino CA and was labelled as "anti-Asian" by their attorney. Of course, I reminded them of the fact that for the past 20 years, I have been running Japanese programming on internet streams, which kind of disqualified their "when all else fails, reach for the race card" defense. (Dan Alpert labeled me as a "hater of Hispanic Christians" when I went after the Cesar Guel applications in 2013).

We have a complete document history about the KQEK-LP case at https://recnet.com/kqek - so you can see how well funded these folks are and how far they will go. They have already taken two of their dismissals to the DC Circuit. Despite the shoddy performance of their stations, they do have the money when the need it.

I will say this though. Of the other NTD/SOH California renewals that were timely filed (KQEA-LP & KQEB-LP), despite being "clean" renewals (no reported silent, no NOVs, timely filed), they were never granted when the FCC did their bulk grant of the CA renewals last Monday. Also of note, KQPV-LP and KQWA-LP did not even file renewals. It looks like KQES-LP, Seattle was timely filed.

As far as whether LPFM stations must carry local programs. LPFM stations that won their construction permits through the comparative review process and used their points to achieve what they have are the only ones required to run 8 hours a day of local programming and have a main studio for 20 hours a week if they made those pledges. In the case of NTD/SOH, stations subject to such pledges include: KQEA-LP, KQEB-LP and KQSG-LP. The Seattle station is not subject to the pledge.

 

[Kelly A]

I don't care if it's a conservative-leaning station owned by a Chinese conglomerate, or if they play all-Polka...if it's NOT local, shut it down! The City of Bellevue can use some of the pandemic funding they received to open up a volunteer station somewhere in town. There's 140,000 people in Bellevue and it's growing. A station similar to KASB (but for adult volunteers) would be awesome in promoting radio in the city, something 'new' to do in Bellevue for all ages. In fact, a Bellevue-owned LP could also join forces with BSD405 and allow KASB DJs to volunteer at that LPFM.

Am I dreaming too hard?

The FCC doesn't regulate programming. Nor is it a consideration as to whether a LPFM license will be issued or not.

 

[Kelly A]

As far as whether LPFM stations must carry local programs.

The FCC doesn't regulate programming.

LPFM stations that won their construction permits through the comparative review process and used their points to achieve what they have are the only ones required to run 8 hours a day of local programming and have a main studio for 20 hours a week if they made those pledges.

In the case of comparative reviews, some stations talk about their mission or programming. That doesn't mean the Commission favors one over another.

 

[Michi]

The FCC doesn't regulate programming.

In the case of comparative reviews, some stations talk about their mission or programming. That doesn't mean the Commission favors one over another.

In LPFM, the FCC can favor those who pledge local program origination (8 hours per day). It is a factor in the LPFM comparative review point system. See §73.872(a)(2) (in order to claim the local program origination point as well as the "bonus" point):

The applicant must pledge to originate locally at least eight hours of programming per day. For purposes of this criterion, local origination is the production of programming by the licensee, within ten miles of the coordinates of the proposed transmitting antenna. Local origination includes licensee produced call-in shows, music selected and played by a disc jockey present on site, broadcasts of events at local schools, and broadcasts of musical performances at a local studio or festival, whether recorded or live. Local origination does not include the broadcast of repetitive or automated programs or time-shifted recordings of non-local programming whatever its source. In addition, local origination does not include a local program that has been broadcast twice, even if the licensee broadcasts the program on a different day or makes small variations in the program thereafter.