Give LPFMs a Break
In response to Scott Bailey’s letter regarding LPFMs “not playing fair” (Reader’s Forum, Oct. 23) — they have bills to pay, electric-phones-music license and such. They must receive funds from somewhere, and in most cases it is from underwriting, since they can’t sell advertising like the “big boys.”
As long as they follow the FCC rules on underwriting, why shouldn’t they sound professional? I have been broadcasting for more than 50 years, working at very large stations as well as very small ones. I even worked at some AM stations, played discs by the armload, read spots live and more.
I grew up with radio, and then at age 70 retired and thought I needed to get away from radio for a while. How wrong was that! Now, at age 82, I am having a ball as manager of a 100-watt LPFM station. I have excellent help at the station, and we sound every bit as good as, or better than, several local commercial stations.
We are not getting rich, just enough to pay the bills. We are serving the local community with local news, weather, bake sales, yard sales and more that the commercial stations don’t want to “clutter up” their fine programing format.
Maybe your city doesn’t need an LPFM to add to the mix. After all, what can those grubby kids add to the air that you can’t — or won’t — do? “Local AMs like us was here first” … Wake up man, and give ’em a chance. You might even learn from them!
Gene Kirby
Manager
WRPO(LP)
Russells Point, Ohio
Tom Wheeler a Poor Choice for FCC
In my opinion, having former cable and wireless lobbyist Tom Wheeler as the head of the FCC is like putting a mouse in charge of security of a cheese factory.
Why would Mr. Wheeler care at all about terrestrial broadcasters after having years of representing cellphone/wireless interests and their spectrum requests? And what’s the chance of cable customers finally getting a la carte packages after his years of representing the cable companies?
A broadcast engineer truly would have been the best choice for the FCC chairman position, not a lobbyist, a politico or a lawyer.
John Pavlica
Station Engineer
Toledo, Ohio
