KDHX 88.1FM Considering Eliminating All 4 Hours of Weekly Talk Programming
I’ve received word the KDHX 88.1FM programming committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday June 25th at 6pm to consider eliminating all talk programs. Talk programs on KDHX make up only 4 of the 168 hours of the week. I’m a frequent guest on the Monday 7pm program Collateral Damage.
KDHX is member supported radio. Their tag line is “your community, your media.” Earthworms with host Jean Ponzi, on the air for 20 years, for example, would be cut. Community radio should certainly have room for discussion about the community.
If you’d like to see KDHX continue to offer the 2.4% talk format mixed in with the 97.6% music please contact Co-Executive Directors Beverly Hacker (bhacker at kdhx dot org) & Nico Leone (nico at kdhx dot org) to let them know how you feel.
I hope they keep the shows. Rather than cut them out, I wish they’d add more. The Monday talk lineup is a must listen for good local information.
The one thing I don’t understand is why they don’t take calls from listeners. The callers on Donnybrook make that show much more interesting.
The loss of talk shows on KDHX would be very unfortunate. We actually need more of this kind of media, not less. Given the nature of mainstream media, with its emphasis on soundbites, and ever-diminishing space for analysis and intelligent commentary, we need outlets to enable conversation about important community issues. If stations like KDHX don’t provide that outlet (a function which seems fundamental to their community radio purpose) who will do that? Blogs and other new media have an important place, but radio is more easily available in more places.
What’s the logic? Make more money? Listener complaints? Donor complaints/suggestions? Ratings?
Admittedly, I don’t listen often, but the change would not affect my listening at all . . .
These are the primary shows that I listen to attentively on KDHX. The music programming I tend to just listen to as background.
Literature for the Halibut
Earthworms
Democracy Now (yeah, I know it’s just a simulcast 10min summary)
Reality Now
These are all talk shows, making them the very category of shows the radio station considers cutting. Taking listener calls during talk shows is certainly a good way to diversity the programming, but still my interest in listening to these shows stems from the talent and experience of the hosts themselves, not always in listening to callers ask random questions.
I do certainly hope KDHX does not ax these shows, but frankly, given current attitude of the station management, along with their flawed assumptions about target listener demographics (in particular assuming all niche categories must go), I have to say KDHX demonstrates little interest in doing programming for pro-talk-show folks like me. Perhaps then, the best approach is to respond to their apathy in kind. Encourage the hosts to produce their talk shows online, completely outside of KDHX, if the station cuts their shows.
KDHX provides a talk outlet not dominated by right wing hosts like KMOX and 97.1 FM.