From musician and community member Melissa C.
As a longtime Houston Music Professional, former staff of alternative weekly “Public News,” co-founder of the Houston Music Council and former Talent Buyer for Fitzgerald’s nightclub, I feel I have strong standing and an opinion to be valued in this matter. Having represented musical artists from Houston, two of which were voted “Band Of The Year,” I must make the point that the success of these were due in large part to exposure and support by KTRU. Without such a venue, promotion of young and new artists from our area will suffer greatly, if not falter.
College Radio has been the proving ground for new music/performance artists in the U.S. for decades.
While KACC 89.7FM, the Alvin Community College station, does provide some limited local artist support, their signal footprint does not reach a majority of the Houston listening area AND does not subscribe to a “college” radio format. Rather the majority of their airtime is devoted to “out of copyright/royalty reach” classic/old rock. KPFT 90.1FM by non-profit status charter must divide their airtime among community/public affairs programming which is then again subdivided into cultures and issues. The total “music” airtime is thereby severely limited and even that is mostly relegated to folk/country/singer-songwriter fare with only ONE two-hour show per week strictly devoted to NEW artists. Most of the other music programming is at least fifty percent “old copyright/royalty free” content if not more.
The sale of KTRU, our last remaining, nationally recognized and lauded “college” radio stations to KUHF, another Houston market university who by the way has no plans to retain the format, much less integrate station operation with any part of the student curriculum or utilization as an educational entity as KTRU has always maintained, is a non-starter. KUHF even recently gave up its NPR subscription to UPenn’s World Cafe show!
When it comes to the consolidation of media outlets in our multi-million consumer market of Houston, there is great danger in reduction of diversity. Our vast physical and listener market represents one of the World’s most internationally populated multi-cultures. KTRU’s format has always recognized and honored this community as reflected by various music shows. From Reggae, to Americana, to Experimental, and Hardcore the offerings provide something for just about everyone. Not to mention the recent live symphony programming of Classical concerts offered through Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
Broadcast radio may seem to be in a technological decline, but I assure you that most of us cannot afford subscription satellite radio. We are in strong local (with even some international and a great deal of Alumni) support, when we say we treasure KTRU.
The corporate university entities went about this transaction under veil of utter secrecy, perhaps in violation of the law, because they knew there would be a huge public outcry against the sale. That alone should speak volumes to the FCC and give cause to reconsider permitting the sale. Please do exactly that. Please block the sale and preserve what little remains of the diversity of our media culture in Houston.
Thank You,
Melissa C
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