28
Aug
2010
Houston Chronicle: Classical music fans may lose out in Rice radio deal
“Classical music fans in the city’s southern and western suburbs may not be able to hear the station intended to serve their interests.”
“‘It’s all static,’ Clear Lake resident Jay Bennett said of the radio signal that would be designated for classical music and arts programming if the deal goes through. ‘It seems odd that they would degrade their (classical music) signal and alienate a lot of their listeners.'”
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Take note! “The $9.5 million sale isn’t a done deal. UH’s governing board last week authorized Chancellor Renu Khator to complete the negotiations, but nothing has been signed.”
I agree. The administration is starting to parse and dissemble and trap themselves in their public statements, which only further underscores the fact that they did not think this through. It’s more important now than ever to keep the pressure on.
I’d also like to see the students and media ask some questions of this person: Dennis Murphee.
http://www.murphreeventures.com/Dennis-Murphree.aspx
Rice Professor at the Jones School, and currently “president of the board for The Association for Community Broadcasting, which oversees Houston’s public television and radio stations [i.e. KUHF].”
It is at the very least interesting that he also “serves on two SMU boards currently and is Houston co-chair of the $750 million Second-Century capital campaign for SMU.” There are certainly overlapping major donors between Rice, KUHF, and SMU [and UH for that matter], all of which have simultaneous capital campaigns running.
If Mr. Murphee has knowledge of the actual content of this deal and its true origins (i.e. why the big rush?) — and he seems to be in an obvious position to have known — now would be the time to ask him. At worst, the administration will get to him and he will just repeat the lies and half-truths that the administration has been feeding to the Thresher. At best, he might shed some light on things.