Robin Garr wrote:Carolyne Davis wrote:Thank goodness we have THREE amazing radio stations under the Public Radio Partnership and New Albany High School's station. At least the listening public here has options! Listening to commercial radio is like eating at chain restaurants. (That's MY opinion and I'm stickin' to it!)
I couldn't agree more, Carolyne!
This would probably be a good place to add that our great public radio stations really need and deserve our support. I hate to admit that I'm careless about it myself - frankly, I hate the way PRP handles pledge drives and wish they'd do it better; I tend to tune out during the periodic beg-a-thons rather than getting excited about helping. But that's my
issue, and I'm not proud of it. Public Radio Partnership is like Louisville Originals indeed - and if we don't support them both with our dollars, we can't expect to have them around forever.
This probably ought to be pulled out as a separate thread ...
Disclosure: I volunteer at PRP during pledge drives and have supported public radio and television for many years.
I agree that Public Radio Partnership is important and also unique to Louisville. This is the only city that has all three public radio stations working together in one building. The stations really do listen to local citizens and program accordingly.
Just a few examples:
Local news and special feature reports along with local and
civil talk on "
State of Affairs" ,
"Homegrown",
"The Kentucky Author Forum", a recent live Louisville broadcast of
"Whad'Ya Know?" and other great programs at WFPL:
http://www.wfpl.org/
(Yes, there are some syndicated programs from NPR and others but it is still far superior to any commercial programming.)
Live Lunch, summer Waterfront Wednesdays and great music you won't hear anywhere else from WFPK:
http://www.wfpk.org/
Classical music with special choral and opera events from WUOL:
http://www.wuol.org/index.php
I apologize if this sounds like a "commercial" for public radio but I know people who still are of the mistaken opinion that public radio is "liberal and dull." It is neither especially with 3 different stations here in Louisville!
I understand the complaints about the pledge drives but they are only twice a year for 7 days each.
(Year round donations are always gratefully accepted as well.)
Unfortunately, underwriters and ever decreasing public money are not enough to sustain our unique public radio.
Everyone wishes there was a better way to fund public radio and they are always open to suggestions for fund raising.