[WXBH-Discuss] wxbh bummer

John Hicks johnhicks at wxbh.org
Sun Jul 15 02:06:33 EDT 2007


anita solomon wrote:
>
> *So John, let me make sure I understand what you're saying here.  Are 
> you suggesting  that the radio committee's decision to rent a studio 
> in Buechel is a good idea and should proceed immediately and the BH 
> board should seek out add'l funders to outfit a second studio at the 
> BH?  Because if that's what you're saying, I guess I don't get what 
> all the fuss is about?  Anita*
>

Anita--

I for one strongly support a Buechel studio (especially if grant money 
will pay for it). I don't know how the rest of the board feels about this.

I also strongly support a Brick House studio, and, yes, I believe we 
should be seeking funders for that. Since a majority of the board are 
now firmly committed to keeping and developing the Brick House, I 
believe we should be able to meet with success in our quest for funds. 
(Any ideas?)

--John

>
>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>     From:  /John Hicks <johnhicks at wxbh.org>/
>     Reply-To:  /"WXBH General Discussion List (Open to all to
>     subscribe andpost.)" <wxbh-discuss at wxbh.org>/
>     To:  /"WXBH General Discussion List (Open to all to subscribe and
>     post.)"<wxbh-discuss at wxbh.org>/
>     CC:  /rlightsyjr at aol.com,
>     lmr-announce at louisvillemediareform.org,wxbh-tech at wxbh.org,
>     brickboard at wxbh.org/
>     Subject:  /Re: [WXBH-Discuss] wxbh bummer/
>     Date:  /Sat, 14 Jul 2007 14:21:10 -0400/
>     My apologies for the drama. I really believe we are poised to do
>     great things and that Mark is reading far too much into Thursday's
>     meeting. No action transpired at the meeting that affects radio.
>     Mark appears to be upset that some discontent that had been
>     brewing (and that he was aware of) rose to the surface and was
>     voiced at the meeting.
>
>     I believe we all have voiced approval of the idea of having two
>     studios: one in the Brick House and one in our coverage area (and
>     the Buechel location is ideal for that). The discontent was heard
>     at the meeting is that, while money and effort are being poured
>     into the Buechel studio, the same can't be said for the Brick
>     House studio. Many of us have struggled over the past year to get
>     the BH on its feet so it could see the day when radio goes on the
>     air. Now that that day is here, we'd like to see a few of the
>     dollars being expended going into a Brick House studio. (We need
>     air conditioning and some modest computer and audio equipment.)
>
>     I'm sure we can work all this out in short order. For one thing,
>     we have not really undertaken any fund-raising in recent months.
>     In a city of a million people, I'm sure we can raise a few
>     thousand for a modest studio in the heart of that city.
>
>     Yes, it is about the money. The past few months have been a lesson
>     in that. Radio found a single source of funding, and that source
>     was willing to fund the Buechel studio but not the Brick House
>     studio. I for one am very grateful to that single source. But
>     let's not let that source of money skew our operations. The Brick
>     House was founded on the principles of DIY -- Do-It-Yourself.
>     Let's roll up our sleeves and get that studio built in the Brick
>     House the old fashioned way!
>
>     --John Hicks
>
>     Mark McKinley wrote:
>     >
>     >Friends,
>     >
>     >LPFM Community radio: it's not about the money - it's about
>     >authentic voices having access in their own community to the
>     >airwaves. Local. Diverse. Public interest.
>     >
>     >This past Thurs afternoon WXBH was positioned for the next plateau:
>     >the Brick House Board's Radio Committee had reached an agreement
>     >($250/month utilities included, immediate move-in condition) for
>     >studio space (at Bardstown Road and Hikes Ln) in our broadcast
>     >listening area . No more need to pre-record, transfer, download,
>     >edit, upload, blah, blah,.....Finally, feasibly within a week,
>     >programmers such as the Newburg Youth Council would have a studio in
>     >their own community - turn on the radio: on-air!
>     >
>     >Transparency: As previously shared at other meetings and with other
>     >Brick House Board members including BH Chair John Hicks, our plan
>     >was modeled after our mentor, highly successful lpfm sister Radio
>     >Free Nashville, WRFN. WRFN operates a studio in its broadcast
>     >listening area as well as an urban studio. Hicks responded to me:
>     >"Makes sense." The Buechel studio location not only validates our
>     >position in the broadcast listening area for programmers, it
>     >positions us within walking distance of hundreds of potential
>     >underwriting neighboring businesses - revenue for BRYCC, Inc.
>
>     My support for the Buechel studio is more than perfunctory. I
>     strongly support it. (I had proposed such a studio in a grant
>     application I submitted in February, long before any one else had
>     proposed it.)
>
>     >Transparency: As I've shared previously with Hicks and others at
>     >open meetings, this is no plan to undermine or split off from the
>     >Brick House. I've continued to support the Brick House - recently
>     >writing another check and only last Sunday afternoon working a
>     >concession stand at Slugger Field to raise money for the Brick
>     >House. Last year alone, the WXBH radio project contributed $7,000 or
>     >so to keep the organization's building afloat, a building without a
>     >heating or cooling system and other safeguards to protect studio
>     >recording and broadcast equipment.
>     >
>     >Rather than celebratory, Thursday evening's Board meeting was toxic:
>     >more than once, Radio Committee members were lectured by other Board
>     >members with limited or peripheral WXBH engagement - a litany of
>     >biased voices raging that a studio in the broadcast listening area
>     >was divisive.
>     >And then one of the loudest voices, David Morrison, new to the Board
>     >this spring, honestly admitted in the meeting: "IT IS ABOUT THE
>     >MONEY" - David wants the money that would go to the studio in the
>     >broadcast listening area to go to the Brick House. Throughout the
>     >rancor, John Hicks was laryngitic, his Makes Sense voice shrilly
>     >silent.
>     >
>     >Passion fuels our drive. Fanaticism blinds and people drive off the
>     >cliff. Jim Jones probably began innocently passionate before
>     >eventually blindly dispensing his deadly kool-aid. I hold no
>     >personal grudges (or icepicks) against anyone at the Brick House.
>     >
>     >IT IS ABOUT THE MONEY - that's corporate media's kool-aid. Holding
>     >the WXBH project hostage is unacceptable. After 2 years+ actively
>     >engaged in the WXBH project, I'm not drinking or dispensing that
>     >kool-aid.
>     >
>     >Bummer. I guess pissing and spinning will begin. No cheers. - Mark
>     >
>     >
>
>     --
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