WFCR General Manager Martin Miller has written an op-ed in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, "WFCR Serves All the People":

http://www.dailyhampshiregazette.com/storytmp.cfm?id_no=43373

I'd like to take issue with a couple of Mr. Miller's arguments. He protests that government bodies (i.e. town meetings) should not be dictating to media organizations about what they should do and how they should do it.

First, there has been no dictating going on. The Town Meetings of Pelham, Shutesbury and Amherst simply voted to urge WFCR to establish a properly organized community advisory board and take its responsibility to the public more seriously. Moreover, a government body, the U.S. Congress through the legislatively created Corporation for Public Broadcasting, already dictates and establishes guidelines around public radio's responsibilities to the community. We would ask WFCR to take CPB's regulations around community advisory boards and open meetings to heart.

Mr. Miller also claims that the WFCR Foundation, Inc. has been restructured to reach out to the community. An immediate concern is the fact that the Foundation (formerly known as the "Friends of WFCR") has been and continues to be focused on fundraising. An inherent conflict of interest exists in the use of fundraisers to assess and collect public opinion. Widespread segments of the public are likely to be unheard, namely those who lack the wealth to be targeted as donors to WFCR. This runs counter to the mission of Public Radio to address the needs of "unserved and underserved audiences, particularly children and minorities."

Also, if The WFCR Foundation is truly interested in soliciting public commentary, why is the public not invited to its meetings?