Interview with Irwin Gratz, a news anchor for local news, Maine Public Radio
Been there since 1992

•We have a kind of citizens advisory board that they convene several times a year…..
(a least some people who are nonmembers or listeners) try to attend

•survey
•ceo (relatively new guy) engaging in a major strategic planning process---that is why he is traveling around the state……we are losing tv members -focused on our wider operation


In the years I have been in public radio, there is a tension -even among the staff-the staff understands that public radio was formed in the l960's to bring to the airwaves the stuff that is not commercially viable.

While it was set up by Congress as an alternative service, they also refuse to fund it. Once we have to raise money ourselves we have to look at audience size.

If you look at our schedule, during the heaviest time of day, it is news, public affairs, classical, and the small audiences go to fringe times.

One of the things on the horizon:
•we take a stream of our classical radio on the web make use of the additional delivery systems
we look at the change in digital radio
…..may be 5 or 10 years asway….

We still live in the immense tension between fans of music & talk

ME: How to have the station see the the public as allies in keeping the noncommercially viable programs and help…..

The only thing constructive to suggest is use us as a model. One person in our mgt. is Charles Beck, vp of programming

Another source of competition: the truth is, increasingly some stations are worried that we are facing competition with NPR……it can stream its programming thru internet….
It has already signed contract with Sirius radio, a satellite radio station.
NPR is a cooperative and its board is made up of general managers of its affiliate stations.
But NPR is looking to the future…

It hearkens back to the debates over transporation and trains. If you want a truly alternative radio service, that is going have to be subsidized.

Congress wants to subsidize less and less.

Find out about WFCR:
Fed gov' gives us very little, most comes from Maine. If you look at other stations and state networks, that is not always true. This cn inform

Call Free Press …Call: Bill Densmore, David Bollier…….

Serius radio you ha ve to buy……XM also…….broadcasting
These services are another competitive pressure……appeal to more affluent people……

One of the thing thaat has happened at all levels, there ar now competitive outlets……

Competitive technologies create price competition.
Good. But decreased

Virginia: