Have a question or comment about KCPW’s programming changes? You can call in to our live Town Hall at 801-355-8255, post to our Facebook page(facebook.com/kcpwfm), on Twitter @KCPW or by sending an email to changes@kcpw.org – we want to hear from you, so join the conversation.
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15 Comments
Your new programming has forced me to do something I never thought possible — switch to KUER. Goodbye KCPW
Hi Cheryl,
Thank you for your frankness. I know that this is a big change and we appreciate all the hours that you’ve joined us for. We are striving to create a more diverse landscape of programming options and should you have an opportunity to listen to some of the new programs, I would like to hear you onions about them.
I have been a KCPW listener and supporter since KCPW was 6 months old. I have always been impressed with KCPW’s wiliness to try new things, take chances, and give new ideas and programs an opportunity. I have not always wanted to see the changes but once I gave a new program a week or so, I realized that I can trust KCPW to provide me with new thoughtful and worthwhile programing. My podcast list has grown (when I can’t listen on the radio) because of KCPW. So adjustment time will be a few weeks. I am sure I will find some new favorites and some that I can skip. Either way, I will still continue to be a strong KCPW supporter.
Judy! Thanks so much for your comment! This is exactly what we hope listeners will do – and the adjustment might be rough, but we really feel that we’ve picked up some soon-to-be public radio classics!
I have mixed emotions on many fronts by the new direction chosen by the KCPW board. Certainly one of the areas I find troubling is lack of communication with listeners. I feel that there should have been much more transparency about this issue long before it took place “suddenly.” I still wonder about the lack of information prior to or during the last fund drive. It’s highly suspicious that shortly AFTER the fund drive that we were informed of the change. Regardless of the protestations of on-air personnel that they “knew nothing of this” during the fund drive; I’m sure somebody behind the fund drive was aware of what was going on. It just seems like NPR money will now be used for non-NPR activities.
As for programming, I’ll at least give them the benefit of the doubt and will listen in periodically to see if KCPW can still retain my interest. So, be warned, “I’ll have my ears on you to see if you can keep me as a listener.”
Ben
Thanks for the feed back Ben. I do recognize that the timing is astonishing. I can assure you no one was more surprised than we were. Like many NPR affiliate stations, we had been talking to NPR about how to structure a schedule of payment for both services rendered (past programming) and future programming costs. It was two weeks following the drive that KCPW was contacted by NPR. We were told that NPR would not accept our payment plan.
With no opportunity to restructure the payments to NPR, we took a hard look at our programming costs. Given the rising costs of carrying NPR programming, KCPW felt that we could be a better resource for our listeners and better stewards of our listeners’ donations by branching out and offering different programming choices.
As per your concern about transparency, as soon as we made the decision, we reached out to our listenership immediately with a mailer, email blast, social media blasts and on-air messaging, culminating in today’s live town hall.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any further questions. I’d be happy to meet with you in person or set something up with Ed Sweeney, station president.
Thanks again for being part of the conversation and I appreciate your willingness to lend us your ears. I’d love to hear your thoughts on some of the new programs.
I am SO disappointed. I only discovered KCPW about a year ago and made the switch from KUER and have LOVED your programming. It was so much better than KUER. I’m sure there is more back story than you are currently sharing, about why NPR has decided to remove your access to its content. It’s a very disappointing decision for everyone. If one of the radio stations should have lost access it should have been KUER.
That being said, I think you will keep your most loyal, long-term listeners. I think there is a big group, like me, who will try and maybe we’ll stay, maybe we won’t.
Wishing the station the very best,
Catherine
So glad that you found us Catherine! I really wish that there was more backstory for me to share with you (seems to be a re-occurring concern) but everything really did happen this fast.
Thanks for keeping an open mind and ears. I think we may just win you over, all over again. Give yourself some time to listen and let me know what you think. Feel free to contact me anytime.
I am sure this was a very though decision for everybody involved.. I am looking forward to new diverse programming..
Thanks for all the hard work and I am sure it will work out for the best!
C.
Will you be. Picking up democracy now?
We have no plans to start airing Democracy Now at this time. (Great show, by the way!) You can hear it on KRCL weekdays from 7-8pm or podcast it Thanks for the feedback.
Our love and respect for your KCPW goes way beyond your programming. Your team works tirelessly toward the mission of bringing our community together. I’m sure this new programming will be consistent with that mission.
So to those out there who see this as a problem, take a moment, reflect, and re-commit to supporting our friends at a truly community minded station.
And for heavens sake, don’t assume that the “pure” news stops at NPR. I can assure you that it doesn’t.
Your friends,
SLCFF
Thanks for the shout out. KCPW shares a mission with the Salt Lake City Film Festival in creating dialogue and community engagement in our town. We promise to keep making you proud.
I am excited to hear some of the programs that have started to get to me now that there is room on the programing schedule. Sure, there will be some things I am not a fan of, (That is the nature of things), But I for one am excited to see some depth in the market that has been missing over time. I also know how much sweat and tears go into programing and making sure that bills are paid and how hard that can be at times and to me at least, it sounds like this makes more fiscal sense from the point of view of a local station who is trying to make it without other outside support like a major university. There is also a flexibility in programing with this change that means that if we, as listeners do not like a program and other options are out there, that voice can be heard and that flexibility means changes can happen should a program simply not deliver the great programing we have known, respected, and loved overtime with KCPW.
Thanks for your insights Jordan. As we are now more than a full week into our new line-up, I gotta say, I feel like I’m settling in nicely. We continuing to take suggested scheduling changes into consideration. The outpouring of feedback from listeners has been awesome. We’ve compiled a sort of listener ‘wish-list’ to keep track of what people are really feeling and will continue to do so.
As a small, totally independent station the flexibility you referred is something that we are proud of. We are a bunch of passionate, adaptable people here at KCPW and try to be proactive versus reactive. Keep the conversation going!