Comments on: ‘Walnut’

By: Jeff Rudisill

Jeff Rudisill — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 04:54:35 +0000

Strongly support this analysis.

By: Todd Wipke

Todd Wipke — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 05:25:09 +0000

Anyone wanting international news can easily get it on the Internet radio. Just select your country. KUSP should not duplicate existing broadcasts, such as BBC. I don’t think this scenario satisfies the founding principles of KUSP, it isn’t local. It also seems foolish to sell 88.9 in order to pay off the debt which can probably be negotiated down or forgiven, and then hope to buy another frequency and start over.

By: James Anderson Merritt

James Anderson Merritt — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 04:07:34 +0000

The station in Pebble Beach, KSPB, the student radio station at Stevenson School, reaches Santa Cruz; I listen to the BBC on it regularly as I drive around town. If it did not reach Santa Cruz, I could see a reason for picking up World Service programming to complement any locally generated newscasts or NPR newsfeeds. They do have a different perspective and tend, in their longer form programs, at least, to provide considerable detail and insight beyond that provided by commercial US news services and NPR, combined. That said, if duplication of programming available in the region is seen as a failing of KUSP, why embrace the duplication of programming of even more limited local appeal? Let the students have it, unless and until the KSPB signal isn’t receivable up here. I also think that the station footprint needs to remain regional, if possible, and that KUSP position itself as a regional community radio resource. So scaling back the signal strength or coverage pattern is not an appealing option to me.

By: Bart Coddington

Bart Coddington — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 19:46:09 +0000

The selling of 88.9 is mostly for paying off the debt. Needs to be determined how much would be left in the kitty to buy a new frequency. Most likely some large scale funding would still be needed to complete the purchase of a new signal. Programming could then be discussed once income sources are reasonably estimated.
A study would be needed to determine if going to International content is a viable plan for KUSP – would people be willing to donate to this new KUSP.

By: Aaron Read

Aaron Read — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 16:39:07 +0000

FYI, if by “Santa Cruz signal footprint” this plan refers to K207CN, the 89.3 “FM Translator” repeater signal in Santa Cruz proper? Translators cannot originate programming. So KUSP could not continue to broadcast on 89.3FM without somehow obtaining access to a “primary” station that can originate the programming, and then K207CN could repeat it.

This is not impossible to do, but it likely will neither be easy nor cheap…mostly because it is impossible for KUSP to apply for and get a new, smaller, FM signal. The FCC only accepts applications for such things during “filing windows” that typically happen once a decade (the last was in 2007, but there’s no guarantee another will happen anytime near 2017).

One option would be to purchase an existing AM or FM signal, but the cost would largely offset any revenue obtained from selling KUSP’s main 88.9 license.

Another option would be to lease the HD2 channel from another license in or around Santa Cruz, assuming one is available to be leased. WMVY does this with Rhode Island Public Radio. Again, this might be reasonably inexpensive, or it might be very expensive, but it likely won’t be free.

http://ripr.org/post/theec-ripr-mvyradio-leverage-hd-radio-fm-translators

By: Jeff Rudisill

Jeff Rudisill — Thu, 28 May 2015 16:08:17 +0000

This suggestion implies the sale of the existing license (see “Signal” above). Ergo, the prospects for obtaining another broadcast license in the non-commercial band in the Santa Cruz service area makes this suggestion impractical.

Also, KUSP’s currently untenable situation is arguably a time-delayed result of shifting from local content to National content. Shifting to an International program focus would further remove the local appeal of a Community oriented station.

What evidence is there to suggest that there is a compelling demand for international news within a considerably smaller coverage area, or that this is financially more tenable?