Switch off KVOD, Switch on Internet Radio?

Colorado Public Radio encourages listeners in Boulder, Colorado -- where KVOD on 88.1-FM is "spotty," according to CPR's Sean Nethery -- to switch to HD radio. Failing that, there is Internet radio. In this article from the Boulder Daily Camera, a "peeved listener" by the name of Carla Selby, finds that there are 127 classical music stations for her to listen over the Internet. And, she says that she won’t be listening to her old favorite anymore; that she "feels betrayed, and that [she] probably will never forgive them [Colorado Public Radio]."

It make you wonder. With 127 different classical music choices on internet radio, will Carla find yet another reason -- besides irritation and disappointment with CPR's decision -- to tune out KVOD? Why spend money on an HD radio -- especially when it won't work in Boulder anyway -- if for the same price or less, you can get an Internet radio and use the broadband connection you already have at home? And, what if Carla finds better classical music content on the Internet besides? What coy or evasive answer does Sean Nethery of Colorado Public Radio have prepared for that?

A Show about Nothing

The following is a Blog Promo. Or as we refer to it here at CPRB -- a bromo. Public Insight Network is moving to 90.1-FM! How will this affect you? Sign up for Public Insight Network to let Colorado Public Radio know! Tune in to Colorado Matters on KCFR at 10 am and 7 pm to find out what you think about the PIN changing to 90.1-FM. As a bonus, read what Colorado Public Radio's Vice President of Programming, Sean Nethery, says about PIN to Michael Roberts of Denver Westword.

Seriously, when you see the list of Colorado stories garnered by the Public Insight Network, you have to wonder, does is really take a public radio station to pay for a database service to assemble 2700 or 2800 people (according to Vice President Nethery) for stories about the Democratic National Convention, bark beetles, going green, education, fuel prices, the Iraq War, and (my favorite) stories of hope and gratitude?

It seems to me that the primary motivation for the Public Insight Network is to give some CPR bureaucrat something to manage, Colorado Matters Producer and Host Dan Meyers, and to cull smartypants listeners and issue boosters into subscribing to the station. Let's hope that the PIN price tag for CPR is worth it, because it doesn't take a journalist to know that all of these topics could be conceived of and solicited without using the Public Insight Network -- from the sounds of CPR's constant on-air and website promotions -- A SHOW ABOUT NOTHING!

Westword's Best of 2008 -- Michael Roberts

Once again, Michael Roberts has the Latest 'Word regarding Colorado Public Radio. The Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post entertainment columnists and and media critics could sure could learn a lot from him. Well, once the two Denver dailies finally merge, maybe they can provid some competition for a hard-working Weekly like Westword. And who said that size (and number) matters!

As for Sean Nethery, Colorado Public Radio's Vice President of Programming, and current (and previous) Spinmeister, Roberts' article shows how coy and evasive he really is. Roberts has his facts, but Nethery has THE facts. Karl Rove (aka Turd Blossom) would be proud!

Meet the Presser, with Max Wycisk

The Wycisk of Oz meets the press; if you can call it that. Read Colorado Public Radio's press release to the Denver Business Journal here. As you can see from the article, and I am using that term loosely here:

EMF is selling the 90.1 FM signal to Public Radio Capital, a nonprofit that helps public-radio stations with expansion projects. In turn, Public Radio Capital will lease the signal to CPR.

See Public Radio Capital's client list here. If Colorado Public Radio bought (with Public Radio Capital financing), rather than leased the 1340-AM in 2001, then it appears that the current deal could be different than CPR's previous acquisition. I guess that is the difference between a press release and a news article. Press releases are all the news the is fit to print, from the client's perspective. So much for public radio NEWS!

Here is the entire press release on eMedia World from Colorado Public Radio's Vice President of Press Releases, Erica Stull. Actually, she is the Vice President of Community Outreach. There was one? Here is the presser on Conde Nasts' Portfolio.com, and here it is on Business Wire. Feel free to compare the press releases (some of which appear to be more complete than the one above from the DBJ) when The Denver Post and The Rocky Mountain News columnists/critics/stenographers run their little tidbits in the fish wrap later this week and next.

I guess this shows that CPR can create content--and buzz--when it wants. Perhaps they need Ms. Stull in the news department producing shows? After all, Sean Nethery, Colorado Public Radio's Vice President of Programming has years of experience in marketing and communications--not in journalism. Seems like a perfect fit to me; propaganda meets public radio programming. Kismet!

July 3rd update: What did I tell you? Here is Joanne Ostrow's meager morsel on the The Denver Post website, and here is her tiny tidbit from The Denver Post blog. She is not fast, but she certainly is frugal by recycling the same piece twice!