Re: [IRCA] IBOC battle begins

[Scott Fybush <scott@xxxxxxxxxx>]

kevin redding wrote:
> This would work if there were no listeners involved. The listeners of  
> WYSL, what do they get in the way of remuneration for their loss of  
> enjoyment?

No more or less than any of us would get if Bob were to sell WYSL to 
some out-of-town broadcaster who changed the format, took it 
all-satellite and fired the local employees.

(Which, sadly, is probably pretty close to inevitable once Bob decides 
he's sick of working 60+ hour weeks and plowing every penny he makes 
back into the place, as he's been doing for 22 years and counting now.)

I've certainly enjoyed listening to Bob's product for two decades, but 
I've made no personal investment in it and taken none of the risks that 
Bob's taken to keep the station on the air. Who am I to begrudge him a 
nice payoff on which he can take a well-deserved retirement?

What did the people of Taunton, Massachusetts get last week when their 
local WPEP 1570 handed back its license, after its owner was bought out 
to enable a power increase up the road at WNSH 1570 Beverly?

Heck...what did the people who actually DID make an investment (or at 
least substantial donations) to keep noncommercial WMCU 89.7 Miami get 
back when the college that owned that religious station sold the license 
last month to American Public Media, which flipped it to classical? 
(There's a lawsuit pending over that one, actually.)

The language of the Communications Act still says the airwaves are 
public property; the reality of the matter, at least in today's world of 
spectrum auctions and such, says otherwise. Not saying I like it - just 
playing the pragmatist/devil's advocate here.

s
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