Will Tacoma Ever Have Local Public Radio?
Peter Callaghan wrote this morning about the continuing saga of local Public Radio in Tacoma. KXOT, and its attempts to produce local content for the South Sound market, is effectively going away as it isn’t seen as a feasible market. Dominic Black, the local producer and a regular partner of Exit133, will be laid off in August. What does this mean? We’ll wait a bit longer for local radio content …
That said, we do believe that the South Sound has tremendous market potential and opportunity. There are stories down here and people want to hear them.
Link to The News Tribune
Filed under: General
17 comments
N Nick June 25, 2009
Maybe this was a marketing issue and not a market issue. Had I known this existed, I probably would have listened to this every day instead of the Seattle-centric KUOW.
Am I alone in this here? Everyone I know that lives down here listens to KUOW, so perhaps some proper marketing could have saved it.
D Dave June 25, 2009
Why does anybody think we need another left-wing media outlet here? I mean geez, we already have the TNT.
S Shirley June 25, 2009
This is terrible. Just when Tacoma is starting to get some recognition for its arts scene. This was a chance to show we also have some innovative thinkers here. How about a rescue plan….someone?
D David Koch June 25, 2009
I didn’t know about KXOT either. I also would have listened to this instead of KUOW if I had known about it.
@2: Non-right-wing does not equal left-wing.
C crenshaw sepulveda June 25, 2009
Tacoma has an “art scene” that we are getting some recognition for?
J Jon Graef June 25, 2009
I miss the KEXP signal it Tacoma.
J jamie from thriceallamerican June 25, 2009
Hope someone in the area snatches up Dominic Black, he’s got an awesome radio voice. Maybe Metro Traffic? It would be awesome to hear the traffic reports spoken with a brogue.
T Thorax O'Tool June 26, 2009
We need a techno station in town. And no, the “dance” versions of top-40 sh*t KNHC plays doesn’t count.
O offbroadway June 26, 2009
KBTC is missed, but KUOW actively promoted KXOT for a little while, and more and more friends were becoming fans and listeners. I am of the opinion that KXOT didn’t have enough of a chance to develop into Tacoma’s other public Radio station, through time, and by offering Tacoma-centric programming, guests, etc. Not the usual feeds from far-away sources. People I know who are fans of KXOT and Dominic (like Jamie) are rabid fans. I obviously don’t have all the facts, and it would have been interesting to have been in on those board meetings. I admit years ago I argued against KUOW’s move from classical format to talk-radio, but I believe pulling the plug on KXOT is the worst decision since… since letting Sandy Bradley’s Potluck go. Perhaps Ross should do a call-in show on pulling the plug on KXOT. “Do you listen to KXOT? Do you know what KXOT is? What does KXOT mean to you? Can you spell KXOT? Do you dislike KXOT, and why?…”
J Jennevieve June 29, 2009
I listen to KXOT all the time, as well as KUOW and was sad to hear the funding was so sketchy. We donate to KUOW but will stop the donation if KXOT goes away. Maybe enough people need to tell them that to get them to try and start the $25 million campaign to save KXOT. KUOW has lots of very deep pocketed donors and met the last pledge drive with flying colors (no recession is hitting them!) but I don’t think they really want competition from another station.
J Joanna June 29, 2009
Looks like it’s time for local podcasters to unite. . .
M Michael June 29, 2009
I find it odd that Gig Harbor can have local public radio, but Tacoma can’t. KGHP is run by the Peninsula School District and is more of teaching tool and hobby station than anything, but it’s local public radio and it has wide spread community support.
Spokane has KYRS and KPBX, if it’s doable in Spokane, it’s doable in Tacoma.
#11 might be on the right track. If we broadcast it, they will listen?
D Douglas Tooley June 30, 2009
SW Colorado has a public radio station called KSUT – sponsored by the Southern Ute Tribe – it’s an artsy/jazzy version of KMTT with NPR news and a great Sunday morning classical program – a great station.
Perhaps the Puyallups could use this station as a model for their empire?
A altered Chords July 1, 2009
I do not need a local public radio station to deliver local content to me. I get all the local content I need from Exit133 and FeedTacoma.
We do not need a local music radio station. We have KPLU. They broadcast a form of music that I like. I leave it on while I sleep and turn it off at 4:00 am when they switch to global news. The global new gives me odd dreams of financial meltdowns, nuclear armes warships and terrorist bombs.
If I listened to a station that switched to local news content at 4:00 am I am afraid of the bizarre nightmares I would have.
I ingrid walker July 1, 2009
As a new member of the Tacoma community (starting today), I’m saddened to hear the city is losing its public radio outlet. I’ve lived all over the country, and even small towns with a PR affiliate have a central place for local news, connecting with the world through PRI and NPR and BBC, and a critical identity as a community. Tacoma seems to be striving for this – the timing of this closing seems horribly wrong. I hope some people involved in that station can let those of us interested (belatedly) in helping if it’s simply too late, or if we can do something to save the station.
Starting from scratch is expensive and time-consuming. Would it be better to work with what’s already here?
M Michael M July 6, 2009
Well thank Brian Ebersole for selling the station under his term as President of Bates College. We had local radio then and he sold it…
M Morf July 6, 2009
I’ve been a near constant listener to KXOT for about a year now, I love its mix of news and thought provoking programing.
The Tacoma-centric news has been spotty at best. It seems to me that UWT should be able to take the station on – or perhaps a coalition of UWT, Pierce College, TCC, Bates and whoever else might be interested.
A truly community based station with multiple stakeholders just might be the best solution.