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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 2003)
Northwest Youth Corps YouthWorks Summer Outdoor Explorations CAMP GUIDE 3 week non-residential youth programs for 11-13 and 14-15 year-olds Session I: June 23 - July 11 Session II: July 21 -Aug 8 Session III: Aug 11 - Aug 29 A team-based work experience, with outdoor recreation, and environmental education. Call for info: 349-5058 Or Visit our Website: www.nwyouthcorps.org Cascade Sports Camp Basketball 2003 THE CAMP for Serious Basketball Players June 29 - Aug 22 12 Camp Sessions Oregon’s best fundamental and skill development camp Envisioning The Future Outdoor/Specialized Rec. Sports/Arts/Dance/Music Swimming/Summer Camps Ages 3-17 • Jun 16-Aug 29 Call 682-5333 Celebrating our 35th year with over 51,000 graduates For both boys and girls ages 10-18 www.cascadesportscamp.com Salem 503-617-9927 limits on ownership. Meanwhile, Bush ap- pointed FCC chair Michael Powell is doing just the opposite: pushing to remove the remaining six controls over media ownership, including: • a rule prohibiting one company from own- ing both a daily newspaper and a television sta- tion in the same local market; • a 35 percent cap on the number of house- holds any one broadcast company can reach na- tionwide; • a regulation barring the four major TV net- works from merging with one another. www.ci.eugene.or.us/rec Our Sustainability Depends On you ! You can help FOOD for Lane County’s Gardens by volunteering, lending your expertise or donating much need funds. CALL 343-2822 TODAY! “I think clearly these large corporations and this concentrated ownership are how the broad- cast industry is going to be configured from here out,” says UO Associate Dean of the School of Journalism and Communications Al Stavitsky, who’s working on the book, Stale Air: What’s Wrong with American Radio? “Clear Channel has become the poster child for what’s wrong with American radio and much of the ire has been pointed at them be- cause they are the largest,” he says. “They took advantage of deregulatory change and played it very skillfully from a business standpoint.” But Stavitsky points out that radio is going back to its roots. “It was very network-central- ized in its early days but then when television came along and became the dominant medium in the late ’40s and ’50s, taking the popular sitcoms and dramas, radio was left won- dering, ‘What’s our niche?’” The stations became localized. They hired DJs, became highly targeted: Top 40, sta- tions kids liked; stations their parents liked; country; rock. “Radio’s really undergone profound changes over the past two decades,” says Stavitsky. “Listener behavior changed.” Over the past 25 years, the bulk of radio listenership shifted from AM to FM. Traditionally, news and talk was on AM, and music was on FM, which had stereo. The music attracted younger audiences, which appealed to advertisers. Now, with the caveat that some stations are sticking to local programming, in many ways, says Stavitsky, the move toward centralization means “Radio is going back.” But even Clear Channel and Cumulus are going to have competition, as new technology means many more choices for listeners. If one corporation is trying to push a political agenda, it may be overshadowed by an entity that has enough channels to provide any agenda. That means a wider universe of listeners will tune in and hear whatever ad is being played. For example, Sirius Satellite Radio offers 100 channels, including country music and “ac- tivist music.” It even offers divergent political programs, “Sirius Right” and “Sirius Left,” to please every listener. Its competitor, XM Satellite Radio Holdings, also offers a wide va- riety of choices. That might be great for the audience share numbers and ratings advertisers buy into, but will it keep listeners happy? With so many choices, Stavitsky believes, ironically, “the only thing that will ensure the survival of local stations in this environment is to provide local service and have local content. You’re not going to get Eugene weather or music from XM or Sirius.” As for Clear Channel, word’s out on that company’s dealings. And if Rush Limbaugh’s still bringing in the ratings bacon, maybe the problem lies not with the corporation. ew KRVM Still Kicking Oregon Festival of American Music American Music Institute Summer Camps Summer SongFest (age 7-12) Jun 23-7 South-by-Southwest Jun 30-Jul 4 Rim of the Ocean Jul 7-11 Workin’ & Playin’ Songs Jul 14-18 Celtic Pudding Junior Vaudeville (age 7-12) Aug 4-16 The American Songbook Call 687-6526 today! 14 APRIL 24, 2003 Summer Jazz Camp (age 12-18) June 23-7 (age 12-18) Summer Guitar Camp (age 8-17) July 21-5 July 28-Aug 1 Session I Session II The Jazz Academy (grds 6-12) Aug 3-16 The American Songbook Song & Dance Camp (grds 6-12) Aug 3-16 The American Songbook Michelle Shocked: Indie radio launched her career. Will Clear Channel buy KRVM? That was the question heard immediately after the sta- tion announced it was on the 4J budget chopping block. But KRVM is licensed as non-profit, and the license would have to be changed before it could become a commercial holding. That move would be “very far down the road,” says KRVM General Manager/Chief Engineer Carl Sundberg. The latest KRVM update: The station raised nearly $50,000 from the local community as soon as it was announced it was headed for trouble. “That showed support and so did all the people who showed up at the 4-J [school board] meeting,” says Sundberg. “Now, 4-J’s rethinking.” While 4-J will not have the funds to continue to support KRVM, Sundberg believes with staff cuts down to 2.5 FTE, he might be able to raise the funds to keep the station going. Having less than five employees means KRVM will lose Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding in addition to its 4-J funds, but he believes with grants, underwriting and public support, the station will stay on the air. “No one who pays taxes in any way, shape, fashion or form will have any reason to com- plain about us being here,” says Sundberg. “We’ll still be able to provide educational and in- structional opportunities for kids, and continue to offer the kind of programming the com- munty’s grown to love,” he says. He adds that KRVM’s survival “is still not a done deal” and the station, along with all public broadcasting stations, will accept donations “24/7.” –Aria Seligmann
