22/06/2012
Hey check this out
it is like a bizzaro world FLEET FM in L.A.
Note they are an AM station, it's really difficult to obtain even a 'low powered' FM license.
They are having a hard time staying viable, here is a paraphrased group email the station manager sent out recently
___________________________________________________
kchung is not sustainable as it is currently being operated. it isn’t
possible for a couple people to keep a project this size going. we
have tried several times to institute a better distribution of labor
but nothing has really worked.
This is what the station NEEDS to look like in order to continue:
I. DIRECTORS
there have to be several director/manager positions filled by
different individuals. they are:
1. show director- handles scheduling regular shows and coordinates substitutes.
2. event director- coordinates off-site events. this person would not come up or “curate” every event but instead would be charged with making sure events happen on a regular basis. this would involve finding someone with an idea for an event, a space for the event, volunteers to make it happen, and whatever else the event needs.
3. finance director- tracks income and expenses, makes sure bills are payed, and allocates money to departments/projects in an appropriate way.
4. a general manager- coordinates with all the directors and looks
after the overall health of the station.
5. specific project directors- any specific ongoing projects we want
to take on—such as mixtapes or zines—needs to have a specific person who is going to take responsibility for making sure the project happens. we cant start spending money on projects and then leave them half finished because no one wants to take charge.
III. DUES
everyone involved in the station needs to make both monetary and physical/temporal contributions to the station. the free ride is over. we cannot keep relying on a handful of people
to cover the labor and monetary needs of the station.
-monetary:
i want to start out with $10 a month minimum contribution to
participate in the station. with 25 shows this will cover our current
monthly expenses and nothing more. however, paying this minimal fee would be a huge sign of good-faith on everyone's part and is the first step towards solving our financial issues. unless we find additional sources of income then dues will likely go up a bit more when we renegotiate the rent agreement.
if this presents a hardship to anyone then they can speak directly to the general manager about the issue and a solution will be reached (perhaps additional volunteer hours).
-labor/time:
everyone who wants a show is going to have to do some amount of volunteer hours in order to get and keep their show. it will probably
be counted quarterly and anyone who hasn't done their hours will need to have a legitimate excuse.
LONGER TERM GOALS:
i want KCHUNG to become a real radio station. we have a serious
possibility of acquiring a low power FM license this year. making the station into a legit FM station would be huge. i think we would be the best station on the broadcast dial.
however, we are nowhere near organized enough to consider this right now. achieving everything outlined in this email is the BARE MINIMUM level of organization we would need in order to CONSIDER going for an FM license.
the FCC is releasing the last available low power FM licenses in Los Angeles at the end of the year. after this there will never ever be a chance to get a low power FM license in Los Angeles again.
