Are there any KBOO listeners within this forum? I would be interested in comments or opinions regarding "community radio" and it's influence in the market (or not).

KBOO is hardly community radio... Community Radio wouldn't discriminate toward those that aren't members of minorities (KBOO, please see Public Access television for a good example of how it should be done).

I have pretty much replaced KBOO with a big antenna and a rotator. IMHO, KMUN (Astoria) and KLCC (Eugene) do a better job of presenting the type of programming that I used to get from KBOO. At least these stations can present a 2 hour program of Celtic music *without* breaking into a rant about political conditions in Ireland!

>>political conditions in Ireland

live and local...

>> Community Radio wouldn't discriminate toward those that aren't members of minorities

what part of the word "community" don't they understand?

I've also read here that at times overnights weekends if you have your tape rolling on 90.7 FM you might be able to forward to the FCC some obscene verbage.

> I've also read here that at times overnights weekends if you have your tape rolling on 90.7 FM
> you might be able to forward to the FCC some obscene verbage.

If the FCC rules haven't changed, this language may fall under the "safe harbor" rules. It is much harder to get the FCC to fine a station over language used during the safe harbor hours: you have to show that the language used was not just indecent but genuinely obscene. To legally prove that what they aired was obscene, you would have to show that the context in which the language was used had no scientific, political, social, or artistic value.

Broadway, ask yourself the age old question about a tree falling in the forest, and apply it. Were you listening? Were you harmed? If not, then you are just stirring the pot, for no other reason than "coulda" and "woulda".

Again, "Those who know what's best for us must rise and save us from ourselves."

I used to listen to "A Different Nature" on KBOO religiously when I was in high school, Thursday nights about 9 PM or so.....that was a programme of Musique Concrete, odd or unusual musical forms, noise and others such like. First time I ever heard Philip Glass' "Einstein On The Beach" was on that programme, circa 2001.

(That was the old 1970's LP version, not the CD version they later released in the 90s.)

I wonder if KBOO still has "Different Nature" or not...........

Nice Juxtapose... KBOO/Religiously!!

I agree "community radio" if you happen to be a member of a select politically correct community anyway.

I would like to see them do a music format during the weekday/evening times and do the specialty/block programming at late night and weekend time slots.

They are so embedded in their own PC world that change will likely never happen.

Maybe they need Obama to bring them some of his "change"

I believe there's a 3-prong approach to determine indecency and obscenity. For something to be indecent, only 1 of the prongs is necessary. To be obscene, it requires all 3. Alfredo's post only referred to 1.

We're all on the edge of our seats to hear the other 2 prongs...

Just an observation. As a long listener and supporter of KBOO (no political identity), I find that KBOO is organized and run by a very niche inclusive crowd. Presently, they are not healthy.

KBOO needs to look at KMUN, they do it right.

Here is a re-post of the three-prong test from a post in the thread "SCOTUS: Will hear case on 'Fleeting Profanity'...," dated March 20, 2008:

This [test] came out of a 1973 Supreme Court case, Miller vs. the State of California. The three "prongs" of the test are:

(a) whether "the average person, applying contemporary community standards" would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest, [Roth, supra, at 489,]

(b) whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law, and

(c) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. If a state obscenity law is thus limited, First Amendment values are adequately protected by ultimate independent appellate review of constitutional claims when necessary.

reference: http://courses.cs.vt.edu/~cs3604/lib/Censorship/3-prong-test.html

...and you just thought I was making it up about the 3 prongs. They actually call it that! That said, it would be almost impossible for a work to be deemed obscene, based on contemporary community standards unless it's an Amish community or something similar! On the other hand, indecency would be relatively easy to prove.

Somebody who has the money and resources to launch an obscenity lawsuit can inflict a lot of pain, but is the satisfaction of doing this worth the trouble?

An example that I think I have cited before in this message board is the Jello Biafra/Dead Kennedys obscenity trial. The lawsuit was brought against Biafra because of a poster included in one of the albums by his band The Dead Kennedys. The poster contained a painting by H.R. Giger that was considered pornographic. The lawsuit was brought forth by the Parents' Music Resource Center. This trial lasted for about one year, ending in a mistrial. However, Biafra later pointed out that this should not be considered a victory because that was one year taken out of the lives of everyone who had to sit through that trial.

I don't think the revolution will be held between KBOOs thighs!
I'm a bit skewed as one of my current volunteer efforts is with a like-minded non-profit that has some (small) ties to KBOO. However I want to be candid and guess that many regular everyday people know about KBOO and where they are on the radio dial, but find little reason to tune in, unless that person fits the niche of the show that's being aired as they tune in.

Not to mention in this day of "on demand" everything and podcast shows who has the time or the inclination to actually read KBOO's long convoluted schedule then actually remember when it is time to tune in...

unless of course you are an active member of one of the niches.

Most of the niches they chose to serve 25 years ago when they made their format/schedule decisions are now being served by many other forms of media.

KBOO was designed for and in an era of three TV networks, two newspapers, and a dozen or so radio stations.

They have not yet adapted to the 21st century media environment as far as programming goes.

A number of years ago, KBOO had an opening for afternoon news producer. A friend of mine suggested I apply...then withdrew that suggestion when he came up with five reasons why I'd never even get an interview, much less the job.

1. Male
2. White
3. Straight
4. Christian
5. Commercial broadcast experience

Out of curiosity, I tested his theory. He was right. I never even got an interview.

Kq4guy:

Awesome! I couldn't agree with you more!

I actually attempted to volunteer with KBOO and when I went to a volunteer orientation, Ani took one look at me and told me that they didn't have any volunteer opportunities for me... (I fit your 5 prong test to a "T")

Others in the orientation were told that KBOO wanted to focus on the "lost voice" of the minorities and that there was lots of opportunity for "them".

I really thought I was in the Twilight Zone and couldn't believe what I heard. Well, I haven't been back and only check out the website occasionally to see if Ani is still there... Maybe someday I'll try volunteering there again...

Here's some corrections for the incorrect statements stated above.

That last schedule change for the daytime hours was 10 years ago. Not 25, and KBOO is 40.

The evening times are currently being reworked and
you should see evidence of these changes soon and there will be openings and a proposal form posted on the website soon. kboo.fm

And for you commercial radio curmudgeons, um, you can have obsenities on the air after 10pm.
so yeah.
And they did have a ridiculous obscenity case a few years ago spawned by an insider actually for something that really had no obscenities.
A track on DJ Vadim's record called "Life From The Other Side" and the track featuring spoken word by Norah Jones called "Your Revolution".

And to the person that listened "religiously"
A Different Nature, Yes is still on the air. Thursdays at 9.

KBOO has a programming charter that explains the programming mission pretty much and is the 3rd oldest Community Radio station in the U.S. approaching 40 this year.
Maybe you should look at that website now huh?

education is power.

I'm not trying to be a pain or anything, but I have a question about the five-prong KBOO test: items 1 and 2 would become apparent to the KBOO people when you walk on the premises to hand them an application or resume. Item 5 might be listed on the resume. How did they find out about items 3 and 4?

It was just an theory on my friend's part...they wouldn't know about #3 and #4.

Sweet & short. The folks at KBOO are phonies. The "good" folks at KBOO tend to absorb/live the same existence that they seem to dispose and promote revolution against. Two faced hypicrites and phony to the core.

There are some very real and true comments and posts amongst this crowd. The long cycled establishment at KBOO insist to live beyonds it's means - doomed to failure. It's not "community", but a sort of elitism of insiders that in time will bring this needed alternative stimulation to an end. The very ideal of unnecessary comsumptive behaviour contradicts the pure and simple ideals of it's intent. Frankly, they are too political. Less familial and social - they will talk a good line about this and that but don't practice such warm and fuzzy ideals. Only doctrine. It's unfortunate, because the broad radio spectrum need radio communities like KBOO.

Jay B. is technically correct that KBOO's last significant schedule change took place 10 years ago, not 25, but it mainly affected weekends and thus wasn't very far-reaching. They moved some (but not all) foreign-language programming to Sunday and consolidated some weekend music blocks (folk, R&B, women's music), offing a handful of marginal programs (e.g., astrology, a children's show) in the process. That's more or less it. If you look at a KBOO program grid circa 1994 (and I'm almost embarrassed to admit I still have one) it's about 85 percent the same as today's. That's an amazing degree of institutional inertia in the face of profound societal and demographic change. As I said before, KBOO really dropped the ball on the KPOJ threat. That was a loud wakeup call, but they slept on oblivious for another four years. It's now going to be a Herculean task to wrest that audience back. Personally I don't think they're up to it, and KBOO will eventually end up going mostly folk/alt-country music.

I, too, love the irony that a supposedly "progressive" (i.e. open to change) institution like KBOO could become so institutionalized and bureaucratic. Portland Community Media cable access is probably a better media reflection of the community than the current KBOO.

Alfredo! Your my hero...!!