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 _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: [email protected]
