Ad Placed in the Gainesville Sun October 29, 2009
We who support a return to the music programming on WUFT-FM do not have the luxury of operating multiple mass-media outlets. The journalism college has ample facilities to disseminate Dean Wright's party line; other voices are shut out.
We have to make ourselves heard the best way we can. This web site is certainly useful, but it does not have the reach of a 100,000-watt radio station or a regional newspaper. A group of us had an idea about how to speak our side of the story to the community: take out an ad in the Gainesville Sun.
If you did not get a chance to see the ad October 29, 2009 or you would like to take another look, click here to see a full PDF reproduction of the page. If you don't have a PDF reader, you may read the text of the ad below.
Like an old time radio mystery, we must ask...
WHY Did They Change the Format ??!
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They say: It’s for the Journalism students’ benefit
BUT...
• The students were already broadcasting
on the main (analog) station – this could
have been increased without a major
format change.
• The students could use the HD2 stream
for their practice.
They say: The students can’t use the HD2 stream, because the HD2 studio is too small
BUT...
• We’ve visited the station – the HD2
studio communicates with many other
spacious studios, and in fact, there’s no
technical problem with students
broadcasting on HD2.
They say: The format had to be changed due to financial constraints
BUT...
• We have the financial statements of
WUFT-FM, and they prove that the station
did not, as we’ve been told, lose $292,000
last year! In fact, the public radio station
is financially healthy – it had more assets
last year than it did in either 2005 or 2006.
It has been very well-supported in its
former Classic 89 format for almost 30
years.
• The new format costs more money –
news/talk is more expensive than music
programming is on the analog station.
• The format change may be thought to
save money in salaries, as pre-recorded
programs may be bought rather than
locally created. However, though 12
worthy employees of the stations are
being laid off, the College of Journalism is
planning to hire enough new employees
for the stations (some at high salaries!) to
offset any savings that could have been
made from the lay-offs.
• Since they are now broadcasting both an
all-talk AND an all-music station, they
could go back to news/music on both
streams, as they had before August 3rd, at
no extra cost. In fact, talk programs, when
broadcast on HD2, are virtually free!
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They say: If you want your music back, just buy an HD radio
BUT...
• The HD2 stream only reaches about 10 miles
(in contrast to the 50-mile range of the main
stream). That means if you live or travel 10
miles from the broadcast source, you lose the
signal.
• The HD2 broadcast has many unintended
silences, for several seconds each, due to flaws
in Hybrid Digital technology.
• Replacing all home and car radios with HD
receivers is both expensive and inconvenient
and isn’t possible for everyone who
previously enjoyed Classic 89.
• The HD2 stream only includes classical
music 24 hours a day, which does NOT
replace Classic 89’s rich, varied mix of
classical music, jazz, blues, soul, folk, etc!
They say: This is a done deal.
BUT...
• The College of Journalism and Communications has chosen to disregard the wishes of the
members of the station. It imposed the new
news-and-talk format without seeking any
input from the community.
• We feel very strongly that change is
possible. Other areas have lost their music,
and then regained it.
With your support,
WE CAN EFFECT CHANGE ! |
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What can you do about this?
Write emails to those in power – let
them know your feelings and wishes!
John Wright, dean of the College of
Journalism and Communications has
taken responsibility for the changes to
the station. But you should also
contact others...
John Wright: jwright@jou.ufl.eduwith CCs to: Provost Joe Glover: jglover@aa.ufl.edu President Machen: president@ufl.edu Gainesville Sun: voice@gvillesun.com The Alligator: aconti@alligator.org WUFT-FM: radio@wuft.org and: classicgvl@yahoo.com The UnPledge Drive:
Even today, we are told by WUFT-FM that
by pledging we determine programming!
Well, management should have asked the
members before making such drastic
changes. You can register your protest by
calling the station during the fall pledge
drive (Oct. 27th to Nov. 6th), stating the
amount you WILL pledge IF they restore
the music to analog:
(352) 392-8989 or 1-800-338-9839
• Please be courteous to the operator –
the change was not their choice, after all.
• Email Dean Wright of the College of
Journalism and Communications to
inform him of your unpledging.
• Send copies of the email to the other
email addresses listed already.
• Get your friends involved!
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Join over 2,000 others and sign the Petition! Go to:
www.CLASSICGVL.org Lend your support at future
demonstrations. We’ve had four
peaceful and musical rallies so far, and
there may be more coming up.
Please understand that this movement is
NOT a rejection of news and talk
programs. They existed on Classic 89
before and were very much valued.
Though news and talk were available
elsewhere, the musical genres formerly
broadcast by Classic 89 were available
nowhere else in our media.
It would be ideal if we could have two
public radio stations in our area, but
since there’s only one available to us, we
feel that Classic 89’s rich MIX of news,
talk, and various genres of fine music
best serves the diverse needs of the
members of our community.
If any additional talk shows were wanted
by the public, they could have been added
without a drastic format change. And
any such decisions should have involved
member-listener input!
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Bring back the public
in public radio !!
These people paid for the ad:
Mike Thompson • Chuck Woods • Roslyn & Norman Levy • Sue Gaintner • Maria-Mercedes Panqueva • Suzanne Bode • Sue Yelton • Judy Bennett • Ruth Lewis • B. James Quigley • Gerry Kerr • Kathleen Stipek • Renate Hooper • John Biro, PhD • Evans Haile • Robert J Cousins, PhD • Genie O'Brien • Renate Wilms-Rovin • Eleanor Schmidt • Kristine Orlando Ogilby, JD • Barbara Hess-Earp • Francie Stavropoulos, DDS • Jeannine Brady • Heather E. Harrell, MD, FACP • Zelda J. Hawk • Murshida VA • Adrienne deNoyelles • Michael Volk • Jane & Norman Holland • Dan & Lys Burden • Judy Skinner • The Very Rev. Hope Koski • G.Y. Fortune, Ed.D. • Barbara Knutson • Dr. Giovannella Moscovici • Jeff Knee • Mary Rockwood Lane, RN, PhD • Marilyn Tubb • Jacqueline Orlando, PhD, Family and Friends
Mike Thompson • Chuck Woods • Roslyn & Norman Levy • Sue Gaintner • Maria-Mercedes Panqueva • Suzanne Bode • Sue Yelton • Judy Bennett • Ruth Lewis • B. James Quigley • Gerry Kerr • Kathleen Stipek • Renate Hooper • John Biro, PhD • Evans Haile • Robert J Cousins, PhD • Genie O'Brien • Renate Wilms-Rovin • Eleanor Schmidt • Kristine Orlando Ogilby, JD • Barbara Hess-Earp • Francie Stavropoulos, DDS • Jeannine Brady • Heather E. Harrell, MD, FACP • Zelda J. Hawk • Murshida VA • Adrienne deNoyelles • Michael Volk • Jane & Norman Holland • Dan & Lys Burden • Judy Skinner • The Very Rev. Hope Koski • G.Y. Fortune, Ed.D. • Barbara Knutson • Dr. Giovannella Moscovici • Jeff Knee • Mary Rockwood Lane, RN, PhD • Marilyn Tubb • Jacqueline Orlando, PhD, Family and Friends
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