Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Bexley, Ohio. LPFM and mutual radio organizations.

The Editorial Collective of WCRX-LP is sometimes amazed at the creativity of the WCRX-LP staff. Staff author L F offered the following grant proposal to blogpac.com.

The proposal was rejected.

Does anyone know who blog.pac might be?

We still commend author L F for her creativity and recognize her commitment to WCRX-LP for submitting the proposal. L F's sister is in town this week on a late summer visit. The sister's name is Dotty. She probably doesn't know who blogpac is although L F's family is always a surprise.

Funding sources. Tell us if you are interested in this concept.

Proposal by:

Author L F
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
Bexley Public Radio Foundation
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com

Name of project:

Community radio mutual network

Description of idea:

Organized network of community radio stations that can collect, organize and broadcast grassroots opinion surveys regularly.


Background:

WCRX-LP is a community radio station and has been broadcasting since March 21, 2007. It is an LPFM (low power FM) station.

There are approximately 800 other LPFM stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.

A significant number of these stations are progressive in their points of view.

There is no organizing effort among LPFM stations to cross cultivate ideas, survey progressive opinion in the communities these radio stations serve.

In the approaching presidential and other federal elections, a network

Prometheus Project, Common Frequency, National Association of Community Broadcasters and Pacifica Foundation sometimes will survey members and other radio stations. None of them is set up to survey opinion of progressive communities on a regular basis.

Mutual is used in the title as a reminder that cooperative principals will be important for the networks success.

Money and resources needed:

Total budget $9,160.

Request to BLOGPAC. $5,000.

Resources needed:

Volunteer statisticians
Volunteer project director
Two paid research assistants
Office and equipment shared with a consumer publication
Telephone and internet connection shared with a consumer publication


Plan for raising and spending money and using resources:

This is a twelve month project.

Three months staff time will be used to develop an accurate list of LPFM radio stations and categorize the stations according to the communities they serve.

One month of staff time will be used to develop sample opinion survey instruments, project publicity and network contracts. These materials will be distributed to the LPFM stations with follow up contacts and conference calls.

Three months of staff time will be used to establish the network. Email lists and record systems will be a large clerical task. Those LPFM radio stations that are interested in participating in the network will be offered network contracts. An attorney will be used to draft the network contracts.

An important feature will be regular communications among the LPFM program directors so that local developments can be shared with the network members. This sharing will help to identify national issues based on local experiences. This sharing will also help to form the issues for opinion surveys.

The final five months of the first year will be used to survey and report opinions on topics that the community radio stations have selected.

WCRX-LP expects to raise $3,000 to support wages for two research assistants from existing contributors. Additional fund-raising will have to be implemented to raise additional funds.

Paid staff part-time. $12,000.
Office and equipment shared with a consumer publication. $250 per month.
Supplies. $200 per month.
Telephone and internet connection shared with a consumer publication. Base is split fifty-fifty with consumer publication. Long distance is reimbursed as actual charges. $80 per month.
Professional services and insurance. $1,800.
Administrative. $1,000.

The important part of this project is that volunteers trained in statistics or public opinion survey techniques be used to create survey instruments and analyze the data.

Progressive infrastructure created by project:

The project will create a network of community radio stations that can survey the opinions of progressive communities throughout the U.S. and also broadcast the survey results.

Contact us.
WCRX-LP Editorial Collective
Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

No comments: