Bill Virgin's Radio Beat June 7, 2007

Includes archive of Bill Virgin's columns fromJ une 2006 - March 2009

Bill Virgin's Radio Beat June 7, 2007

Postby radiofan » Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:53 pm

On Radio: New KPLU GM plans to keep things pretty much as they are -- for now
By BILL VIRGIN
P-I REPORTER


Paul Stankavich says the station he now runs, KPLU-FM (88.5), needs "tweaking rather than adjusting. I don't think dramatic change will do us a lot of good."

Indeed. When you're the ninth-ranked station in the market and enjoy a solid reputation in a music niche you largely have to yourself locally, why mess up a good thing?

That's the short-run view anyway. But Stankavich, who was named KPLU's general manager in January and began that post in April, also knows just how uncertain and potentially unstable the future is for all broadcasters.

One of his tasks, then, is to figure out just what the future of radio -- a term that is rapidly expanding to be far broader than the traditional over-the-air signal -- is going to be, and how KPLU fits into it.

Stankavich, most recently the president of Alaska Public Media, says KPLU plans to bring in an outside consultant starting in September to study the future of, and potential in, various delivery channels for KPLU's programming; the study may be finished by January 2008.

KPLU already has been experimenting with some of those new channels. On the Internet, KPLU is a major presence. In addition to its main stream, which includes news programming, KPLU offers an all-jazz stream called jazz24. But Stankavich says the station hasn't done a lot with it, and further development isn't likely until there's a resolution of the current controversy over increased royalties for music distributed via digital channels such as Internet streams.

"We don't want to risk a lot of financing until we know what the costs are going to be," he says.

KPLU is also on HD radio, but it's looking at how it might use the extra-channel capacity the technology provides; it could add more jazz programming on an additional channel, or use the extra channels for other formats such as folk, perhaps by bringing in a prepackaged service or partnering with another station not heard in this market.

The station has even expanded its reach via traditional terrestrial radio by adding a station in Port Angeles and acquiring one in Olympia. Stankavich says KPLU isn't seeking any additional licenses or power increases for existing stations. It would look at opportunities if they became available, he says, although such opportunities likely will be limited given that the market "is pretty saturated."

Whatever the distribution channel, KPLU seems satisfied with its format of National Public Radio programming and jazz music. Public radio enjoys a strong following in the Seattle-Tacoma market; fellow NPR affiliate KUOW-FM topped the market in the winter Arbitron ratings, and between the two stations "Morning Edition" with NPR and local news may be the top morning drive show.

Music programming also won't undergo dramatic changes, although Stankavich says there have been small tweaks and additions. KPLU plays blues Saturday and Sunday evenings, and has been adding more blues songs to its jazz format. It also has added drop-ins of comedians and old movie clips, which he says have been "very well received."

But there could be more experimentation in the future; Stankavich says KPLU has submitted proposals to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for new programming ventures.

The other big component of operating a non-profit station is fundraising and underwriting. Stankavich says KPLU's support has been growing, if not at the rates seen in the 1990s.

One reassuring sign about listener contributions came from a low-profile pledge drive run last weekend to raise money for a new broadcasting facility at the Pacific Lutheran University campus in Tacoma. Even without much promotion and no thank-you gifts, it still raised $110,000 over four days; Stankavich says the station is close to its $5 million goal for the facility, with groundbreaking scheduled for October.

But much as in programming and distribution, the financial side still has room to grow and change, particularly in business underwriting, he adds.

"We'll be looking at other business ventures and how people are getting music," he says.

In other radio notes:

Gov. Chris Gregoire takes listener calls on "Weekday" at 10 a.m. Thursday on KUOW-FM (94.9).

Saxophonist Joshua Redman performs live in the studios of KPLU-FM at noon Friday.

Lizz Sommars' guests on "Introspect Northwest" at 6 a.m. Sunday on KISW-FM (99.9) and KKWF-FM (100.7) include former Seattle radio host Dick Staub, author of "The Culturally Savvy Christian."

Don Riggs' guests on "Introspect Northwest" at 7 a.m. Sunday on KMPS-FM (94.1) and 9 a.m. KPTK-AM (1090) include Opus and Bloom County creator Berkeley Breathed, author of a children's book, "Mars Needs Moms."

Animist Orchestra performs on "Sonarchy" at midnight Saturday on KEXP-FM (90.3).

Jim Wilke's "Jazz Northwest" at 1 p.m. Sunday on KPLU-FM features a recent Ballard Jazz Festival performance by guitarists Vic Juris and Corey Christiansen.

The Sunday edition of Jim French's "Imagination Theatre," heard at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on KIXI-AM (880), includes a new Harry Nile mystery.

P-I reporter Bill Virgin can be reached at 206-448-8319 or billvirgin@seattlepi.com.

Bill Virgin's Radio Beat, Thursday In The Seattle P-I
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.
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