I read with interest Christina McDermott’s article about the possible loss of federal money to support public media in Santa Barbara County.
Rather than seeing this as a loss and attempting to ask for funds to fight the possible decision, I believe our local public radio stations should see this as an opportunity to receive local funding.
KCLU General Manager Mary Olson makes my point: “What’s so beautiful about public radio is it really reflects the communities that it serves. It reflects the people, their challenges, their needs, their dreams, their hopes, their desires,” she said, later adding. “Facts matter, the truth matters, local news matters, and it’s not something to be trifled with.”
If what Mary Olson says is true, then why would we want funding from a monolithic, bureaucratic, entity based in Washington, DC? What do they know of the needs of those who live in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties? And anyone who owns a business knows that funding is not static, and what the federal government gives, it can take away.
Our local stations should partner with local nonprofits, foundations, and individuals who believe that this program content represents the people who live here. If your premise is correct, then there should be no shortage of local funding from nonprofit organizations other than the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
