LORENZO MILAN
THE JOHNNY
APPLESEED OF COMMUNITY RADIO
[Image from SEX AND BROADCASTING]
Last Friday, in response to a reader question about KUSP’s
current financial and governance struggles [LINK], that I had never heard of a
legal requirement to let volunteers and paid staff vote on major station
decisions. Now I know better.
A reader who knows KUSP’s history directed me to the online Pataphysical Broadcasting Foundation’s
bylaws, the owner of KUSP [LINK]. Sure
enough volunteers, staff and even “honorary members” have the right approve or
deny major changes at the station:
ARTICLE
II: MEMBERSHIP
Section1.
Membership. The membership of the Foundation shall consist of all volunteers
and staff and honorary members of any radio station operated by the Foundation.
Section
7. Voting. Each member shall have one vote, not exercisable by proxy. Absentee
ballots can be obtained until close of business (5:00 P.M.) before any meeting
of the Foundation. The Board may direct the staff to conduct an electronic vote
if agreement of the Foundation membership is required.
It is not clear when the need for agreement of the Foundation membership kicks in but it appears to
be whenever someone wants it to kick in.
Under California law, the bylaws determine the rules of the road.
KUSP is an instructive case study about what is wrong with
community radio.
BRIEF HISTORY OF KUSP
There are several competing versions of the story, so it is
best to stick with the facts:
• KUSP was started by the Pataphysical Broadcasting Foundation, a 501c3 charity set up to
create the station. KUSP signed on in
1972.
• Pataphysical
Broadcasting Foundation and KUSP were products of Lorenzo Milam and engineer
Jeremy Landsman.
• The first manager of KUSP was David Freedman, who now runs
WWOZ, New Orleans. Milam claims the
choice of Freedman was his idea:
David Freedman - always a crabby
sort - was perfect for me to send off to birth KUSP. His seeing me as such a
sly villain gave a certain pith to his work, so we were able to get the very
urgent best out of him.
• Since 1972 KUSP has aired the major NPR News programs,
Pacifica favorites such as Democracy Now
and a variety of local music and opinion programs.
• In 2000, a competing station – KAZU, Pacific Grove – began
airing NPR News 24/7. KUSP has played second fiddle to KAZU ever since [LINK].
• KUSP has accumulated a debt that now is over $700,000,
bringing the Foundation/station to the verge of bankruptcy.
• Recently, Pubic Media Company [previously Public Media
Capital] and Classical Public Radio Network (“CPRN” – the owners of classical
powerhouses KUSC and KDFC) made an offer to buy KUSP. News accounts say CPRN is offering a million
dollars for the license. Per KUSP GM
Terry Green, KUSP members voted to hear more about the CPRN deal. At this time, there is no decision about
selling KUSP;s license to CPRN.
WHO WAS/IS LORENZO
MILAM?
 |
| LORENZO MILAM IN 1972 |
Lorenzo Milam has been called the Johnny Appleseed of Community Radio because his writing and actions
inspired dozens, maybe hundreds, of independent community stations. His 1972 book,
Sex and Broadcasting, provided a
primer about how to file with the FCC for a new noncommercial FM license. At the time there were many unclaimed
frequencies. Milam was at the right
place at the right time.
[I wrote in March [LINK] about when I purchased my copy of Sex and Broadcasting at a headshop. It was on a shelf next to High Times near the
bongs.]
Milam walked the walk.
He worked at Pacifica’s KPFA and founded KRAB-FM in Seattle in 1962. He
also played a role in the founding of KBOO in Portland, KDNA in St. Louis, WYEP
in Pittsburgh and many more.
Sex and Broadcasting
has become a bible of sorts for community stations. Many still have a copy on the manager’s desk
next to the FCC Rules. One of Milam’s legacies is what I call The Pacifica Method of governance and
programming. Sex and Broadcasting, in part, led to community radio’s obsession with
committees. They are still are the SOP.
THE LEGACY OF LORENZO
MILAM
Milam was a visionary who exceled in concepts and
theories. But, he was NOT good at running things. Folks say he has poor people
skills.
Milam is now in his mid 80s.
He is still a prolific writer and operates a blog known as RALPH [LINK], a place where he talks about the many things on his
mind. It is like a combination of Hunter
S. Thompson and Grumpy Old Men. If you are going on a trip, you probably
wouldn’t choose Milam to drive the car or be The Captain [old hippie phrase for
the guru of acid trips.]
IN THE WORDS OF
CHAIRMAN MILAM
The quotes below are from Sex and Broadcasting and writings by “Joseph Trotsky Milam” at
[LINK].
• GOVERNANCE OF
COMMUNITY STATIONS
• PROGRAMMING ADVICE
• THE FOUNDING OF
KUSP
[The founders and]
I were so devious, we made sure that everyone thought the new station was THEIR
idea. This gave each community station a hundred mothers, and no step-fathers.
[KUSP is] the sound of this life around us, in
and around Santa Cruz, whatever is joyous, creative, dramatic -- that we want
to find with our microphone, and by means of RadioMagick, send back to you, amplified
and intense. The sound of dulcimers,
flutes, bagpipes, guitars -- electric and acoustic, horns, violins, tom-toms...
the sound of our musicians. ALL our musicians: rock, classic, folk, blues,
jazz, bluegrass.
MY ADVICE TO COMMUNITY RADIO
In the words of Woodstock emcee Chip Monk: Don't take the brown acid.
Lorenzo probably brewed it.
Lorenzo probably brewed it.
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