MEET ANDY LAPORTA & “LAS VEGAS PUBLIC RADIO”

I keep a file I call Angry Messages. It contains emails and internal memorandums that probably shouldn’t have been distributed. But alas, they were.

Such is the case with a comment we received from Andy LaPorta, CEO of KIOF-LP d/b/a Las Vegas Public Radio. KIOF is a new LPFM station that signed on in March 2016. LaPorta is angry because the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) did not provide the funding he assumed he’d get for his new station. (I have posted LaPorta’s complete comment at the end of this story.)

ANDY LAPORTA TALKS WITH HIS LAWYER

ANDY LAPORTA: On Agugust 20, 2016, Las Vegag Public Radio KIOF-LP 97.9 FM (www.lasvegaspublicradio.org) a new start up 501C3 local community charitable organization and veterans voice, reached out to the Office of Inspector General at the Corporation of Public Broadcasting for help in determining funding for fiscal year 2016.

KEN SAYS: LaPorta does say why he contacted CPB’s Inspector General.  Also August isn’t probably the best time to inquire about FY 2016 funding because the end of the fiscal year is September 30^th.

ANDY LAPORTA: We requested a waiver of the NFFS and Audience Voice Criteria (AVC) based upon pure facts, that the CPB has impermissibly erected a barrier to the Community Service Grant (CSG). To date we have not received a reply or even a status update. So much for transparency

KEN SAYS: Perhaps LaPorta would have had a better response if he had hired a consult who knows CPB procedures and terminology.

ANDY LAPORTA: This is not indicative of the mission or goals of the Inspector General's office and casts a shadow of doubt on the validity of the office of IGCPB. [CPB has] a corrupt system of discriminatory, confiscatory and exclusionary practices and policies, which are despicable.

KEN SAYS: This sounds like sour grapes to me.

ANDY LAPORTA: [CPB makes] false promises to aspiring new Low Power FM (LPFM) radio station operators.

KEN SAYS: I am not aware of CPB making ANY promises to new LPFM operators, particularly a blanket offer of funding.

ANDY LAPORTA: Instead of standing for the Freedom and Prosperity that our Veterans and their families fought to defend, the Office of Inspector General has abdicated to large pubic radio stations and their special interest groups and lobbyists to bolster their financial holdings, when there is no apparent need to do so.

KEN SAYS: I am glad you got this off your chest, Andy. For the sake of discussion, lets see if CPB screwed up by not getting money pronto ro KIOF.

FACTS ABOUT KIOF-LP a/k/a LAS VEGAS PUBLIC RADIO

• BASICS:

KIOF is a LPFM station that serves Las Vegas at 97.9 FM with a power of 250-watts. It is one of hundreds of new low-power stations that are sprouting up across the country.

KIOF might be called a family business. According to an article in the Las Vegas Review Journal [link], the President and CEO is Andy LaPorta, a Navy veteran and former mortician originally from Connecticut. Andy’s son, Gregory LaPorta is credited on the station’s website as the founder of Las Vegas Public Radio. Greg oversees the station’s day-to-day operations and leads the company’s broadcasting and content strategy. Andy’s wife, Joanna LaPorta, is Secretary/Treasurer of the organization.

Andy, Gregory and Joanna LaPorta are apparently the only paid employees. Volunteers mainly operate the station

KIOF is not affiliated with Nevada Public Radio (KNPR) or National Public Radio.

• PROGRAMMING

There is something for everybody on KIOF. You can hear Democracy Now! Followed by prosperity preacher Joel Osteen, followed by an hour of and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, followed by Big Picture Science from the SETI Institute. KIOF’s news comes from the Voice of America. You can see the complete program schedule at [link]. 

Do you miss Car Talk? KIOF has the answer for you. Every Saturday KIOF airs THE C&C AUTO SHOW with Aaron Clements and J.R. Mooney [link] a commercial program.

Most of the week is filled with unremarkable  automated rock oldies.

• PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAMMING

KIOF makes a big deal about its programming for veterans. In his comment to SPARK!, Andy Laporta claims KIOF is the veterans voice.

But there is no veterans programming on KIOF’s schedule. None. Total bullshit!

My conclusion is that CPB got it right.

______________________

VERBATIM COMMENT FROM ANDY LAPORTA

ANDY LAPORTA: On Agugust 20, 2016, Las Vegag Public Radio KIOF-LP 97.9 FM (www.lasvegaspublicradio.org) a new start up 501C3 local community charitable organization and veterans voice, reached out to the Office of Inspector General at the Corporation of Public Broadcasting for help in determining funding for fiscal year 2016.

We requested a waiver of the NFFS and Audience Voice Criteria (AVC) based upon pure facts, that the CPB has impermissibly erected a barrier to the Community Service Grant (CSG). To date we have not received a reply or even a status update. So much for transparency

This is not indicative of the mission or goals of the Inspector General's office and casts a shadow of doubt on the validity of the office of IGCPB. Since, silence is golden and indecision is a decision, we have no other choice than to reach out to hopefully The new U.S. Attorney (Maybe Jeff Sessions) and the DOJ to distinguish your corrupt system of discriminatory, confiscatory and exclusionary practices and policies, which are despicable

The OIG has created an image of a protective shadow organization exhibiting false promises to aspiring new Low Power FM (LPFM) radio station operators.

The OIG and staff continue to milk the U.S. Taxpayers via fraud, abuse and concealment of information regarding the very funds they were to distribute to others. Apparently, their violation and trust doesn't man anything to them..It is apparent that millions of dollars meant to help new public radio stations were squandered by the CPB on excessive salaries, rent and othe luxuries, which any federal audit will reveal.

The CPB has used the program as a "cash cow" for every expense imaginable , while all but stopping admitting new stations. That is the textbook definition of waste and abuse.

The need for funds by large CSG grantees (who's sustainable liquid cash assets has increased substantially) should have plummeted from 2010 to 2016. Still the CPB "continues to spend millions" in administration expenses to shore up nothing,other than crawl back marketable securities and investment opportunities using taxpayer funds to pay the freight.


Since, ethics and rules of Professional Responsibility at the CPB are deplorable, the CPB and OIG are reminded that the OIG is not supposed to be the show horse, but show plenty of results to help those in need of it the most.

Instead of standing for the Freedom and Prosperity that our Veterans and their families fought to defend, the Office of Inspector General has abdicated to large pubic radio stations and their special interest groups and lobbyists to bolster their financial holdings, when there is no apparent need to do so.