Comments on: WRPI upheaval: Operating on different wavelengths http://blog.timesunion.com/readandreact/151/operating-on-different-wavelengths/ A place to share your thoughts, criticisms and comments. Tue, 24 Dec 2013 01:58:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.3 By: DJ Tenspeed http://blog.timesunion.com/readandreact/151/operating-on-different-wavelengths/comment-page-3/#comment-26659 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 06:38:23 +0000 http://blogs.timesunion.com/readandreact/?p=151#comment-26659 I was a community member of WRPI in 1999 and 2000. There are benefits to having community members in RPIs clubs. The main one is that students have the opportunity to manage an organization that has members who are much older than they are. For almost all college students, the only experience they have had with older adults has been in situations where the older adults are authority figures: teachers, bosses, parents. In RPI’s clubs this is reversed, and it’s a good thing. Why? Because RPI students are quite likely during the course of their post=graduate careers to find themselves in jobs where they will have to manage co-workers who are older than they are and who have more “seniority”. Ideally, having community members in RPIs clubs provides valuable leadership training for the student leaders. Secondly, community members do provide continuity and function as a sort of “club memory”. Lastly, from the standpoint that radio stations should serve the public good, a powerful station such as WRPI reaches far beyond the campus boundaries. Therefore, to be relevant to the wider community of listeners the club does well to have some community members on the air. When I went through training the instructors stressed that we should always try to design our shows so that they would appeal to our listeners rather than making the show about ourselves.

There were some community members who did not see themselves as being members of the “Radio Club” (which, at that time at least, we all were) as a club. Instead they were completely focused on their show to the exclusion of almost everything else. These folks missed out on a great opportunity to get to know the student members. I enjoyed great relations with the undergrad ECOMMs of my day. Students had the shows preceding and following mine and by just hanging out and being willing to talk to a student and not DOWN TO a student, we had a great time. The students I knew wanted more interaction with community members, wanted them to hang out in the lounge or do work parties; in short, to really become club members.

The problem that WRPI would face, as I saw it, was that the number of student members seemed to be declining. Fewer student members meant fewer students had shows, which meant that more and more air time was given to community members so that the station would remain on the air 24/7. And the problem with community members was that once they got a show they tended to want to keep it just about forever. If this trend had continued, it would have reached the point where there were NO student shows. Compounding this was the fact that it was much easier to get a show during the summer because almost all of the student members were on vacation. Community members who started a show during the summer would then apply to keep it for the rest of the school year. And the student leaders of that time were okay with that because there were still enough time slots to give everyone a show who wanted one. No students were being denied shows. In fact if I recall correctly the club bylaws state that all students who want shows must be given shows before any community member is given a show. This is as it should be. But one can see that if student membership goes into a steep enough decline and community membership grows, there will be very few student shows.

And yes, we knew that some shows were “bad” in that we found them boring, poorly done, or unlikely to have many listeners. But the overriding philosophy at the time was that WRPI was all about free form radio and thus there was no judgment passed on the “quality” of the shows. Also, I think the ECOMMs of the time knew that if they were to adopt a policy designed to improve quality by weeding out “bad” shows, they would be required to set up a committee of judges who would then have the power to decide who remained on the air. That is a lot of power to have, and would have been very difficult to control, and could have easily torn the club apart. I think the ECOMMs wisely decided not to take on the task of winnowing the wheat from the chaff.

What WRPI really needed was more student members. Some of the ECOMMs understood this and began aggressive efforts to recruit more student members. The club should also have enacted a “term limit” of say, 2 years, for community members’ shows. That is, if you were a community member you could keep your show for a maximum of 2 years after which you’d have to “sit out” for a year or two before getting your own show again. This would have actually increased the number of community members shows and would also have incentivized community members to become more involved with the club while off the air, and I think it would have helped to moderate the tendency some community members had of thinking that their shows were more important than the radio club itself.

Other posters have mentioned logs violations. I confess to being one of the members who helped institute the logs review process. Accurate station logs are required by the FCC. All cleared engineers are taught how to properly fill out the logs and must pass a logs test before being allowed to operate the station. We decided to start reviewing the logs and leaving reminders in members’ mailboxes when we discovered an error. Many members’ logging quickly picked up as a result. Some members however, had mistakes week in and week out. We began to view this as an indication that those members just didn’t care enough to do the logs properly. Remember, this is a club. Membership is a privilege, not a right. The members are supposed to care about the club and their fellow members, because a club is all about a shared interest. Someone who doesn’t care how they run the station when they are on the air doesn’t care enough about the club to warrant being a member. Yes, it’s free form radio but some people seemed to think that no rules at all applied to them.

As I write this in 2010 I find myself thinking about all the times I have tuned in to WRPI in the last few years only to be greeted by the buzz of dead air. Or, the same community member DJ who seems to be on the air for hours and hours every day. I hope that the number of student members has grown. At the same time I would like to hear more diversity of community members’ shows. WRPI is evolving, changing, never static. The Administration and the ECOMM should perhaps devote some time to thinking about what role a college radio station has in the lives of the students in the era of iPods and music downloads, revisit the benefits that community membership can provide, and consider what the Institute should do if student membership in the radio club drops to nil.

Did I love doing “Earwhacks”? Absolutely. Do I miss it? Assuredly. But all good things come to an end, and if the end of “Earwhacks” meant that someone else got a chance to have as much fun as I had playing a DJ, I’m all for that. I was, after all, a member of the radio club.

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By: prefers to be anonymous http://blog.timesunion.com/readandreact/151/operating-on-different-wavelengths/comment-page-3/#comment-4877 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 21:35:10 +0000 http://blogs.timesunion.com/readandreact/?p=151#comment-4877 *sigh* I leave the radio station for about 14 years, and look what happens…

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By: Don Drewecki http://blog.timesunion.com/readandreact/151/operating-on-different-wavelengths/comment-page-3/#comment-4890 Thu, 08 Nov 2007 23:38:30 +0000 http://blogs.timesunion.com/readandreact/?p=151#comment-4890 For Petra:

If you’re looking for work, why not apply at the Sanctuary for Independent Media? They’re starting up their own community radio station! Wow! Here’s the article from today’s TU.

DD

Alliance seeks FM radio license

Operator of Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy applies for 350-watt station

By CHRIS CHURCHILL, Business writer
First published: Thursday, November 8, 2007

TROY — The Sanctuary for Independent Media has applied to the Federal Communications Commission for the right to operate an FM radio station.

The station would air on unused frequency available at 89.9 FM and would be housed at the group’s building at 3361 Sixth Ave.

“It would be a non-commercial, educational station,” said Steve Pierce, an adjunct professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Sanctuary co-founder.

The Sanctuary, which opened in 2005, provides space for lecturers, artists, musicians and others who struggle to be heard on commercial television and radio. Pierce said a radio station would further the group’s mission of helping those folks be heard.

The station would be truly local radio that is neither part of a regional network or owned by a distant corporation, he said.

“The chance to have a station that focuses only on the needs of people in the surrounding communities is a rare opportunity,” Pierce said. “I hope we get the green light.”

The FCC application asks for permission to operate a 350-watt station. That would be a relatively weak signal, but Pierce said it is the strongest signal the station could have without interfering with existing stations.

The signal likely would travel less than 10 miles, according to FCC data.

The FCC application was filed by the Media Alliance, the nonprofit that operates the Sanctuary.

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By: Petra L. http://blog.timesunion.com/readandreact/151/operating-on-different-wavelengths/comment-page-3/#comment-4889 Thu, 08 Nov 2007 17:27:55 +0000 http://blogs.timesunion.com/readandreact/?p=151#comment-4889 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, one of the highest ranked universities in the nation, seeks a Director of Community Relations. The Director reports to the Assistant Vice President for Government and Community Relations within the Strategic Communications and External Relations portfolio.

Acting as primary liaison between Rensselaer and local government, not-for-profit, civic, and economic development organizations, the Director promotes stable and productive relationships as part of the InstituteÂ¹s strategy for enhancing public understanding of and support for Rensselaer.

The Director of Community Relations will coordinate and implement the InstituteÂ¹s overall community relations program with the City of Troy and other Capital Region communities where Rensselaer operates facilities or owns property. The incumbent will anticipate challenges and opportunities, and develop and implement strategies for mutually beneficial initiatives with the community.

The Director of Community Relations at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute must possess a BachelorÂ¹s Degree and a minimum of five (5) years full time experience in community relations, government relations, marketing, communication, or other related field required. The Director will possess strong organizational, interpersonal and communications skills. Reliability is essential. He or she must have the ability to work independently, and to handle sensitive and confidential matters. The position requires frequent written and oral communication with local elected officials, community representatives, and the general public.

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By: Don Drewecki http://blog.timesunion.com/readandreact/151/operating-on-different-wavelengths/comment-page-3/#comment-4887 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:39:56 +0000 http://blogs.timesunion.com/readandreact/?p=151#comment-4887 Yes, I absolutely did call Nicole Farkas the single most offensive word in English â€” just a few weeks after she telephoned me at _my_ house and proceeded to scream at me for nearly ten minutes, including the phrase, â€œWHAT IS YOUR ##$%! AGENDA????â€ at the top of her lungs, accused me of undermining her boyfriend Julian de Marchi’s presidency, and then hung up on me. On another occasion, I remember Farkas telling me to get off my fat @$$.

Some time later, I found out that she also screamed wildly at another then-WRPI community volunteer, Julia Laurie; and also at a community volunteer who is still there today and told me her story personally.

In other words, several community volunteers were relentlessly screamed-at by Ms. Farkas in that time frame of 1996.

Also, Steve Pierce violently berated an RPI architecture student who was program director at the time â€” in fact, the PD who allowed me to put â€œDemocracy Nowâ€ on the air, Julie Matson. Pierce so harrassed her at an E-comm meeting that she was reduced to tears. Thatâ€™s why I publicly claim Pierce is a self-serving bully, and a phony leftist â€” someone who is willing to champion your right to free speech, but only when you agree with him.

I also vividly remember his statement, â€œThat show should not be on the air!â€ about a right-wing talk show hosted by RPI students. Well, in the interests of TRUE free speech, it should have. But thatâ€™s yet another illustration of the phrase â€œHeads-I-win, tails-you-loseâ€. Itâ€™s OK if WRPI is flooded with inept community volunteers hosting endless talk shows if they agree with your politics, not OK if they or students donâ€™t â€” or if they want more music on the air.

Don Drewecki

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By: One Baited by the Master http://blog.timesunion.com/readandreact/151/operating-on-different-wavelengths/comment-page-3/#comment-4854 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:11:11 +0000 http://blogs.timesunion.com/readandreact/?p=151#comment-4854 As a friend of a member of the ever-increasing population of those whom Mr. Drewecki includes in his ongoing critiques (most of which are spot-on and utterly necessary to understand the current state of affairs vis-a vis WRPI), I will add this crucial bit of information. During an E-comm meeting of WRPI “back in the bad old days” before the 40th anniversary rebuilding of the station, it came out in the official minutes of the meeting that DD, a community member, called a young student female member of said governing body the most vile, sexist word a then 38 year-old man (or anyone) could probably have thrown at Ms. Farkas. Not just the five-letter one, but the four letter one. I was a member of WRPI at that time and everyone heard about it. Drewecki made himself offensibly indefensible then as now. I know more than one member of those he as excoriated on this blog who are aware of what he is saying about them but refuse to deal with this delusional man no matter how much they respect his past work. Until he comes clean on this incedent, which was what really led him to finally leave WRPI, I will not post my real name. It’s not how you deal with pathological self serving liars, no matter what good they may have done

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By: Pastor Jeff http://blog.timesunion.com/readandreact/151/operating-on-different-wavelengths/comment-page-3/#comment-4876 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:15:52 +0000 http://blogs.timesunion.com/readandreact/?p=151#comment-4876 Unrequited love is bad enough, but this guy seems to suffer from unrequited hate. Even with an enemies list longer than Richard Nixon’s. Maybe if he piles on J U S T O N E M O R E outrageous accusation, throws out J U S T O N E M O R E insult, makes J U S T O N E M O R E boastful claim, someone will take the bait. Let’s hope so, for his sake. It’s got to hurt that his many nemeses don’t care enough to argue with him. Aren’t they listening? Don’t they know he’s out to get them? Sad, because he’s obviously been ready for his closeup for some time now…

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By: Don Drewecki http://blog.timesunion.com/readandreact/151/operating-on-different-wavelengths/comment-page-3/#comment-4885 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:58:23 +0000 http://blogs.timesunion.com/readandreact/?p=151#comment-4885 “Youâ€™ve turned into a running joke on this blog and exposed the â€œcontroversyâ€ at WRPI for what it really is: non-students who overstayed their welcome and overextended their boundaries who are struggling to hold on to whatever they can as they try to get recognition for maintaining their fiefdoms of expertise.”

As I have said, it isn’t just the non-students. It is also at least one alumnus who used his student position ten years ago to set the stage for today’s troubles — an alumnus who, among other things, challenged the FCC license of WRPI while serving as the president of the Friends of WRPI, when the station’s license was up for renewal several years ago.

For one alumnus to talk about the sanctity of free speech at WRPI on the one hand, and then challenging that station’s license when it was up for renewal — if that wasn’t a flag and a signal to student management to reduce community involvement in that same station, then I don’t know what is.

“Nice of you to throw in your side of the SEIU organization story as well – always willing to throw another cross on your back to bear if thereâ€™s an audience, eh?” Nice of you to impugn my motives when I was repsonding to another poster who claimed I was in bed with the Jackson Administration.

Well, unlike some tenured RPI professors, I and five other low-level workers actually risked employment and a paycheck, and identified ourselves publicly in support of the union drive, instead of hiding behind pseudonyms like phosphofructinase and suggesting that worker conditions at Rensselaer are so good that a union isn’t needed — sorta like Walmart.

DD

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By: phosphofructokinase http://blog.timesunion.com/readandreact/151/operating-on-different-wavelengths/comment-page-3/#comment-4859 Sun, 04 Nov 2007 20:34:55 +0000 http://blogs.timesunion.com/readandreact/?p=151#comment-4859 Maybe Don is missing the obvious: students today at RPI and other engineering schools simply don’t place radio and broadcasting on the level of “geek cred” that it once was.

Kurt Vonnegut put it best in his analogy to amateur radio: “The Internet stuff is spooky. I am of course not on line. I do remember ham radio operators though, usually in attics or basements, pallid, unsociable, and obsessed, inhabiting a spirit world, and harmless.”

The internet has removed the need for the socially inept to band together through common love of depersonalized gadgetry and faceless technical innovation. Maybe it’s nostalgically sad that a unifying entity like WRPI has been obviated by new technology, and it always hurts to be eclipsed.

Don. Stop pretending that anyone cares about your one-man crusade to save WRPI from itself. You’ve turned into a running joke on this blog and exposed the “controversy” at WRPI for what it really is: non-students who overstayed their welcome and overextended their boundaries who are struggling to hold on to whatever they can as they try to get recognition for maintaining their fiefdoms of expertise.

Nice of you to throw in your side of the SEIU organization story as well – always willing to throw another cross on your back to bear if there’s an audience, eh? I truly don’t have anything against you and don’t mean any of this to be a personal attack. But come ON. You’re doing your detractors’ work FOR them on here. All anyone has to do to find out about you now is search your name on Google, click on this blog thread, and skim to reach a conclusion.

Wingnut.

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By: Don Drewecki http://blog.timesunion.com/readandreact/151/operating-on-different-wavelengths/comment-page-3/#comment-4882 Sat, 03 Nov 2007 16:04:49 +0000 http://blogs.timesunion.com/readandreact/?p=151#comment-4882 “So Dan, what are the real leftists like you working on these days? Classical music, I suppose, and war blogging. Anything else?”, says an RPI alumnus.

Well, one thing I do is to work on spelling people’s names correctly, because I don’t believe in moronic ridicule, as you clearly do.

Also, classical music takes time to listen to and think about. A long attention span is needed, which obviously you do not have. Perhaps you should go back to your 40-year-old Bob Dylan protest songs which, as it turns out, according to Dylan himself, were never meant as protest songs.

“Thank God thereâ€™s an authentic leftist such as Dan Dernowski around to set the phony ones straight. As a Christian conservative, I particularly appreciate his efforts to tear down those who donâ€™t meet his exacting standards. Frees me up for more important work. Thanks Dan!”

Again, learn to spell, because, real leftism is about debating ideas, with full names disclosed in the interests of truth, rather than hiding behind pseudonyms and misspellings, on the level of ninth-graders.

DD

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