The future of my radio show...in doubt...
Hey Guys;
The below is what I wrote on our Facebook Group's discussion board. (If you're a fan of the show...join Modern Music...No More save WITR).
Short short version is the current management of the station (run by college students) wants to make some changes...this impacts the community members' shows...and at one point they wanted to bounce us ALL off the air.
We had a meeting last night with RIT administration and the below are my thoughts on it...
***OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER***
These are my own thoughts/conclusions from last night's meeting. These are written from MY POV...and with my conclusions. They're TOTALLY open for discussion but wanted to get SOMETHING on here.
****End Disclaimer****
Last night a lot of community members met with Kaity Werner, Karey Pine, Mike Saffran and Carol Reed as well as I believe the HEAD of Student Government (his name escapes me...but his presence unannounced didn't fill me with warm fuzzies). My initial reaction to HEARING of the meeting was one of cautious trepidation. When I was informed about the meeting I truly felt that this was the beginning of the end given the wording of the email from Carol and the distance of it. Then hearing that this is something some of the leaders of this group asked for...I felt a little more confident going into the meeting...
then the meeting started.
The biggest points I got from Karey and the others was this:
1: WITR is NOT considered by RIT to be a Rochester Community radio station...rather it is a student organization (a club) dedicated to serving the community of RIT students. This is done through the growth of leadership in E-board and allowing STUDENTS the opportunity to put radio shows out there to serve the student body FIRST and ONLY AFTER that will they concern themselves with the community at large.
2: The administration does not want to get involved in how things operate...they will allow the e-board to make their own mistakes in hopes of learning from them. The fact that WITR serves a general population of Rochester and abroad is a secondary focus when compared to serving the community of RIT. (This is where I think we as community members were under the wrong conclusion).
3: There WILL be changes coming. They opened talking about December 6 and the AMM. The minute Karey brought it up...she began to dance around the ideas the Eboard MAY be presenting. She began playing her cards VERY close to the vest. Her body language told me she had information but it would be wrong of her to share. When asked...Karey tried her level best to NOT answer a question directly until pressed when she admitted that at this point she doesn't KNOW what the E-Board has planned...that they are going to advise as best they can...but ultimately it is the E-Board's decision on how things operate.
4: Communication from this E-Board has been TERRIBLY lacking. All the administration admitted that they had encouraged the E-Board to be more upfront with the community members and to respect the time the community members (especially some who have been here for 10 years) have given to this organization. However again...this is all left to the actions of the E-Board.
As I understand the organizational structure...we as community members are to have NO say in how the station is run beyond voting in e-board. Once we've made that call...then that's it. We need to then 'enjoy the ride'. This is not how OTHER E-Boards have run things...but it is how this one intends to (IMHO). The pecking order goes EBoard - Students - Community. The years put in by all of us means only as much as the 'sitting e-board' values it. Should they wish to dump us...they can...but are being encouarged not to.
Carol mentioned this may mean changes in how community interacts with WITR. For some this may mean a time change/shortening of hours to make room for STUDENT DJ's. For some this may mean going off-air for awhile to be more of an advisor/mentor. When she asked how we as community members would feel about moving our timeslots if asked...everyone who had a show raised their hands to say they would.
What I got from the meeting was this...(according to the administration) we as community members are now to think of those we service as not our general listeners...but the students at RIT first (at least that's the goal). We serve at the OK of the sitting board and should they wish to make changes...the administration is GOING to BACK THEM. Our years of service while counting for something in regards to how this e-board SHOULD treat us is not worth as much as it should be in regards to scheduling and time on-air (in my opinion)...our shows are not as important to the grand scheme of things at WITR's new eboard as they were in the past and this is a change that this eboard is ALLOWED to make. I went in there hoping to make RIT realize where they were thinking wrong...and realizing that I was thinking wrong.
The money for the station COMES from RIT...they have every RIGHT to mess with our shows/timeslots as they've paid for it. However because you HAVE a right doesn't MAKE IT Right. In my personal opinion I believe Greg and the others are WRONG beyond belief. They're short-sighted, and are toting an agenda to try and 'save the station' that doesn't need saving.
In truth...I think that the ITR we know and love is going to go away no matter what we do. They did say that this current E-Board BACKS Greg and the others. That they are unified in their decisions...and that this is what it is going forward. I for one am praying as to my involvement in the station. I love doing the Living Rock...but even after raising my hand last night...I realized that between having a wife, job, church duties, other family etc...that Friday nights are really the only time I have to DO the show. That this may mean I appear inflexible and may be gone...but that may be what has to happen.
I personally feel that Greg and the others have no REAL idea what life is like outside. The fact they're trying to move people that have given YEARS of service to something to make room for rich kids to come in and play DJ isn't fair...if this were a real station. However...I walked away last night realizing that it isn't anymore. It's going to be another club...insulating RIT more from the outside world...and in truth odds are the only shows getting listenership will be hockey and the few community shows to survive.
WITR's slogan has been Modern Music and More...however they are TRULY trying to remove the "MORE" from that to make it just "Modern Music".
It's sad...and in truth my heart is broken a little bit today.
Thanks for reading;
SO there you have it...
The below is what I wrote on our Facebook Group's discussion board. (If you're a fan of the show...join Modern Music...No More save WITR).
Short short version is the current management of the station (run by college students) wants to make some changes...this impacts the community members' shows...and at one point they wanted to bounce us ALL off the air.
We had a meeting last night with RIT administration and the below are my thoughts on it...
***OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER***
These are my own thoughts/conclusions from last night's meeting. These are written from MY POV...and with my conclusions. They're TOTALLY open for discussion but wanted to get SOMETHING on here.
****End Disclaimer****
Last night a lot of community members met with Kaity Werner, Karey Pine, Mike Saffran and Carol Reed as well as I believe the HEAD of Student Government (his name escapes me...but his presence unannounced didn't fill me with warm fuzzies). My initial reaction to HEARING of the meeting was one of cautious trepidation. When I was informed about the meeting I truly felt that this was the beginning of the end given the wording of the email from Carol and the distance of it. Then hearing that this is something some of the leaders of this group asked for...I felt a little more confident going into the meeting...
then the meeting started.
The biggest points I got from Karey and the others was this:
1: WITR is NOT considered by RIT to be a Rochester Community radio station...rather it is a student organization (a club) dedicated to serving the community of RIT students. This is done through the growth of leadership in E-board and allowing STUDENTS the opportunity to put radio shows out there to serve the student body FIRST and ONLY AFTER that will they concern themselves with the community at large.
2: The administration does not want to get involved in how things operate...they will allow the e-board to make their own mistakes in hopes of learning from them. The fact that WITR serves a general population of Rochester and abroad is a secondary focus when compared to serving the community of RIT. (This is where I think we as community members were under the wrong conclusion).
3: There WILL be changes coming. They opened talking about December 6 and the AMM. The minute Karey brought it up...she began to dance around the ideas the Eboard MAY be presenting. She began playing her cards VERY close to the vest. Her body language told me she had information but it would be wrong of her to share. When asked...Karey tried her level best to NOT answer a question directly until pressed when she admitted that at this point she doesn't KNOW what the E-Board has planned...that they are going to advise as best they can...but ultimately it is the E-Board's decision on how things operate.
4: Communication from this E-Board has been TERRIBLY lacking. All the administration admitted that they had encouraged the E-Board to be more upfront with the community members and to respect the time the community members (especially some who have been here for 10 years) have given to this organization. However again...this is all left to the actions of the E-Board.
As I understand the organizational structure...we as community members are to have NO say in how the station is run beyond voting in e-board. Once we've made that call...then that's it. We need to then 'enjoy the ride'. This is not how OTHER E-Boards have run things...but it is how this one intends to (IMHO). The pecking order goes EBoard - Students - Community. The years put in by all of us means only as much as the 'sitting e-board' values it. Should they wish to dump us...they can...but are being encouarged not to.
Carol mentioned this may mean changes in how community interacts with WITR. For some this may mean a time change/shortening of hours to make room for STUDENT DJ's. For some this may mean going off-air for awhile to be more of an advisor/mentor. When she asked how we as community members would feel about moving our timeslots if asked...everyone who had a show raised their hands to say they would.
What I got from the meeting was this...(according to the administration) we as community members are now to think of those we service as not our general listeners...but the students at RIT first (at least that's the goal). We serve at the OK of the sitting board and should they wish to make changes...the administration is GOING to BACK THEM. Our years of service while counting for something in regards to how this e-board SHOULD treat us is not worth as much as it should be in regards to scheduling and time on-air (in my opinion)...our shows are not as important to the grand scheme of things at WITR's new eboard as they were in the past and this is a change that this eboard is ALLOWED to make. I went in there hoping to make RIT realize where they were thinking wrong...and realizing that I was thinking wrong.
The money for the station COMES from RIT...they have every RIGHT to mess with our shows/timeslots as they've paid for it. However because you HAVE a right doesn't MAKE IT Right. In my personal opinion I believe Greg and the others are WRONG beyond belief. They're short-sighted, and are toting an agenda to try and 'save the station' that doesn't need saving.
In truth...I think that the ITR we know and love is going to go away no matter what we do. They did say that this current E-Board BACKS Greg and the others. That they are unified in their decisions...and that this is what it is going forward. I for one am praying as to my involvement in the station. I love doing the Living Rock...but even after raising my hand last night...I realized that between having a wife, job, church duties, other family etc...that Friday nights are really the only time I have to DO the show. That this may mean I appear inflexible and may be gone...but that may be what has to happen.
I personally feel that Greg and the others have no REAL idea what life is like outside. The fact they're trying to move people that have given YEARS of service to something to make room for rich kids to come in and play DJ isn't fair...if this were a real station. However...I walked away last night realizing that it isn't anymore. It's going to be another club...insulating RIT more from the outside world...and in truth odds are the only shows getting listenership will be hockey and the few community shows to survive.
WITR's slogan has been Modern Music and More...however they are TRULY trying to remove the "MORE" from that to make it just "Modern Music".
It's sad...and in truth my heart is broken a little bit today.
Thanks for reading;
SO there you have it...
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