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The "Evil Empire" of big radio, Clear Channel Communications, will help the USC classical music station find sponsors. Steve Carney has the story in the L.A. Times -- but let's talk about KPFK. There is still nothing in the Times about KPFK axing the oldest programs in L.A. radio or being the first public radio station to add a nightly Spanish-language bloc of news and talk.
Alert to assignment editors: Those are two pretty good angles. But it has been suggested in emails to L.A. Observed (and intimated on the KPFK Listener Forum) that the oldest program, "Heartfelt Music," was killed because its hosts are Christian and were thought (by the station's newly controlling activists) to be insufficiently anti-war and anti-Bush. (The hosts themselves say they were probably "too white and middle class" for KPFK.) It has also been claimed that "Heartfelt Music" was one of the -- if not the -- highest rated KPFK shows. Further, some emailers are upset that KPFK shuffled the deck after a big fundraising drive that raised money from supporters of the old shows. If they start demanding refunds, will the station take an immediate cash hit (and lose listeners) for veering even further to the left?
Meanwhile, "Heartfelt Music" hosts John & Deanne Davis do invoke God in the farewell message on their website:
"Today, July 5th was our last show on KPFK. We have loved every minute of the time that KPFK allowed us to have and have met so many really fabulous people along the way....all of you!! We suggest that you go to KPFK.org. Then, under "Station News" you'll see "click here for an announcement from the Program Director" and read what immediately fills your screen. This will explain it all...what the station is doing and planning and their current philosophy as far as programming, and, more specifically, Heartfelt Music, is concerned.
"KPFK has been a great place for us these 32 years, never censoring what we said or the music that we played. In fact, we sort of felt that they really didn't know we were doing! We were a nifty little Saturday secret. It's been a fantastic run and we wouldn't have missed a minute or one of you.
"Keep us in your prayers, be patient with us, we will answer all of you but as we had over a hundred e-mails when we got home today, obviously it will take a little time. We will start writing you all when we return from Hawaii on July 17th. Meanwhile, we are trusting God to bring something exciting and new into our lives. He only closes one door to open a new one. We trust Him with our lives, our family, our friends...that's all of you....and can't wait to see what happens next! It's A Beautiful Life!!
"Much love, J & D"
Previous KPFK coverage