I am by no means against KEXP, but I must say the "you're with us or against us" mentality does nobody any good. I do not accept the "it's KEXP or Clear Channel" dichotomy, and I don't think KEXP would necessarily phrase it that way either. Or I hope they wouldn't.

That said, I think this will be cool for the citizens of NYC and bands of Seattle.

I just get sick of people bitching about John and KEXP, that's all. Are you not sick of that?

I didn't say 'it's KEXP or Clear Channel', I asked a question to the people that seem so against KEXP.

I'm confused, I'm trying to champion John and his contribution to music, and you're giving me shit for it?

but don't you think that all of that access to new york bands will be at the expense of our local band's air time? or are they going to squeeze them all in there?

i'm for KCMU BTW.

KCMU = warm fuzzy satisfied
KEXP = ehhh

I'm for KEXP, as I said, but I'm also for other things (Clear Channel not being among them): Hollow Earth Radio, dingy little college radio stations in cities across the country, Pandora.com, etc., etc.

But in the face of Clear Channel and Wallmart Nation, this move by KEXP is a move for independent music, on a much larger scale. I support that.

http://www.pirateradiousa.com/

I'm also having trouble understanding why KEXP feels the need to get BIGGER. First with the expansion to Tacoma that failed and now with this. Why is not good enough to be the best station in the Seattle area?

That's not KEXP's fault. Seattle listeners like NYC bands! They get requested all the time, and KEXP honors the requests. *shrug* NYC bands usually get obsequious treatment in Seattle.

as for the john haters, this just gives them more ammunition... they thought he was a money grubbing no talent, and now he gives them this.

as for clear channel... it is scary to see kexp grow larger and appear more like clear channel. you get the lame, same acts when you try to be a national station that appeals to more people.

kexp is amazing, and has been for some time. some people are afraid of losing what is amazing.

To me, KEXP will be lost once "Positive Vibrations", "Preachin' The Blues", "Sonic Reducer", and other great weekend shows get kicked off the air -- which I doubt will happen, as I've heard John Richards pledge *with* Kid Hops on during fund drives.

..which is a segue to my question about the NYC simulcast. Will NYC get the *weekend shows*? If so, this is really great news.

another way of looking at it is from NY's perspective, where KEXP is the outside source coming in. we might be excited about a NY station, so i hope they are excited for a seattle station. can it stay a seattle station? please?

I'm not sure what you guys mean by "Seattle music". Does that exist as some grand abstract anymore?

Or the grander point:
What does " music" mean? I thought blogs, Myspace, etc. supposedly neutralized the 'local' aspect of any band with a following outside its own metro limits.

What does "[Insert city here] music" mean?

I, for one, don't give my money to KEXP so it can promote NYC-based music. I'm a member specifically for it's support of local music and if NYC-based music begins to edge out PacNW-based music, I will definitely reconsider my membership.

I'm guessing KEXP has thought of this, however, and just figures it will make up any money it loses with new members in the new market. And if that's true, it's really a shame.

Why isn't the 2006 Friends of KEXP tax return (Form 990) available? (www.guidestar.org)

* KEXP hasn't been exclusively flying the flag for "Seattle music" for almost a decade.

* What's the difference between "Seattle music" and "Portland music" and "NYC music" and "Austin music" aesthetically? Is there a strong sense of regionalism that makes city-based bands sound like they come from their city anymore? If not, then "Seattle music" will mean less by proxy if we get a repeat of the early 90s non-Seattle flights to Seattle just for fame, in the wake of getting exposure in NYC -- which is seen by many as The Gates Of Music Success.

I contend that KEXP is planning to de-localize itself. It did when it was still KCMU, with the whole Chris Knab thing in the early 90s. KEXP has been slipping away from being a "Seattle music" station slowly but surely over the years.

So, what's the big shock about worrying about KEXP losing its focus on "Seattle music", when that's been happening already.

I think the confusion came when I brought in a parallel point at the same time. While I do support and rep for many Seattle bands, rarely are they the ones that KEXP are known for repping. "Sonic Reducer" is the most important show on KEXP as far as playing out the Seattle punk/hardcore bands that would otherwise be ignored. Otherwise, Band Of Horses? Harvey Danger? These aren't bad bands at all, but they do each have an assemblance of national recognition over, say, Sean, or Sex Vid, or Tractor Sex Fatality, or Caro, or Jerry Abstract, or Climax Golden Twins, etc etc. I could go.

My point is, KEXP's showcasing of "Seattle music" isn't nearly as "Seattle" as they say it is, and it was becoming less so over a decade ago, and I'm sure it will continue to do so.

I can bet that there's a bunch of really good, committed DJs in the basement of the HUB who are pissed that they are stuck broadcasting online when their University-owned broadcast frequency is being squatted upon by a station that couldn't care what city they're based in.

University of WASHINGTON, not New York.

Biggie J,

Clear channel pumps shitty shitty music into the minds of kids across the country. They are mass commercialization of commercialized music.

KEXP is for independent music. Or if you disagree with that, they are for much more independent music than Clear Channel is for. I don't think you can argue with that. There will now be 14 million potential new terrestrial listeners in one of the biggest cities of the world.

Even if you don't like what KEXP plays, this move is beneficial for bands, musicians, and people involved with music that isn't put out by a major label.

Ask any musician in this town if they'd like to have their music heard by 14 MILLION people. KEXP gives them that chance. It may be a small chance, but it's a realistic chance.

I care because I care about the music industry.

But if the Seattle content gets tuned down in favor of NY content is it really an overall good move for Seattle bands?

Look, it's clear this is good for KEXP - potential for a lot more money, a lot more exposure for the station and DJs, gives them the glamor of playing in the most important music city in the world, meet more bands, etc etc.

But how does this move help Seattle listeners who have supported KEXP for years? What do we get in return? More interviews with NY bands? More chatter about the hot new area of Brooklyn? No thanks. I'm just not convinced this is a win for Seattle.

I'm not trying to be provincial with that comment. Quite the opposite. The debate seems to act on a provincial pedestal, when in fact, many of the listeners, band members, etc. probably treat Seattle and New York as transitional cities. Just sayin'.

this will probably be good for kexp either way. it will be good for seattle iff kexp keeps as much of a focus on seattle music as they do now. anything else, and it loses the local flair. either way, it will still be better than clear channel.

Why do they insist on using our pledge dollars to support projects that won't benefit our community in any way.

Will you please promise to play more Peruvian Death Metal?

Fuck all, that's what. Our station becomes a little less local (not that it's terribly focused on the local anymore anyway) and John, who used to be totally tied into this city, will now be a part-time bi-coastal jet setter flitting in and out on OUR dimes.

As for the whole clear channel thing, this might be a blow at their hegemony if WNYE had not already been a public station.

This is huge for people in bands and the music scene in BOTH cities.. More seattle bands in New York? Sweet.. More Bands FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, who happen to be in NY on the air live on KEXP? RAD. Local bands in KEXP Studios live? RAD.

And Popular, you are wrong, my friend. It's a joint venture, so money is from both places..

All y'all are speculating... Seattle has way too many haters... Just enjoy the big exposure for your favorite local band..

Jeez.

What's 'hegemony'?

@50, I don't give to to KEXP (and don't anyone tell me that means I don't have the right to complain. I used to donate and I still listen. I can complain).

hegemony=preeminence of one group over others

I choose to not support KEXP until I see more transparency in their practices and their actions. What are the numbers and why the continued secrecy in their projects?

Here's what the Q&A at KEXP.org says:

Does this mean that Seattle listeners are paying for programming in New York?

Every single person who gives a financial gift to KEXP is a part of our community. Those gifts support all the work we do as an organization, including this initiative. As we extend into New York we will reach out to new supporters who believe in our work, just like our existing members do. We already benefit tremendously from a passionate, established base of listeners and supporters in New York. In fact, outside of Seattle, New York has been leading the way as our strongest donor base for several years now.

How much is this going to cost KEXP?

The station is not taking on debt or outlaying any substantial amounts of cash to make this happen. We expect it to begin providing KEXP net income in approximately two years.

Summary: KEXP members, you get to pay for another boondoggle for the next two years. thx, mgmt

Again, why this need to get BIGGER (rather than just better). KEXP is a non-profit that is acting a lot like a multinational obsessed with growth.

But the writing's on the wall. Radio is dying. KEXP is an anomaly, but they're a anomaly because -- while it's not cool to say in public -- they know radio is dying too. The only way KEXP can survive doing what they do is by de-localizing.

Seattle is not a selfish city, but Seattle alone can't support KEXP. The only way you guys are going to get something like WFMU in Seattle is if you guys build it from scratch. More on that later.

Again, I'm keeping in mind the non-weekday programming here as my beacon for the survival of the station. There is definitely very public-service oriented programming outside the weekday "Indie Lite" that sounds like a more adventurous commercial radio station. The latter is the key to paying for the former. It's not my thing, but I'm happy to see it going.

Meanwhile, if you guys only realized how expensive it is to keep even a tiny FM station afloat, you'd be zipped up. I was a DJ/member of KUCI in Orange County for close to a decade, and even getting up to 200 watts stereo (which isn't big at all, but others BEGGED for this in highly populous O.C.) was a HUGE project.

Radio/broadcasting is just getting waaay too expensive, even on the internet, given current FCC trends, and less and less people are listening to the radio overall, hence less donations. so while KEXP's actions seem disingenous, I think they're just afraid to tell the truth, which is that they need to expand out of the NW a bit and tap into bigger money to keep itself alive.

ANYWAY, about that idea to make an WFMU station in Seattle. Well? Should it be radio? What's the plan? If someone has a feasible idea, I'm in! I'm brainstorming right now.

"I really like the DJs at KEXP, and think that they are doing a great job under the circumstances, but if you’re in a band that doesn’t appeal to them, too bad."

That's the truth. And that's their right, as a dj. If they don't like it, they don't have to play it. So if a band is good, but the djs don't like them and in turn don't play them, is that sidestepping or the djs doing their job?

If i don't like your music, i'm not going to listen to it.. And DJs shouldn't have to either..

Great local DJs were fired and replaced with people who obviously knew next to nothing about local—or any—music. I’ll never forget the DJ who clearly needed to read from a script to report that he’d just played a record by Beat Happening, the most prominent Oly band at a time when Oly damn near ruled the underground world.

You want to know how ridiculous it was? Station bigwig Chris Knab went on the air to explain his changes with new age pablum about the need to be a “Media Warrior” (Steve Fisk made this into a funny 12” dance mix).

If we hadn’t won that battle, there likely wouldn’t be any local programming left at all, and John Richards—for example—never would’ve gotten on the air in the first place.

We saved the damn station, so no, it’s not fun to see the station veer away from its local focus.

‘If i don't like your music, i'm not going to listen to it.. And DJs shouldn't have to either..’

The Listeners in Listener Powered are not, by the way, the DJs.
Remember – it’s “Where the music matters”

So you're claiming the move is necessitated by financial circumstances. Do you have any proof of this?

I'm looking at the KEXP annual report, in 2005 they brought in $2.9 million, in 2006 they brought in $3.2 million, I haven't seen the 2007 numbers but I keep hearing about how they're breaking records on contributions (individual contributions are more than half their revenue).

Now I'm sure the Tacoma experiment cost them a lot of money and hurt their cash reserves. But I haven't seen any evidence that the station, absent expensive experiments, can't raise the money needed to support itself.

You want to know the problem? Check out the January 22nd email sent out by Tom Mara. It references how they brought in McKinsey (the consultants) to help plot the future of the "company". Guess what, McKinsey's idea of a good station isn't anything like mine.

I have no doubt McKinsey said "You need to get bigger quick to take advantage of the revenue opportunities out there!" and the KEXP board, seeing dollar-signs, agreed. Just the fact that they brought in McKinsey says a lot about the mindset of the KEXP management.

Most people who have a business want to grow and expand. Why is this wrong for KEXP??? I've lived in Seattle my whole life and have grown up listening to 90.3 (KCMU and KEXP) and I can honestly say that it's only gotten better over the years. People in this town need to have a more progressive attitude. If WFMU/Rainy Dog Radio is so amazing then why aren't you listening to it instead of bitching about KEXP? Why do you care?

this idea that kexp is some bastion saint of radio liberation! tschua.

seriously.

kcmu? probably. kexp? not so much. or at all.

All your hard-earned money now goes to John Richard's plane fare to NYC!!!

Keep on pledging suckas!!!

I predicted this months ago on:

http://forums.thestranger.com/showthread.php?p=62272#post62272

I imagine if this works in NYC, it opens a door to a model that could work in several cities. Think about all of the listeners they have online that would be stoked to be able to hear it on the dial. I love the idea of a global music community.

There are a lot of cities out there who, sadly, have nothing but the pre-programmed crap that is being fed by the Clear Channels, Entercom's and CBS clusters. I'm sure they'd welcome Kexp on the dial.

It's not Kexp "dying off" at all, it's Kexp bringing a fucking awesome radio station to more and more people.

I say hell yea!

BTW, KEXP is SO much better than WFMU. If you are a WFMU fan, then you can listed to THEM online.