Volstead Lounge
Has KUT Lost Its Grasp?
RECEIVED Wed., Jan. 25, 2006
Dear Editor,
Thank you for the recent articles on KUT-FM [“KUT by the Numbers,” News, Jan. 20]. I have been a member of KUT for years now and listen almost exclusively to them. I feel that my reasons for listening are the same as most members, the lack of commercial interruptions and the world-class local programming. But for the past few years I have been growing increasingly unhappy with the direction the station seems to be going in. Your articles have helped to illuminate the situation.
Like most members, I contribute during the annual pledge drives. Sometimes I do this once a year, sometimes twice. But the additional requests seem to keep coming. Last week I started receiving calls at my house from telemarketers asking for additional funding. These obviously weren't the friendly volunteers that man the lines during fund drives, but bored marketers making cold calls from a list. I sent an e-mail complaining about the practice and received a response from Sylvia Carson stating that the income from telemarketing was vitally necessary.
I truly feel that KUT has lost its grasp on what made it the station that it has been: the close relationship between station and community. I will be watching closely to see if this trend continues, and weighing my decision on whether to continue sponsoring such a decline.
Thank you for the recent articles on KUT-FM [“KUT by the Numbers,” News, Jan. 20]. I have been a member of KUT for years now and listen almost exclusively to them. I feel that my reasons for listening are the same as most members, the lack of commercial interruptions and the world-class local programming. But for the past few years I have been growing increasingly unhappy with the direction the station seems to be going in. Your articles have helped to illuminate the situation.
Like most members, I contribute during the annual pledge drives. Sometimes I do this once a year, sometimes twice. But the additional requests seem to keep coming. Last week I started receiving calls at my house from telemarketers asking for additional funding. These obviously weren't the friendly volunteers that man the lines during fund drives, but bored marketers making cold calls from a list. I sent an e-mail complaining about the practice and received a response from Sylvia Carson stating that the income from telemarketing was vitally necessary.
I truly feel that KUT has lost its grasp on what made it the station that it has been: the close relationship between station and community. I will be watching closely to see if this trend continues, and weighing my decision on whether to continue sponsoring such a decline.
Thank you,
Jim Vest
Jim Vest
