Austin Music Source

By KMac

September 15, 2009 1:08 PM | Link to this

It’s “Anton Fig” BTW.

By TwangDangSux

September 15, 2009 1:11 PM | Link to this

Wow, what a snoozer of a lineup. With only a couple of exceptions, those are the sorts of acts I could care less about hearing on KUT. KGSR and KLBJ have already played most of those acts into the ground over the years.

By Jackson

September 15, 2009 1:57 PM | Link to this

So, I gather you didn’t get an invite to be one of the performers, TwangDangSux.

Sure sounds like sour grapes under an assumed name to me.

By dave

September 15, 2009 2:15 PM | Link to this

I appreciate the effort.

Public radio should reflect the local public, not be bringing in people from God-knows-where to spoon-feed us what they think we might like.

God knows there’s enough of that on the dial already.

By Gerry

September 15, 2009 2:21 PM | Link to this

Yawn. (Twang, dang, doo-doo?)

By Grin

September 15, 2009 2:55 PM | Link to this

Some people think everything sux. That’s why they don’t usually get invited.

By norm

September 15, 2009 3:22 PM | Link to this

“Support Larry Monroe and Paul Ray” on Facebook has over 1,500 people signed up now.

By Molly

September 15, 2009 3:34 PM | Link to this

Whoa! The naysayers don’t take long, do they? I think this is a good thing they’re trying to do here…and I applaud all who are working at trying to hold accountable the powers that be at our public radio station! I will buy a ticket, and encourage my friends to do same.

I do have to wonder what moves the naysayers to post in the first place. And to be so mean about it.

By Phil Music

September 15, 2009 3:40 PM | Link to this

Dear Mr. Sux, - Man, that is one creative last name. What an imagination. You should try your hand at booking some gigs, instead of just being another in a long line of jokers named Sux?

By Wondering

September 15, 2009 3:46 PM | Link to this

Wondering why these people were so poised — an hour later, no less (a Google alert?) — to piss on those folks trying to make changes at our “public” radio station. Is there a vested interest hiding behind those pseudonyms?

By SaveKUTAustin

September 15, 2009 4:02 PM | Link to this

The website is at * savekutaustin dot com * where you can sign up to be listed in support of this movement’s cause. 400 new Sign Ups since yesterday at Noon. Businesses, Listeners, and Musicians are all getting on board. Get involved. Make a difference. Enjoy some music. SaveKUTAustin dot com

By chascates

September 16, 2009 4:50 PM | Link to this

Austin’s music scene is internationally known and it’s not just because of the many live bands and musicians who call it home. DJs such as Paul Ray, Larry Monroe, and John Aielli play music you can’t hear anywhere else on our airwaves and promote local talent and events. Removing these talented players in the music scene will diminish what we enjoy here, all to advance the agenda of a few KUT higher-ups. I won’t be giving any money in the next pledge drive until I can be assured what I’m paying for.

By Tim

September 17, 2009 10:28 AM | Link to this

And it’s not offensive to say that those of us who like local music not in the KGSR vein are somehow only interested in homogenized radio?

By Steph Beasley

September 17, 2009 3:38 PM | Link to this

I hate to be the voice of reason here, but wouldn’t it be fiscally responsible to see what effect these program changes have on the listenership and donations to KUT before we break out the lynch mob? Sorry, but if these program changes enhance the viability of the station that allows me to listen to NPR news in the morning and afternoon drive times, as well as the syndicated programming on weekends AND I still get Twine Time, Blue Monday, Horizantes, and all the other great stuff that I love, then I say well done, KUT, well done.

By fay

September 18, 2009 2:13 PM | Link to this

when I first heard about these changes I wondered “what took so long?”

Phil Music and Paul Ray represent only a narrow and quickly fading part of the local music scene. The music that Austin exports currently is not found on their shows.

By alison

September 18, 2009 3:26 PM | Link to this

I applaud the recent changes implemented by KUT. I now can tune in during the evenings and hear some great new innovative music. It seems to me that KUT is trying to go in the direction of other stellar public radio stations like KEXP from Seattle, The Current from Minnesota and KCRW from Los Angeles, which play an eclectic blend of cutting edge music, as well as local artists. We need a radio station like that here in Austin. The old guard, who are constantly lamenting a changing Austin, will have to realize that the times are indeed changing.

By Phil Music

September 18, 2009 11:07 PM | Link to this

alison - I’m paid by a PR firm to troll these blogs and provide canned support slogans applauding the recent changes implemented by KUT. I’m instructed to say one can tune in during the evenings and hear some great, new innovative music. Well, I tried it, and this PR line is total BS. It seems to me that KUT is trying to play an eclectic blend of cutting edge music, but all you get is another management designated playlist. They pretend to support local artists because they are a radio station in Austin, so they have no choice, or the community that pays their salaries would ride management out of town on a rail. Autin doesn’t me telling them what kind of radio statins they need. The businesses, listeners and musicians who are part and parcel of the soul of KUT have been constantly creating a changing Austin. I now realize that they sure don’t need me coming to town, telling them it’s OK to be changing a good thing.

By Jim Radio

September 19, 2009 12:08 AM | Link to this

Thanks to the hundreds of concerned, or at leasted interested, folks who taken time to comment on the growing KUT controversy. Most of the comments are very supportive, thank you, and a few a little bit off the mark, if only that most folks don’t know that much about how radio REALLY works, and how PUBLIC radio (Read: NPR affiliates at major vniversities) operates.

Mr. Sux is not even worth responding to.

However Steph Beasly IS worth responding to! Ms. Beasly wrote: “wouldn’t it be fiscally responsible to see what effect these program changes have on the listenership and donations to KUT before we break out the lynch mob?”

Well it’s not QUITE like selling cornflakes at the grocery store. The mngmt at KUT ALREADY know how many folks are listening and how much they are contributing. Guess which way the numbers are going? Sure, down! They are going down across the dial! Radio listenership is plummeting. (How many 19 y.o.s you know listen to AM radio? FM radio? ANY radio?)

KUT bases its numbers on Arbitron, which was never intended for NON-COMMERCIAL use, and is being SUED around the country for under-reporting minorities.

The point is: Austin REALLY IS different than most cities, and if it means keeping these iconic DJs, with their encyclopedic knowledge of Austin/Texas music on the air, then we are content for KUT to be the SECOND highest rated station in town. After all, WE are paying the bills.!

86% 86%! of KUT’s funds come from AUSTIN underwriters and indy listeners. YOU! Did you get a tweet asking your opinion? Would you support KUT having a Community Advisory Board made up folks like yourself? Wouldn’t cost the station a dime. It would provide a PUBLIC forum, for PUBLIC input (that’s you all…) for our great PUBLIC radio station at our big ol’ PUBLIC UNIVERSITY. (That’s yr “lynch mob”!?)

And, ya’ know, it sorta’ LOOKS like they are pushing out the old guys for the young guys. Um, age discrimination would be a nasty, costly case for UT to defend. Whole LOTTA’ your pledge dollars!

BTW- you DO know the GM is pulling down a $140,000 a year, and that they are raising funds for a new, state of the art, $11 million building?

They didn’t tell you that? Now ya’ know! (Source: UT Open Records Request)

We are working HARD to RESOLVE this issue!

THERE ARE NO LYNCH MOBS Ms. Beasley. That is not helpful language, ya know what I mean? In this day and age and president, okay? > We ask folks not to “flame” on individuals or the issue…whatever side of the issue they are on.<

WE ARE KUT’s BEST FRIENDS <

We welcome you to join the THOUSANDS of Austinites, musicians, businesses, underwriters, Fb mavens, et al, in quickly and fairly resolving this important issue,

NOW THE BIGGEST RADIO CONTROVERSY IN TEXAS.

We’re also sticking up for our friends, Paul Ray and Larry Monroe. I’m sure you would stick up for your friends if this happened to them.

Thanks for your comments. We will try to respond as best we can. There are now HUNDREDS of messages coming in.

cheers, jim radio designated radio nerd SaveKUTAustin Committee

By SaveKUTAustin

September 19, 2009 2:20 AM | Link to this

Too long to post here, see “Now the Biggest Radio Controversy in Texas”, in answer to the comments above, at SaveKUTAustin dot com

By SidneyB

September 19, 2009 1:14 PM | Link to this

Thanks for setting the record straight, Jim, and for helping to inform the uninformed about how the bean counters are doing their decision-making at KUT.

By danny crooks

September 19, 2009 1:40 PM | Link to this

wow this looks like a battle between kut employees(even though they are afraid to use their real names) and savekutaustin and it shouldn’t be. we all want the same thing. the best public radio station in the country not another plays all the hits radio. we are losing our local voice. yes we have some old guys playing twang but we have new music too. i have put in bands representing 5 decades of austin music. like kut. we have blues,country,rap,rock,latina,jazz and singer/songwriters. the young guys in the cuban rock band kalua will blow you away.lets save the local voice young and old. we have lost to many austin music institutions. we can’t afford to lose anymore.

By Jeffery

September 19, 2009 2:44 PM | Link to this

I still find it ridiculous to think that anyone is that worked up over hearing boring jazz and endless rehashes of the same old Texas twang music. I AM a younger listener in my 20s and want to hear the up and coming musicians from Central TX like Leatherbag, Okkervil River, The Lemurs, The Black & White Years, The Story Of, and many others - and KUT has been serving them to me when I tune in. I’m not listening to hear the story of Antones or the Armadillo day in and day out. Step into the 21st century, people.

By alison

September 19, 2009 3:23 PM | Link to this

Mr. Music (Phil), I am not paid by some PR firm to tout the virtues of KUT’s current programming. True, to your ears, what you hear may not be considered cutting edge. But, to a person who strives to discover and enjoy new music, not just the same old recycled Austin blues/Americana/MOR mix, KUT’s recent changes are very welcome.
The lyrics to “The Times They Are A-Changin’” seem appropriate in this situation: “Your old road is rapidly aging. Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend a hand.”

By jody411

September 21, 2009 12:09 PM | Link to this

Alison, I’m just curious. Do you contribute to KUT?

By alison

September 21, 2009 2:05 PM | Link to this

Jody, Yes I have contributed to KUT in the past because I enjoy listening to NPR programs like Fresh Air and This American Life, as well as Jay Tractenberg in the afternoons. Now, I can enjoy listening at night as well, so I will definitely contribute again.