Prospects, Part III

Back in this post, about six months ago, I detailed what I thought my chances were at different non-commercial radio stations in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, & I thought I'd give you a quick update about what's happening in that search.

Every week, I prepare a short (never longer than two minutes each) segment for KFTW - the low-power fm station here in Fort Worth - called the Arts Calendar.  Basically, I detail what things are happening with theater, dance, independent film, & classical music in the city for Thursday, Friday, & Saturday.  I had said that I might do some sort of local show on the station, because they do play only local music, but that "the chances of Self Help Radio finding a home at KFTW are the unlucky toss of a coin."

That turned out to be true.  I obviously met the station's founders & they're awesome & I'm glad to help in any way.  But Self Help Radio can never just play local music, so it won't air there.

I was much more hopeful about KTCU, the college station at Texas Christian University, & I even met with the Station Manager who is also a faculty member at the station.  I thought the meeting went well, & although it was just a volunteer position, he asked me to send him a list of referrals like it was a job application (that's never happened before), & I did.  But I never heard back from him.  When the spring semester began, I wrote again & said I was still interested in volunteering.  But he never responded to that email, either.  Back in August, I wrote, "I think the chances of Self Help Radio find a home at KTCU are pretty good."  I couldn't have been more wrong.

One thing to point out is there's a good show - programmed by a non-student - called Night Skool, which is, like Self Help Radio, organized around a particular theme.  It may be why the person in charge of KTCU didn't want Self Help Radio, or me, although I can't understand why he couldn't have just written & said that.  But oh well.  The station seems very happy with the majority of its programming being automated, & if it's fine with that, I can understand why an eager body wouldn't be welcome.

Lastly, I wandered into the KNON studios in October, asking to volunteer, & was welcomed warmly, to the point that now I help out on some talk shows running the board, & have volunteered at benefits & the like.  & of course I've subbed three shows there.  But the station doesn't really have a process by which one can get a show short of just sticking it out - so that's what I'm doing.  I had written back in August "the chances of Self Help Radio finding a home at KNON are probably very small."  That's not entirely now.  I can't say where I might be in a queue of people waiting to do shows, but KNON has certain "blocks" of programming in which Self Help Radio just wouldn't fit - you know, the show's not Gospel, nor Latin Energy, nor Country - so when spots in those hours open up, as they have, Self Help Radio isn't even a consideration.

But I would hope my contributions to the station, including showing that I do a decent job subbing shows, will be in my favor if a spot that Self Help Radio might fit into opens.  I like the folks there a lot, & I like the station a lot.  & at this point, it does look like it might be the only place in the area that Self Help Radio might land.

As it stands, of course, the show still airs weekly in Lexington on WLXU - something for which I am truly grateful.