-Eric Verlo

We met today with Mario Valdes and the staff at KRCC. I suggested the meeting because I got wind that Mario would be quoted in an upcoming AfJ article as saying that he had never been presented with our Democracy Now petitions himself. This would appear to discredit our side, but was technically true. Each of us had grown tired of being turned down directly by Mario, so for three years already we'd been trying to go over his head.

Mario agreed to meet the next day, but he cautioned "but you know the answer will be the same!" Hence why we were no longer going to Mario.

Dave Therault, Gary Betchum and I met with Mario, a Media Relations person from the College, and three members of the radio staff. Between us there were three digital recorders to tape the conversation. There turned out to be plenty of statements worth recording.

Mario on Democracy Now:
"It will never happen on KRCC FM."
"Democracy Now is the same as Rush Limbaugh. They're both opinion shows."
"I don't believe it's a news program."
"unlike a premier show such as Morning Edition."

A KRCC staffer added:
"Why do you keep petitioning us to carry Democracy Now when we tell you it will never happen?"

Mario on community input:
"We will not decide our programming by petition or election."
Public input would lead to "killing KRCC."
Mario explained that if KRCC consented to our request, they might have to give in to the callers who ask that the station refrain from speaking the word "gay" on the air, in the frequent mentions of "The Gay and Lesbian Fund."

The Colorado College representative wanted to make sure we understood that Colorado College retained all authority over the programming on KRCC, and also that the College had no intention of considering Democracy Now.

When she was asked if the recently announced advisory board to KRCC, yet to be appointed, would have input into the programming decisions, she said absolutely not. Such a board would advise only on matters of operating costs and fundraising. She added that in light of recent underwriting cuts from Colorado College, they hoped that an advisory board would "really roll up its sleeves to help with the fund-raising."

An an article in today's Independent outlines the funding cuts and mentions the possible contradiction in the claim that KRCC is "a community service of the Colorado College." A spokesman for the college explained "We might want to tweak that language slightly."

Might I suggest: "KRCC is a corporate mouthpiece for Colorado College, in disregard of the opinions of its faculty, students, or local community."

And let's add, "and now they want the community to carry the tab."

Up until now, ninety percent of the funding came from listeners and underwriters. The College has just announced that it will cut $84,000 from what it contributes to the station's funding. That's almost equivalent to the tuition revenue the College receives for two students.