WRR (101.1 FM) is a municipally-owned, classical station in Dallas. The Dallas city council will vote in August on bids from outside managers for the station.
The Friends Board of Directors believes the bid process has been rushed and flawed. The Friends say the bid process was fast-tracked while Dallas City Council was in recess, and is being pushed forward without input from arts organizations and listeners.
“It does not give potential bidders enough time or information to prepare bids that sufficiently protect the station,” according to a Call To Action from the Friends group. “If no one bids, we are concerned the City will move to sell the station. Even if a bidder wins the contract, the station is exposed to a serious risk of long-term harm and, ultimately, a sale.”
The Call To Action deadline has been set for July 15.
The Friends are urging supporters to call and email district council members to ask them to: stop the bid process and vote “no” to outside management.
More information can be found Here.
Or, better yet, why is a city government in the radio business, anyway…on a very valuable, full Class C, commercial frequency?
In a time when officials at the City of Dallas claim they don’t have enough money to pay for a sufficient police force — the city is hundreds of officers short — the taxpayers should not be required to spend a single penny on the luxury of a radio station. As a classical station, it probably attracts no more than 1% of Dallas citizens as regular listeners.
I know the facts on this issue…I live in the DFW Metroplex. Sell the radio station to the highest bidder, whoever that turns out to be. It is the least the City should do on behalf of its stakeholders, the hardworking citizens of Dallas.