ROGER MONROE

With passage of President Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill, funding for National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service has ended. With more than 70 years of broadcasting experience, I say, it’s about time. There’s no reason for taxpayers to be paying for radio and TV stations in an industry totally dominated by private enterprise anymore than funding government-owned or supported grocery stores. The bill removes about $1.1 billion from the budget of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. NPR reported that the loss represents only 1% of its revenue, which includes investments, corporate underwriting, donations and fees from member stations.

Locally, there are at least 23 AM and FM stations that can be heard by listeners. They include everything from talk radio to country music, hip hop, religion, and more. They all survive because account executives are out on the streets selling commercials. Among the stations are NPR affiliates WCBU and WGLT, both operating out of Illinois State University with virtually the same format and same power, 26,000 watts. Throw in WILL-FM in Champaign and you have a network of stations with far greater signal NPR coverage than any of the commercial stations like WMBD, WIRL and WGLO.

There are some non-commercial stations in Peoria who barely survive such as WAZU-FM operating with only 500 watts and WPNV-LP with 40 watts. The latter station is owned by the Black Business Alliance, Peoria Chapter. Why is it they don’t receive government funding, but WCBU and WGLT does, or did? Talk about power, St. Louis NPR station KWMU has 100,000 watts and frequently blows WAZU off their 90.7 frequency, south of Peoria. That station, for some unknown reason, has a greater signal range than the 50,000 watts of WLS in Chicago or KOA in Denver.

There is a report efforts will be made when Congress returns to reinstall funding for NPR and PBS. I hope not. Those stations can sink or swim on their own. If the programming is so good as supporters claim, get out the checkbooks. Stations, universities, and colleges should use their marketing skills to “sell” programs, as they do at WMBD, WIRL, WGLO, WWCT, WPEO, etc. Taxpayers should not be funding public radio and television.

Private colleges and universities are facing serious revenue challenges due to declining enrollments. That’s one of the reasons former Bradley University president Gary Roberts gave away WCBU-FM to ISU It was an apparent drain on the school’s financial resources. I urge President Jim Shadid to seek the return of WCBU, which can be used, with effective management, to help promote the school far and wide with special programing promoting the school’s sports teams, academics, and community services. Sponsorships could be purchased by local and national businesses. Students eager for broadcasting careers would staff the station along with a few retired broadcasters. I can envision radio and TV professional Dave Snell in charge of, what else, sports programming, as part of his current university responsibilities. The possibilities are endless with WCBU returning to the Bradley campus without NPR. In addition, WCBU could also be streaming “live” on YouTube around the world.

TINY HOUSES IN A TINY VILLAGE? No subject has stimulated more conversation and controversy on our morning radio show in recent years than a proposal by city councilman Tim Riggenbach to contruct 30 houses for the homeless. The houses would measure 70 square feet and be climate controlled. The project would include a separate building for bathing and a communal kitchen. The Dream Center will manage the “village” that will cost close to one million dollars to construct. It’s estimated the homeless population in the city numbers close to 100. Stealing a line from the movie “Field of Dreams,” “Build it and they will come.”

If the project doesn’t stir the emotions, picking a location for the Riggenbach Village does. Residents in the area of Exposition Gardens have to worry since the city just purchased 70 acres of land next to their neighborhoods. Other neighborhoods have the same worry.

Since we’ve been told many of the homeless have mental issues, there’s a need to talk about health care. What resources are locally available? How will they be funded? What services will be developed for helping the homeless find jobs? What are the assurances the homeless want to live in a tiny house? So many questions, so little answers.

DUMB AND DUMBER: Awards for the dumbest comments following the news conference between President Trump and Russian President Putin go to Fox News anchor/host Brian Kilmeade and White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich. They were dumbfounded over the failure of the two world leaders to disclose details of what was discussed.

Heinrich in particular seemed irritated reporters were unable to ask any questions, though many presidential news conferences end with no questions. Kilmeade admitted later that Trump had an immediate obligation to call Ukraine President Zelensky and European leaders to share results of the summit meeting before publicly providing a few details of their private conversations. Most political observers felt nothing of significance would be accomplished other than a future meeting between presidential advisors. Bottom line, the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, though Trump is hopeful he can find a solution to end the killing which has cost Russia about 400,000 military lives and thousands of Ukranian military and civilian lives.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH: “In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons,” — Herodotus