Don't Contribute to Classical South Florida

I am departing from the usual type postings appearing on this blog to champion a particular cause of mine.  I would hope some of you might agree with me.  Personally, I enjoy the music on Classical South Florida at 90.7 FM but I will not support them financially because of the terrible thing they have done to National Public Radio programming in Palm Beach County.  They are currently conducting an on-air pledge drive which I earnestly hopes fails miserably.  Enclosed is my letter of October 16 to the Federal Communications Commission and a copy of a letter published in the Palm Beach Post on October 25.

I want to make it clear that I will be happy to become a Classical South Florida contributor once I am again able to listen to NPR's "Morning Edition" with my breakfast coffee and "All Things Considered" at dinnertime at 90.7.FM instead of struggling to pick up a weak and distant signal from WLRN in Miami to hear those programs.

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                                                                                                           October 16, 2011

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Complaints
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554

Because your web site does not offer a “complaint” option which fits this situation, I am resorting to the old fashioned way of complaining, by letter.

In May of 2011, the FCC approved the sale of WXEL, an NPR station based in Palm Beach County, Florida, serving that county and several counties to its north.  Approval was also obtained from the Florida Department of Education which had provided funds to the station in the past.  The sale of the station by its owner, Barry University, Miami, Florida to Classical South Florida, a subsidiary of Minnesota-based American Public Media, involved about $3,800,000.

The core of my complaint is that this sale has diminished the availability of National Public Radio’s programming to residents of the area formerly served by WXEL.  Specifically, I would like to know if the Commission would have approved this sale if they had been aware of the enormous extent that service to the million and a quarter residents of Palm Beach County would be reduced.

WXEL had been broadcasting a mix of classical music, public service and local interest programming as well as NPR news and interview programs to its listeners at 90.7 FM, which has a relatively strong signal throughout the county and the counties to its north. 

Classical South Florida had been broadcasting classical music 24 hours a day, with brief news capsules during “drive times,” over an FM frequency which could be heard only in Dade, Broward and part of Monroe Counties.  Classical South Florida also had been attempting to reach listeners in Palm Beach County with its signal by utilizing a 250 watt translator, the strongest permitted by FCC rules, broadcasting at 101.9 FM.  Very few county residents were able to pick up this weak signal, and few even knew it even existed. 

Once the sale was finalized, Classical South Florida then proceeded to put the signal they were transmitting for Dade and Broward Counties, with some modification at the station breaks, out on WXEL’s old frequency, 90.7 FM, providing Palm Beach County and the counties to its north with a round-the clock classical music service, with the exception of one hour on weekday evenings, at 7:00 p.m., when local programming was included.

Recognizing that, except for that one hour each week night, they were taking away WXEL’s public service programming, the NPR news and interview programming and other programs of local interest from the million and a quarter people in Palm Beach County, they then proceeded to put this programming on the 250 watt translator at 101.9 FM mentioned above, with the new call letters WPBI – News. (Classical South Florida’s broadcasting at 90.7 carries the new call letters WPBI.)  

The problem is that 101.9 cannot be heard in most of Palm Beach County, the largest county geographically in the State.  In fact, while it can be picked up more easily on car radios, it is almost impossible to hear it in homes in most of the county.  I enclose a copy of a map, taken from Classical South Florida’s own web site showing the modest area served by 101.9 as compared to that reached by 90.7.  I wonder if this information was presented to the FCC when they were considering the approval of the sale of WXEL.

To show that Classical South Florida is indeed aware of these inadequacies, I also enclose material, again copied directly from their web site, where they suggest HD radio, online internet streaming or use of a smart phone for reception outside of the miniscule area shown on their own map where 101.9 can be received.  These alternatives, to me, do not replace the ability to listen to an FM station on a normal FM radio, which was the case with WXEL.

My question, again, is would the Commission have approved this sale if they had been aware of the enormous extent that service to the million and a quarter residents of Palm Beach County would be reduced?

In my humble opinion, the sale of WXEL to Classical South Florida, for the reasons given in this complaint, was not in the public interest and should not have been approved.

Sincerely,

Jacob E. Lippman

P.S. I had written earlier to the Chairman of the Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners and to my Congressman about this problem, and I am sending them copies of this letter.

CC: Congressman Deutch

       Commissioner Aaronson

       Randy Schultz – Palm Beach Post

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The "coverage map" showing the miniscule range of 101.9 FM where WPBI carries its non-musical NPR programming is not easily reproduced on this blog.  You can view this map, on which Classical South Florida graphically concedes  the extremely  inadequate range of 101.9,at:

http://classicalsouthflorida.publicradio.org/standard/pdf/wpbi_coverage_map.pdf

or you can simply click on the link on the third line in the highlighted paragraph below.

This material copied from the Classical South Florida web site (www.classicalsouthflorida.org)

WPBI News Listening FAQ

Why does Classical South Florida broadcast news on 101.9 FM and classical music on 90.7 FM in the Palm Beaches area?

Classical South Florida wants to make more and more consistent programming choices available to listeners. Providing one radio service dedicated solely to news and one dedicated solely to classical music is the best way to make this possible.

How can I listen to WPBI News?

News listeners in the Palm Beaches have these options for listening to 24/7 public radio news programming from Classical South Florida:

1. Tune your radio to 101.9 FM
2. Tune your HD radio to 90.7 FM HD2
3. Listen to the WPBI News stream on your computer or internet capable radio at WPBInews.org
4. Listen to the WPBI News stream on your smart phone using the TuneIn Radio Application for iPhone, Blackberry or Android phones.

I'm having trouble hearing WPBI News on 101.9 FM.
What should I do?

Although the 101.9 FM signal provides a good signal to Palm Beach and West Palm Beach and environs, it doesn't reach as far as the 90.7 FM signal, so you might be trying to listen from outside, or on the fringe of the listening area. (See our coverage map PDF.) You may also be encountering signal interference from power lines or concrete buildings. In these cases, relocating or adjusting your radio antenna can help.

If , after these efforts, you can't get WPBI News on 101.9 FM, you may wish to try an HD radio or access the internet stream at WPBInews.org or on your smartphone. (See next questions).

What is HD radio, and how do I use it?

HD radio is a digital technology that allows a single radio frequency to bring you more than one station at a time. While a standard radio will give you the primary station, you'll need an HD radio to access additional stations on the frequency. For example, if you tune to 90.7 FM on a standard radio in the Palm Beaches area, you will hear Classical South Florida's classical music service. But on an HD radio with multicasting, you'll also be able to tune your radio to the HD2 service on the same frequency and hear WPBI News.

As more stations adopt HD radio, more listening options are becoming available. And more HD radio devices are available in the marketplace. Visit our About HD Radio page to learn more about HD Radio devices and purchasing options.

What is an internet stream and how do I receive it?

WPBI News is available on your computer as an audio stream from the internet at www.wpbinews.org. Your computer must be connected to the internet and audio-enabled. Just click on the "listen now" button at the upper right of the page. There are also several standalone devices that can receive audio streams from the internet. They are commonly called internet radios, and can be used like tabletop or portable radios. They must be in a wi-fi environment to work. They include Livio, Grace, Logitech and Sanyo and are available in electronics stores and at www.PublicRadioMarket.org.

Can I get WPBI News on my smartphone?

Yes, WPBI News is available on your smartphone - iPhone, Blackberry, or Android. We recommend the TuneIn Radio application. Go to the "App Store" on your smartphone and search for this app. It is free.

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