KWVT-TV, a low power television broadcaster based in Salem, is rumored to be possibly considering a potential major growth in size and scale. The small station was started a few years back when the principal owners had seen enough of the commercial broadcasters to know that the future lay elsewhere.
KWVT-TV carries a great many Salem area High School sports events as well as a panapoly of wierdly wonderful programs that most stations refuse to consider.
Now, it may be that times have changed for the Sleepy Station in the Valley. Rumor, and I repeat - rumor only - has it that KWVT is poised, perhaps eagerly so, to expand its size and scale to a level which may, if accomplished, perhaps give the Portland metro broadcasters second thought about their own future.
Nothing's in stone and station ownership is keeping its powder dry. Mums the word for now, but one can never tell. We'll keep you posted
Comments
Sleeper Continues to Underwhelm - But For How Long
Is it possible that KWVT is so far under the radar that no one in PDX is commenting? The Sleeping Giant of Salem is about to awaken and when it does, Oregon media will never be the same. This writer is surprised by the lack of interest...but then, few are ever in front of the wave. Most lag far behind.
Dust Off Your Resume - KWVT Positioned For Growth
As has been previously noted in the pages of OMI, the sleeping giant LPTV station in Salem, KWVT, is rumbling awake from a long winter's nap. Not since 1981 when KECH-22 began, staffed by K-103's Michael Bailey who lead the station's local programming efforts, has there been as much excitement as that which is starting to issue forth from the KWVT transmission line near Silverton.
One good thing leads to another.
Low Power TV Station Ramping Up?
Those in the know have their ears to the ground and they hear the drum beat out of the Mid-Willamette Valley. The kilohertz emanations from the old KECH-22 tower are trembling, nay quivering to be unleashed. The powers-that-be at Channel 52 in Salem are, rumor has it, carefully considering their next move upon the entrenched Portland broadcast media. This reporter understands that KGW just barely outbid KWVT for the prestigious Pioneer Courthouse Square studio space. But, as is rumored, the cooler heads prevailed at the Salem burdgeoning powerhouse and it was decided to let Channel 8 sink it's shrinking cash flow into the black hole of this so-called prestigious studio setting. The KWVT management team, it is hinted, has bigger fish to fry and now they are planning something spectacular that will set the Big 4 (yes, we must now include FOX) back on their heels. Everything specific is being kept under wraps, but this writer has heard references to KWVT tie-ins to the much-speculated-about NFL franchise hoping to find a home in Beaverton, along with the potential for taking over the University of Oregon sports broadcasts from the struggling KEZI folks in Eugene. Of course, all this is denied by the KWVT ownership. They are, by my guesstimation, playing coy and rightly so. If i was about to become, as rumor has it, the dominant player in Oregon media, I'd keep my mouth shut as well. All eyes are on Salem.
!!!!
"All eyes are on Salem."
If a funnier sentence appeared on the internet today, please somebody point to it.
Willamette Valley TV Rumor Mill Ratchets Up
The Mid-Valley grapevine was heavily laden today with new innuendo, a dose of gossip, a plethora of buzz and a smattering of canard regarding the potential television explosion rumbling deep beneath the hills near Silverton.
For those of you who don't already know, this is where the KWVT-TV, Channel 52 LPTV signal emanates from. Currently, the operation is focused heavily on the Salem ADI. Little is known about the nascent broadcaster. However, as the noise machine prattles away, there are definite signs of tectonic business activity in them thar hills.
As one would expect, KWVT ownership is denying any and all reports as scuttlebut. However, it has been suggested that there may be a major announcement coming soon, although everyone in the loop loudly denies anything is in the works.
These stories have been radiating for the past 72 hours or so and as often it is the case, where there's smoke there's fire. In this instance, there is presently more smoke than flame, but these stories have a way of breaking suddenly and unexpectedly. More in the future.
OK I'll Bite
Wow, there seems to be a lot of chatter on here about this, I'll be sure to keep an eye on it.
all of it emanating from one guy
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Lynn Siprelle * Fairy Blogmother
Ooops
[/sarcasm] Forgot to put that part in.
I'm not quite sure what Mr Thompson's game is
but I'm rather curious to find out.
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Lynn Siprelle * Fairy Blogmother
Low Power Beast Set To Unleash Its Fury?
I see that there is a smattering of interest in the allegations raised vis a vis the potential uptick in interest about the looming KWVT juggernaut rumored to be steamrolling up I-5 toward PDX. As the famous Tertullian once noted rather wryly, "The nature of rumor is known to all."
Be that as it may, the mill continues to grind, even overnight. A large flatbed Peterbuilt was seen ascending the hills near Silverton at approximately 2:46:30 AM, a heavy tarpaulin-set neatly tied down to conceal the trailer's contents. Fortunately for the readers of OMI, the truck's slightly loopy driver had ignored the tie-down on one particular corner, thereby allowing the briefest of glimpses as the vehicle snaked up the mountainside.
Of course, no one can be certain, but reports say that the brand name of the well-known manufacturer of television transmitters, Harris, was briefly exposed as the driver attempted to jockey the 48' flatbed around a particularly treacherous switchback. Now, no one is saying precisely what all this means because empty speculation is just that. Still, one must seriously consider the implications.
If the rumors swirling around Salem are even partially grounded in some sort of reality, then big things are brewing. This reporter will keep his eyes open and his ears to the ground. Hope not too much dust is blowing.
What, are you selling stock or something?
You make six posts in 5 days about these "rumors"? You seem to be the only person talking about it.
John Bell
Associate Director of Membership
On-air, on-line and Event
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Privately Held - Publicly Decried
"You make six posts in 5 days about these "rumors"? You seem to be the only person talking about it."
John Bell
Associate Director of Membership
On-air, on-line and Event
Oregon Public Broadcasting
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This is about what one might expect from someone ensconced deep inside the PDX media "elite."
The real question is this: How much money does OPB have socked away in an endowment? We viewers are tortured now about 4 times each year with endless Pledge Drives on the OPB TV side and another 4 or 5 times each year on the Radio side.
In each and every drive, especially those on the TV end, we are forced to watch so-called prominent citizens of PDX as they read insipid copy off a teleprompter, trying to fake sincerity and usually doing a rather boorish job of it.
In every Pledge Break, one or more of the Pitch Persons sets the viewer up with a line in this vein:
"Tonight, we have to reach our goal and we need YOUR help (Pitch person gestures awkwardly toward the camera) to reach that goal. Won't you join us? And if you do, we'll send you a complimentary gift based on how much we can pry from your wallet."
Of course, the stated "goal" is never announced. It is never shown visually. The mysterious goal is always shrouded in darkness because it is a chimera. Then, on the last night of Pledge Drive, the hallowed veterans of OPB are hauled out of the closet and rolled in front of the cameras in an attempt to make the viewer feel some sense of guilt. Mr. Doggett and then Mr. Bass and a litany of other consecrated Old Hands are paraded in front of the audience, which as we all know, skews heavily in the 54 and Up demographic (after all, that's where the easy money is). In spite of the many years of on-camera practice, these patricians of public broadcasting have not yet learned to fake sincerity (a must for success in broadcasting) and are so wooden as to be comparable to a Douglas Fir (thanks to Murphy Brown for that line).
Then, just a few short days after the Pledge Drive has mercifully ended, and there's but a few more days before the next one commences, we see in the local station breaks a pre-recorded message from Station Manager Bass, the tone of which is along the lines of "Thanks." He invariably says something like: "thanks to you (gestures awkwardly to the camera) our viewers, we were able to reach our Pledge Drive Goal."
Again, no mention of what the goal was is ever made. The viewer is left to thinking that they did something good for the community, but what that something is ain't exactly clear. The whole experience smacks of one giant Ponzi scheme, but OPB is a 501C-3 tax exempt organization and, as such, is largely ignored by the Department of Justice.
The questions left unanswered are: How much dough is really piled up in the OPB Endowment Fund?
Does the OPB Board spend the required 5% annually from the fund, or is something else going on?
In the meanwhile, we are left to consider the next round of Pledge Programming, where the PBS stations climb into bed with the Producers who wrangle all the Baby-Boomer Geezer Rock Bands together for "An Exciting Night of Entertainment." I mean, really...how can anyone get excited about a revival of The Byrds. Roger McGuinn is propped up by hidden metal supports. David Crosby has an oxygen tube up his nose and nobody in the band could sing a Middle-C for all the money in the world.
Or, there is the ever-present Dr. Wayne Dyer, the Guru to New Age types everywhere. He proposes a mindless bromide for every trouble we might experience and then, when the Pledge Break comes, he's been magically transported into the OPB studio where he commences hawking like some bad carny operator, wildly pitching books, DVDs and other "essential" materials that will alleviate our daily frustrations.
As to the "rumors" you so peckishly referred to, they are simply that - rumors. I have stated only those rumors that I have become aware of. I have merely repeated the innuendo as it comes my way. I have made no fanciful claims about anything real or imagined. From your angst-filled reaction, I can only conclude that you and others at OPB are concerned that something just might be happening - a seminal occurrence that perhaps threatens the OPB Cash Cow Machine.
Fear not. The Baby-Boomers are yet in their peak earnings years and your on-air drive to swindle seniors into giving their estates to your organization probably has a good dozen years to run. By then you'll have your 401K well-larded up and your worries will be over.
I see you've watched a lot of pledge...
I suppose I should have taken my title off my post as it was a private snark and not OPB related, but I did enjoy reading your summation of our fundraising.
I'll do what I can to burnish our wooden hosts but if you want information about our budget and endowment all the IRS forms are posted on our website at opb.org/insideopb. Our board meetings are open to the public too.
And the goal for our september drive is $600,000. Your contribution in any amount will help us reach that goal so we can continue bringing great concerts like this one to you all year long.
Thanks.
John Bell
Associate Director of Membership
On-air, on-line and Event
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Dear Mr. Bell - On Your Pledge-O-Tainment
Dear Mr. Bell,
Please...do absolutely nothing about the hosting of Pledge Drives. I hold no animosity against OPB or Public Broadcasting. In fact, of all the PDX stations, OPB is doing the best job of making certain that we can all watch the new DTV signal without buying a new set. Thanks to the Digital TV Warning spots OPB runs nearly every station break, I’ve already received a half-dozen of those cute little credit card things that gives me $40 bucks off my converter box purchase. As February 2009 approaches, those babies are going to be selling like hotcakes on E-bay.
No – do not change a thing about what you’re doing. PBS, along with its local affiliates, have provided thousands of viewers with countless scenes of copulating wildlife, hundreds of hours of giggles as Julia Child sing-songs her way through a recipe, and countless replays of Antiques Roadshow from Bismarck, North Dakota. On top of that, PBS was able to make Jim Henson a billionaire and didn’t even bother to negotiate a piece of the action for themselves. Why anyone would attack a broadcast network with this history and lore is beyond me.
Actually, in an earlier phase of this person's life, I had direct experience with Pledge Drive. To reveal the ADI would give away my secret identity, which would spoil what little fun my two readers and I might be experiencing. So, I will remain hidden behind my nom de plume.
That said, I understand the vagaries involved in Public Broadcast operations all too well. I understand that the management always wants a "new look" for the Pledge studio set, but when faced with an actual cash outlay for said improvements, the bookkeepers are nowhere to be found.
The way this auteur survived Pledge was simple: inhale sufficiently between Pledge Breaks so that when it came time to beg, one was sufficiently besotted. That way, I did not have to agonize as the "talent" ad-libbed their way through 10 tedious minutes of repetitious babble. I toiled in a market where the Development Director tripled up as the Sales… ooops… the Director of Underwriting Opportunity person and as a Floor Director during all other Live programming. There was no time to write the gushing copy generated for OPB. Besides, our teleprompter operator couldn't read English and could not be relied on to keep pace with the talent.
The Public Station I functioned in had two or three longtime producers who fell into their jobs as a result of one of the many earlier rounds of layoffs the operation experienced over the years. One day you’re the Audio Person, the next – a Producer. I can recall one day when the Production staff was seated around the lunchroom, killing time, pretending to be brainstorming new ideas for future time slots.
One of the producers tended to focus on Historical documentary work because, as she put it,
"If I can find a picture in a book to use as a visual, I don't have to go out on any location shoots."
Her day was spent largely surfing the Internet, right-clicking on those images she deemed appropriate for her piece. When she thought she'd archived enough photos, she would begin to write her script to fit whatever pictures she'd managed to "borrow." Her stream-of-consciousness technique made for some rather scattered story lines. However, the viewing audience was slow on the uptake. She managed to win a few Local Emmys in spite of her somniferous methods.
Another producer, a young male, charged with creating a weekly half-hour Current Affairs talk show, was chagrined at the languid approach the doc producer used. One day he took me aside and said that he felt the Historical Documentary producer was "phoning it in.” So when it came his turn to speak up at the Production synod he decided that this was the time to clear the air.
In a fit of pique, the Talk Show producer said, in all seriousness,
“I don’t understand why we focus so much on documentaries. After all, history only goes back so far.”
The Production Manager, a 30-year veteran of the station, didn’t blink. In fact, I wasn’t certain he was breathing. Finally, after a moment or two of deafening silence, the PM said, “I hardly think it appropriate to be undercutting one another. It is bad for team morale and doing so runs contrary to the station’s Mission Statement.”
With that, the PM banged the meeting closed and we all went back to whatever it was we weren’t doing before the conclave began.
Meta
John:
We perplexed over this yesterday.
According to the FCC's website, they have been granted a construction permit, although they just appear to be moving the call sign from Eola to Salem.
Maybe they are increasing their signal power?
Ultimately, tho, we at OMI do not have enough spare time and so we figured that we would just let him go until he can no longer stand the tension, and finally explodes the information all over himself...
We at OMI are a little concerned for Dr. Thomspon's possible overuse of adrenochrome, but we trust that he is being cared for by his attorney.
We don't quite understand how to read the FCC docs as well as we might, so here they are for your perusing pleasure:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=KWVT-LP
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=K16HT-D
Bon apetit!
John Bell
Associate Director of Membership
On-air, on-line and Event
Oregon Public Broadcasting
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DISCLAIMER: my opinions are my own, not those of OMI or any employer.
Dr. Thompson
Quote>"We at OMI are a little concerned for Dr. Thomspon's possible overuse of adrenochrome, but we trust that he is being cared for by his attorney."
We should actually be concerned that he is being cared for by his psychiatrist.
Say what you want about Mr. Thompson
But is quite eloquent.
Yawn
After having to get through "Hunter Thompson"'s posts in other threads in order to find worthwhile posts by others, I have come to the conclusion that "Mr. Thompson" really only likes the sound of his/her own voice, or perhaps the sight of his/her own words, and nothing more. A large amount of hot air.
If this site had the capability to ignore, I would do so. (Does it have that capability?)
not yet
But I'll look into it.
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Lynn Siprelle * Fairy Blogmother
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