[BC] Public File cautionary story

[Sid Schweiger]

>>I've had many "wackos" in the
lobby of stations I've worked at.  I don't recall any real wackos
asking to
see the public file...of course I could count on one hand the number
of
public file requests over ten years at one cluster...<<

Let's realize what we're really discussing here, wackos aside.

99.999% of our listeners judge our on-air performance by...well, our
on-air performance.  They can't or won't make the journey to the
station's office to view files they're probably not interested in. 
Lately, the only things the local public file are used for are: 1)
harassment and confiscatory fines by the government, which yells,
screams and sends you a big bill if you have but one piece of paper out
of place or missing, 2) political candidates or their operatives who
want to see what their opponents are doing, or 3) harassment by citizens
with nothing better to do, who desperately need lives.  As we all know,
choice 1 is the primary reason that so much attention must be paid to
these files; choices 2 and 3 hardly ever arise.

As I asked the last time we discussed this here:  Does the time and
effort put into these files equate to a measurable benefit to the
public?  Does the earth collapse on itself if a piece of paper is
missing from a file which no one but government inspectors asks to see? 
Is this really how we want our tax money to be spent, on a form of
official harassment?



Sid Schweiger
IT Manager, Entercom New England
WAAF - WEEI AM/FM - WKAF - WMKK - WRKO - WVEI AM/FM
20 Guest St / 3d Floor
Boston MA  02135-2040
Phone: 617-779-5369
Fax: 617-779-5379
E-Mail: sid at wrko.com