A letter denigrating efforts to establish an FM radio station in Malibu is puzzling to say the least. The letter says that the people involved in the project “have little or no experience in the radio industry,” “are wishing on a star” and will “be faced by overwhelming challenges.” It also suggests that Malibu does not need the station.
It is expected that the station will carry programming from Los Angeles area NPR affiliates (KCRW and KPPC), as well as KPFK and KUSC (classical music), which cannot be heard throughout Malibu now. It will also carry local news and programming, and it will be commercial-free. There is a listenership for such programming in Malibu.
The station will be a valuable asset for our community. The people working on the project, Hanz Laetz and his colleagues, are investing substantial time, effort and money with scant likelihood of reward. They should be encouraged, not criticized. To mix metaphors, it is baffling that people would rain on the parade before it starts and write an obituary before conception.
Adele and Hank Pollard