Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Dissertations Graduate College 6-1999 “All Things Considered”: A Comparative Case Study Examining the Commercial Presence within Public Radio Peter P. Nieckarz III Western Michigan University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations Part of the Radio Commons, and the Sociology of Culture Commons Recommended Citation Nieckarz, Peter P. III, "“All Things Considered”: A Comparative Case Study Examining the Commercial Presence within Public Radio" (1999). Dissertations. 1523. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/1523 This Dissertation-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. “ALL THINGS CONSIDERED”: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY EXAMINING THE COMMERCIAL PRESENCE WITHIN PUBLIC RADIO by Peter P. Nieckarz EH A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Sociology Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan June 1999 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. “ALL THINGS CONSIDERED”: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY EXAMINING THE COMMERCIAL PRESENCE WITHIN PUBLIC RADIO Peter P. Nieckarz III, Ph.D. Western Michigan University, 1999 This dissertation addresses the commercial presence within public radio. A case study of three NPR affiliate stations was conducted to determine to what extent public radio is being influenced or compromised by increased commercial rationality. It also addresses how they have been able to resist commercialism and remain true to the original ideals of public radio. The research included active interviews, observations, and document analyses of data collected from field research at each of the three stations in the sample. Analysis of the data indicates that public radio stations have grown more commercial due to declining tax-based subsidies, and increased dependence on “listener sensitive income” which is the combination of business underwriting and individual listener donations. Dependence on these revenue sources has caused stations to make programming decisions that are quite similar to those made by commercial stations. It is suggested that the course of public radio over time is largely an indicator of larger cultural and economic trends that commercialize more and more cultural elements previously able to exist on much less economic or non-commercial terms. It is suggested that in comparison to these Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. societal trends, public radio is still able to provide a significant alternative to the commercial radio market, but the continued existence of that alternative may be threatened. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. Bell & Howell Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DM! Number: 9935410 UMI Microform 9935410 Copyright 1999, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © 1999 Peter P. Nieckarz HI Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of this dissertation marks both an arrival and a departure in my life. Over the years, I have come in contact with people who I feel had a significant impact on my growth as a scholar, which ultimately contributed to the completion of this work. I would like to recognize those individuals. First and foremost, I would like to thank Catherine Flourre. Her love, friendship, and support over the last nine years were essential to the completion of this dissertation. We have shared many adventures and keep each other’s secrets. I look upon my time with her with fondness, and I cannot imagine life without her. She is a hard worker, a caring woman, and a fine radiologic technician. Cath is my best friend. I would also like to recognize my parents: Frances and Peter Nieckarz. They have gone above and beyond the call of duty as parents and I could never repay them. Thank you Ma and Dad. The people who made the most direct contribution to this dissertation’s completion were those in the public radio community itself. Their help and participation was essential. Their openness and friendliness was so comforting that I never felt out of place while visiting those stations. Not only did they provide me with “data”, their programming often kept my sanity while working on this dissertation. I hope they find this work useful in some way. I only wish I could ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgements-Continued mention their names, but ethical standards prevent it. I’m sure they know who they are. As a Ph.D. student at Western Michigan University, I came to know professors whom I respect a great deal. Luckily enough, I am honored to have them serve on my committee. If I become half the scholar they are, I should be proud. Gerald Markle, my chair and mentor. Vyacheslav Karpov and Paula Brush: Though new to the department, they are true assets, and WMU should consider itself lucky. At a time when they did not know me very well, they engaged me and supported me. Finally, I would like to thank Lewis Carlson, A great “lefty” and an historian with a. genuine appreciation for public broadcasting. I had only come to discover in the course of my field research his first-hand experience with public radio. Others in the academic community have also supported and inspired me. They should not be overlooked. Robert Wait, a man dedicated to knowledge. Bob took the time to personally guide some of my studies, and studied along with me. Bob’s intellectual influence is reflected in this work. Many others at Western have also helped: Lewis Walker, Pat Martin, Karen Rice, David Hartman, and Jim Peterson. I would also like to thank Steven Buechler, and Karen Purrington at Minnesota State University-Mankato, and Leslie and Gerald Dobbertin at Lake Superior State University. These people have helped me along the way, and were very kind in the process. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgements-Continued I also have been fortunate enough to develop friendships, for which I am grateful. These people have spent time with me, and/or shared drinks with me, while we had conversations that had a direct influence on this dissertation. Some I am still in contact with, others I am not, but I have not overlooked their contributions. “The Inner Sanctum”: Michael Pruner, Ronald Wonsack, Jr., and Matthew Sheptoski. The Big Daddy Syndicate: John and Stephen Nieckarz. Mary and Elizabeth Nieckarz, John Willis McConnell III, Paul Prew, Phil Elbert, Shandon Halland, Dorothy DeBoer, Pamela LaBelle, and Lee Freedman. Thanks to all. I also would like to thank Ellen Everett-Massetti and Michelle Aheam of the St. John’s Romeo Plank Diagnostic Center for assistance in formatting this manuscript. Peter P. Nieckarz in iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................... ii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 1 The Case of Public Radio...........................................................................