Mr. Bill Kling has been at the helm of this public radio organization since it began on the campus of St. John's University. And what was it the mid-1960s something like that and has guided its growth and development to the point where some observers say it is the best public radio system in the United States. Now, we don't say that we say it's not bad but has a way to go. But anyway that suck the observation of a number of of critics Studios today to take some of your questions about what is going on currently and what is in store for the coming years. It's always nice to have you here like a bob open the phone lines in a couple of minutes, but let me ask you first about a couple of presidential vetoes of public broadcasting funding bills. What happened with that end and is the system getting any money this year if part of the continuing controversy within the federal government about how much should any funding they should provideRepublic broadcasting our bill came up for consideration about 2 months ago. And it was without doing pretty well. It went through with a bipartisan strong support in the Senate and in the house and it called for a president been saying all along that. He's in favor of no growth in government. So that the people in Washington that control These funds were listening to that and they put together but what I thought was pretty good at it. Funding is for 1987. We always run 2 years ahead and the funds for 1984 that had been authorized by the Congress for 220 million dollars for all the public broadcasting public radio public television their proposal for 1987 was 225 million. So it's a 25 million dollar increase bought you got three years in the intervening period of time there and a lot of girl with a lot of additional stations that have come on the air to share those funds. President veto that he thought that was not a good proposal and then some people who care a lot about public broadcasting tried to put together a compromise Bill headed by Barry Goldwater the support of Paul actual and others that very familiar with the president's policies and they came up with a compromise that called for an authorization of 200 million dollars. So now you got it 3 years from now with a actually a decline from 220 million authorized Navy for down to 200 487 but they felt that's what was necessary to get it through. It passed the Senate unanimously it past the house by a vote of 308 280 or something like that again a very strong vote and the president vetoed it a second time. So Despite everyone's best efforts and what we thought was certainly a strong Republican group backing the bill. It has died against at this point. There is no Finding authorized for 1987 again. The planning cycle is required to be 2 years out and we don't know what will happen 4 minutes after 12 noon will open the phone lines for your questions to Minnesota Public Radio President Bill Clinton 2276 thousand for those of you listening in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area, in other parts of Minnesota. The toll-free line is available at one 806-529-7001 800-652-9700 anywhere within Minnesota, and if you're listening to us in one of the surrounding states or in Ontario, you can call us directly in the Twin Cities area code 612-227-6000. What happened Bill weren't the presidents men on Capitol Hill keeping in touch with the White House on that. Well, I don't really know what happened. When you find that the the new chairman of the board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which distribute the funds and it's a Reagan appointee. You want to buy them with Sonia Landau who's in fact in charge of women for Reagan in the campaign as chairman of the cpb said this was a bill. She strongly supported in and asked president personally to to do it would fall accident but who is as close to him? As anybody personally requested that he approve it somewhere in the process. There's somebody who doesn't believe that the funding should be made available certainly at that level. So is his name David Stockman. I don't know I can say that the figures that came out of the office of management and budget we're less than the figures that came out of the car so I could well be that. That's where the problem lies. I assume that in the spring. They'll go back again and try another figure, but I think it's very clear that at this point. The funds for 84 which had been already reduced because of the declines that occurred with the Reagan Administration began are going to continue to go down when there's no no question of a no-growth situation in this particular area of congressional support their there. They're definitely on the decline or at 6 minutes past the are there in the line waiting with questions for Bill Clinton go to our first caller right now high you're on the air in a cloud with a ministration example 70 years ago. July August and September and old world die in the new world was born in the onset of world war one but I didn't hear much about that decision example, you know, it's an interesting point. It's something we talk about here. We we have a fairly good archive obviously doesn't go back that far. But we have a number of audio documentaries things that Admiral and others have done that do Trace back to some of those significant events over the years. We do some of that on the morning program deal kindly and that gym at pool regularly try to go back to this date in history and see what happened in and deal with me short, but I agree that would be interesting to do some some additional documentary things. We're doing a project on Minnesota History and that will start running on Saturdays and Bob. You know what the schedule is on that? No, I don't know what the schedule is it is. I do know that Mark I said is producing that already did one on Minnesota labor history that ran on Labor Day and there are a number of others little beginning will be beginning in a few months. I guess. It's a good point there. So many years ignifica points in history where we have very good information in in in in good the audio material that I think people would enjoy hearing again. We got to pay attention to that. Okay. We'll move on to another listing with the question for Belle Plaine high you're on the air for the future in that type of thing. I think I was a contributor for five or six years and and finally quit pledging because I asked for some reason I became uncomfortable with the fact that you were getting more and more stations and type of thanks, but I think that the your AM stations can a renewed my interest because I like the financial programs in that type of thing. I have a question regarding the network itself. Make your origin was at St. John's College or something. And if I pick up the Wall Street Journal some day and find that ittt is acquired Minnesota Public Radio or something in such an unusual predicament. Who would the proceeds of of perhaps the sale of him? Pyara Crew 2 with the accrued St. John's College or just too unlikely scenario? I can't be purchased because there is no stock to purchase. It's a nonprofit corporation and it is owned by a board of directors, which is listed in the front of Minnesota monthly magazine. The chairman is Conley Brooks Jr. Minneapolis. And if they decided to sell it for some reason which show would be violating the public trust in that it is a sign them there for not likely but if for some reason they did the proceeds by law, I would have to be distributed to a similar nonprofit corporation engaged in similar activities know it was we would probably have to give the funds to a public television for example, or But some other Association but to go back to your question on where we going with it and adding additional stations and things one of your points was well taken the AM station in the Twin Cities, which show was an addition that about the five years ago. Has pleased a lot of people is provided a real a real alternative in terms of types of programming the FM Network which started out originally is one station at St. John's University. And then another in the Twin Cities and has grown from that point up to a level where it's almost a 12 stations. Now, you might ask why are you doing that? Why you keep building those stations at does take more money at does take my membership support. I came back late last night from the dedication of KC RB in Bemidji, which is a hundred thousand watt station that we operate there in association with the Michigan State University funding provided by the blandin foundation to help get that started. It serves an enormous geography. It's not a very tall tower and it goes all the way up to International Falls and over the Iron Range in Des practically updo with the Fargo-Moorhead on the other side. People are very very happy in that part of the state to have our program service. I met with many of them talked with him at the meetings throughout the day and what we have decided to do as good as it this Regional broadcast services to be sure the signal is available to people when they live in the metropolitan area or in in rural areas of the state and they're reacting very well and they are in fact supporting each of those stations has a corporate goal of meeting its own expenses from its own listeners. And that is in fact the current time. He's been a very positive expansion right there a couple of other news stations coming on in South Central Minnesota Saint Peter and also in Sioux Falls. Yes, we have three coming undone by one they bunched up on us because we ran into a lot of regulatory problems, but they are the under construction right at this time is a new station that'll serve the entire south central part of the state from Mankato st. Peter. Association with Gustavus Adolphus College that'll cover all of the middle ground in the state that doesn't receive a good signal. Another is going to be built in the spring with funds raised on the Iron Range very successful Levi up a strong group of supporters there that wants better service that will be in the Hibbing Virginia area and 1/3 in Sioux Falls where we've always had signal from r a k r s w but it's never been very good. And again people in that Community have raised the money to increase the strength of the signal so they get a better a better quality signal. Okay. Another listener has a question for a bill. Go ahead. You're on the air. Thank you for your comments on the state because I'm calling from Alexandria Garfield date that we certainly enjoy the work of Minnesota Public Radio Southwest. Signal down in the valley there. You have a definite if the weather stays with us this fall that station would be operational by about the 1st of December. We have the equipment. Is there the building is there the tower is I know what state it's in today, but it may well be starting up. So now the crew is working on it and I would do if I were you I would Target at 4 about December one beautiful day like this. They should be full speed and down there. I hope so. Alright thought 13 14 minutes past now my listeners waiting and Oakland listening. Go ahead, please one of the reasons that I'm against Public Funding of it is because they Editorial policy apparently have the public radio does not follow the majority of people. For example, it's any scientific presentation that I've heard on it has been purely atheistic. Evolution is its prime goal apparently which has been completely disproven scientifically and some 80% of the people of this country have indicated that they would like to see balance treatment of evolution and Creation in our schools. And certainly I think that's appropriate in our public whenever we fund things publicly that we should care to both the theistic view as well as be a theistic view. All right, Bill. Do you want to make an observation on listen General? Well, I think that could be quite a long discussion. I think that R programming covers the broad spectrum of interest and issues and if you listen to it carefully, I think you'll see and hear every viewpoint on this station. Certainly. That's our attention. He did raise a question with regard to Public Funding that reminded me when I was talking about the federal support that'll support constitutes about 12 or so percent of the funding that comes into Minnesota Public Radio. So it's it's a significant portion of our sport but it's not a it's not a certainty that the major part of our support in any way and the other element that is funding from the state from the state of Minnesota. There's often confusion about that. The state legislature does on a consistent basis appropriate money for public radio. However, none of the Minnesota Public Radio Stations secant or accepted do to a board policy that feels that the funds from the state. Because of the amount of news coverage and and the closeness of the legislature to this programmatic organization, that's why is not to seek those funds. So while they are there and Isom spent on a variety of projects, they are not spend time on Minnesota Public Radio at 12% Federal funding is down quite a bit as middle since the beginning in the beginning. It was as much as 30 30 to 33% Alright, here's another question for you make a comment about the Allstate stations. I listen to NPR. College billing travel around quite a bit all over the country. Really Minnesota Public Radio very very high as compared with the other stations and Prairie Home Companion, when I pick it up on the east coast is kind of like a feel like I'm back home good feeling out there. Comment earlier about Allstate station. So I think there's a lot of space to hear in the end. I feel the same way you do when I'm off in some other part of the country and pick up st. Paul Sunday morning or Prairie Home Companion or something else. It's occurring live here in St. Paul. It's it's it's awfully nice to run to hear that into to be tied back to this community with public radio Bill Clinton president of Minnesota Public Radio is in the studios today taking your questions about public broadcasting in general and what you hear on Minnesota Public Radio, specifically, the phone number for those of you listening in the Twin Cities is 2276 thousand in other parts of Minnesota. The toll-free line is one 800-652-9700. The lines are quite busy as they always are but if you get a busy signal don't give up in despair keep trying in. You may very well get on with your question. Just as our next caller has go ahead please your next much. And another thing I wanted to ask you if they notice it quite a few of the network programs indicate. They're coming from the Americans broadcasting Urban American public radio, and I'm wondering is that a branch of National Public Radio? No, an interesting question, there's an article in this week's Time Magazine as a matter fact that describes it fairly well, but we were pleased to see American public radio was founded by five major public radio stations in the country. Minnesota Public Radio was one of the five New York Los Angeles Boston in Cincinnati with the others. It's an independent Corporation designed to do distribute acquire produce create programming that we think Outta be heard on public radio stations and it has 278 Affiliates around the country which take him increasingly a larger and larger amounts of programming from as matter fact it is now The largest distributor public radio programming in the country. It is exceeded National Public Radio in terms of the amount of programming that it distributes its headquarters is here in St. Paul in the north central life building. I'm a member of the board of American public radio and 10 Dayton who is well-known Twin Cities person is the chairman of the board. 20 minutes past 12 noon another collar with a question go ahead your end-of-year. That's not the right kind of person that all the basic foundational fact that public Airwaves are public property rather than public Airways are entrepreneurial domain leaving the market open to whatever stuff we feel like pumping out there. It seems to me that the Canadian model goes a little further down the road in terms of operations like CBC and BBC question written where you're dealing with the Large almost too hard sometimes bureaucratic operations that are doing the public broadcasting. program to go to the marketplace to the side That's why I would drive up your favor of more of a collectivist kind of mentality about looking at public Airwaves being public property. When was an interesting discussion. I didn't mean to try to about the by the way not to being a member, but I will tell you that starting November 10th that you'll have every opportunity you mention to CBC the CBC receives about eight hundred million dollars from the Canadian government to support its public radio and television operations as a as compared with the about 172 million this year in this country for a poor a larger population. As far as the public Airwaves belonging to the public that debate has come up periodically and it just doesn't get anywhere in the Congress or at the FCC. The theory seems to be that United States has the most successful commercial broadcasting system in the country. It's a serves many many people very well in a way that seems to be very popular in the Congress is just not about to change that at this point that doesn't mean to say there aren't a lot of critics of what could be or should be done. In addition to what is being done commercially. How about they don't seem to want to get involved in in changing it the public radio channels the public television channels in the other hand are reserved specifically for public service. Nobody can make a profit on those. They must put any funds that they have back into the operation of those channels into the programming of those channels and so in a way at least there are some Channel set aside in this country for the the public trust that you refer to. 23 minutes past 12 another caller has a question for Bill Clinton. Go ahead and you're on the air. Enjoyed it very much and I was quite disappointed coming back from summer vacation to find out that they had taken to Mad fool and they'll kindly off the air for the morning program. And then I read in the October issue that they were to be put back on the air. However, we are not getting them at all. What we are getting is the Morning Edition and then a repeat of another hour of that Morning Edition again, and I really miss them. They're just they're so unique and Is this a program like one of the favorites that we were in our able to listen to us on NPR and I'm wondering why we're not able to get them anymore. Well, I'll answer that turned into pieces. First of all the original decision to to basically cancel that program occurred here after a lot of analysis of audience research data. Some of the press reports indicated. We didn't have any. Of those were incorrect. We do have regular rating services from the American Research Bureau. And the audiences that were declining my day was not growing. It wasn't terribly large. It wasn't going anywhere at all. We were getting very little response other than that data from the audience for that program. And finally we came to the conclusion that we must not be doing as well as we should be we have to try something else. We announced the decision as you would probably have read we had an enormous response the largest I have ever seen that many times larger than anything I've ever seen here over a thousand letters and phone calls and it became very clear that people very much value that program service that clearly whatever data we had was not accurate and that we should change the decision which we did. Each of our stations around the region has the ability to make local decisions as they see the needs of their communities, you're listening to krsw out of Worthington that station is managed by Lee Axel and his decision was that for the area that he was serving the news program was a higher priority then they'll lend and the gym in the morning program. You should certainly let Lee know your opinion about it. He may find that that his analysis is not a correct one or he may not but it's important for him to know what you think. I can tell you that the program is on the air it is available and it's a decision that could be changed if we chose to I don't suppose we want to give least home telephone number already are dually let's not do that and it by the way that is not a decision. That is solely His he does have a regional Advisory board that he works with and they come join me to those conclusions. Okay on that note. Move on to her next listener. Go ahead. You're on the air. Minneapolis and I was pleased to see that in November. You're focusing on 20th century English composers. It's a refreshing change. I've become increasingly impatient the last couple of years over the programming especially the imported to concerts from Boston to Chicago seems like the same three concerti in the same threes and face seem to have time to programs and the only time there's anything really interesting is between midnight and 5 when normally I'm sleeping. I was wondering if something can't be done to a little bit more of the nine War Horse type of programming. Thank you. Well, we'll take that too, along with a lot of others like yours you your charter member. So you've undoubtedly filled out that annual membership comment section on your on your renewal envelope many many times. I would guess we do tally those we have a list of exactly what people like and don't like and that does go into the philosophy of how we program here. So keep letting us know what you want to hear and if you are not a lone voice in the wilderness on it, we will try to be responsive to that. You mentioned midnight to 5 a.m. By the way, which is our hands and music through the night program during the week. And one of the interesting things about that is it that has become a national program just recently. It's another series that American public radio delivers and Arch can be heard in Atlanta and Seattle and Los Angeles and different cities around the country now. As he talks to us through the night and he maintains his location here in st. Paul of course, but that's kind of interesting to know that if you are traveling around the country, you don't have to be too far away from him. No matter where you are something else to connect Travelers with Minnesota, even as they travel symbols a long night Journeys around 29 minutes past. Here's another listen to the question how you're on the phone last night and I certainly judging from the crowd that was there an overwhelming number of people who want to listen to the issues that public broadcast Weatherby TV or radio addresses. It was well, I couldn't believe it. There are a lot of people out there who needs a public broadcast and for a government not to recognize the need in terms of funding to me is it's just terrible. But I'm not sad and I'm not regretting. I think it's just terrible. Okay. Now I'm going to get to my question. Do you think well, one of those things about public radio is CBC? I think they they are far more direct far more challenging then I find a American journalist to be at a comment. The question is do you think that this World Trade Center that is about to be born in St. Paul? What kind of raise the sites of public broadcast to the point where they will deal in depth with more international issues? I'm not sure their World Trade Center will though it certainly going to be across the street from us. Reminding is constantly of world issues. It also will ultimately be the office location for American public radio in when the when the World Trade Center is completed and has become an underwriter we're delighted to say that the Oxford properties in the World Trade Center are underwriting some of our national programs which again will remind us to get back to your point about the CBC which is a good one. The reason that we bring in the news programs from the CBC with your Herd on the AM station here in the Twin Cities and are distributed nationally to a number of other public radio stations is that we agree that they're very direct in that they have a a mirror on the US and its role in the world that you don't hear from American bass media. You'll often find it's not necessarily the fault of American based media. It's often times the fault of those who who they are interviewing people simply won't tell us it's not polite. I guess to tell a What they really think and you often hear our neighbors and and and other leaders around the world telling the CBC in the BBC. What they really think about the actions were taking in the world. I noticed this morning that as it happens, which is carried on ksjn a.m. And is a CBC Nightly News Magazine and which we then transmit nationally is rising in the ratings in Washington DC. It's carried at 11 at night there. We carry it at what time is it on its 6:30 here in the in the Twin Cities They carried as late as 11:00 and their ratings are skyrocketing on it because people are very much interested in that direct approach that they take and in that worldview. I can tell you another interesting thing is coming along and we mentioned several times American public radio. They are negotiating along with Minnesota Public Radio with the BBC to bring in the BBC World Service by satellite so that we can have access to the hourly newscast. Should we want them or the other special reports that BBC does and I think by Spring we may have that completed the BBC has agreed. It's not just a matter of doing it technically. And again, I think we're going to find for instance on the assassination of Indira Gandhi. The BBC's coverage of that was spectacular. We we we carried a little bit of it that we had that satellite service. We would have carried more and there are times when when that becomes a very interesting and useful analytic news tool. So along answer I guess to your question, but those are two Services we do provide that we care a lot about Weirdest news are waiting with questions for a Bill Clinton. President, Minnesota Public Radio with us today during the noon hour and your next go ahead, please. Join several years ago when our programming here with solid musical programming and little by little they keep adding more news and public interest programs in Rochester. I wonder what would be the feasibility of extending the AM stations Rochester to carry that programming so we could go back to the same program and gets kissed and carry. Well, that's one of the issues that the board of Minnesota Public Radio is looking at we have a planning committee and through the year that planning committee has its objective to take a look at whether the news and information services that exist in the Twin Cities could or should in some way be extended throughout the rest of the state. We have a strong interest in that from the regional board in the same Cloud Collegeville area. We have an interest in it in the Moorhead area and also in Duluth, we don't know that it can be done it goes back to one of the very early questions of how large are you going to make? The system that we don't know that that it should be done but if enough people wanted and if the funds are available in those communities to to create and support it certainly wouldn't want to stand in the way of extending that service and then you are absolutely right that the distinctions could be drawn more clearly with the FM being more tuned more of the time to arts and performance music programming and the 2nd Channel being a tied to more definitely to a news and information and and all of the new things the BBC in the CBC in the business time news program that we do daily on the AM station and some of the some of the FM stations around the state. Do you suspect there that technology make it possible to bring this kind of programming to people without going to the expense of putting up a tower and a transmitter know that I'm thinking of satellite transmission cable. That's where the deal where are our main FM service. is going to go to satellite transmission on a think it's December 1st that is being a covered by the revenues that come in from the all-night service that are Hayden is is putting on basically by disseminating that Nationwide we bring in enough money to cover the costs of sending rfm Network. I would be a satellite so it is there and it could come down on cable systems for instance in any computer. That doesn't get a good signal the a.m. Service the new service could do the same thing. And one of the questions were looking at is should you have transmitters or should you try to just simply bring it in so that those people who really wanted could have access to it by hooking their radio up to their cable television system for example, and there are some other options in between those two, but that it's a it's a difficult. Analysis because there are so many options and we're waiting through it. All right. Another listener is on the line waiting patiently to get on go ahead you're on the air now. Casting and due to be finished up next spring and I'm really interested in working in some capacity for that one of the national public radio Affiliates, especially in this region, and I didn't know that you were opening two others besides some. Krsd. I just wanted to see while his field positions their house Staffing is done and what are you could give me some information either on the air or just maybe an address where I could write about John how to apply to any station that might need more staff. Well, I would then I guess the quickest advice I could give you is to the right to any of the local managers Lee asked all it cares W is in charge of the Sioux Falls station, Claudia Daily Kos in Rochester is overseeing the development of the Mankato st. Peter station and John Gatto who works with her is actually going to manage that station Nick daily in Duluth. Is overseeing the development of The Hitting Virginia station? So those would be the the individuals to contact. What's your feeling about the prospects for this young person going into public broadcasting or broadcasting in general? Why you got to start the same old problem you get out of school. You got to start someplace. You don't usually step into the the top level positions depends on the individual Talent. It is true that those stations are opening opening. They're going to be very thinly staffed in the early days because we do have the policy that they cannot grow faster than the support for them in their communities grows, but they have to have some staff in order to the basic function carried out. There isn't a long tradition of career solid careers in public broadcasting in the country because it's so new it's only about 15 years since it started to really grow and develop and as a result, it has more opportunities. Then a lot of other Industries if we were the BBC, we would have offices filled with resumes and every position would have 39 people who were directly. We're waiting to move into that position not true in this country. That's not to say that then that we should get five thousand resumes on Monday for jobs because the fact there aren't aren't standing in positions open at this point, but they do open up periodically and I think it's a little easier to break into this industry that it is to some. Okay another color with a question for Bill Kling how you're on the air? I have a question concerning the problems you're having with the present Administration getting funding and what not. And it seems to me I listen to NPR all my life. My parents are members and it's always seemed to me that if anything public radio had a politically call a liberal bent or a liberal angle. If anything bad and given that you're having problems with the present Administration weather of specific Focus, whether adding programming to existing stations establishing new stations with a more politically conservative posture wood would help in any way to balance in the Public's mind the programming that's coming out of public radio and if it's possible does MPR or or a public radio in general have a specific resolution not to try end. And not to to be a conservative or liberal and in their political views against something that I will admit. I've certainly heard in the last report we have here on member comments. We had about 250 people who commented and of those 250 16 people said that they thought all things considered was too liberal. We had three people who thought it was that the news in general was too conservative. So excited take that as a balance the more who think one way than the other but not a lot of people commented on it. We have found that some of the other news programs that were beginning to add monitor radio for example, which is produced by the Christian Science monitor. There is some absolutely straight. I think they have a long tradition of journalistic excellence and their approach to the news is Is simply transparent they have no leanings Left Right Center or anywhere else. They simply report as best. They can report news and issues. I would like to think that that that is the case with all of our new sources and we constantly talk to the National Public Radio because I do so much news to be sure that they that they are maintaining a an unbiased Viewpoint one of the things we've discovered in talking to people who make that comment is it when we cover an issue about which they disagree because we cover it at length we covered for maybe five or six or seven minutes as opposed to a commercial radio station that covers it in 10 seconds. You get matter while you listen not because it's not be covered fairly but because you disagree with it. That seems to get people thinking that we are biased in one way or another. In fact, we cover other issues which might have a totally different than you might degree the same individual might agree completely with that one for 5 or 6 minutes. And then another group of people feels that we are biased in One Direction or another so I think that well Every effort is maintained here. And certainly we believe it is is maintaining our local news coverage that we are we are totally unbiased. I would hope and we watch that very very carefully. It does seem to be that the length of what we produce can often cause people to feel that we're biased in one way or another on the other hand. I will admit that. I'm sure there is some advice on both sides that Creeps in when you're doing 4 and 1/2 to 5 hours and news a day, but we we expect it to overtime that does balance itself out and we are adding programs from other sources like Christian Science monitor for example to be sure that we Seems to me when you have more people providing news and more sources producing it that any single bias is going to be decreased and I hope that's happening here. Let me follow up on that was a slightly different angle. I think it was the Federal Communications Commission or some agency which lifted the prohibition against public broadcaster's doing editorials. What will NPR do about that? Are you going to come in and sit down to another toriel everyday or know, we could the law now allows it. We've not raised it really within I think that's a board question to start with sister whether this organization should become involved in editorializing. I have not been in favor of it. I don't think that we that we should be taking those positions others will say that we are one of the strongest news organizations one of the best informed news organizations in this part of the region. We should do the analysis and make a comment on on issues of the day for people who haven't got time to Do that analysis themselves. You make the argument both ways. But at this point there is no plan to begin editorializing. Okay, another question for Bill Klein in about 17 minutes before 1 or on the air. Yeah, I agree with that last statement there, but the best news information on any station. I have heard. I'm a longtime subscribe of Rochester in this has to do with fiscal policy when I skip bailed out of any of St. Paul's send my membership dues in the Saint Paul. Am I how does kllc do they get a feedback on that? Should I be sending my money to a k i want to see yours continue to send St. Paul? I don't want to overlook our local station here which way you send it against credited to Kayla see if your address is picked up by the computer. It knows the zip codes and it automatically credit to your membership to the support of the station that serves your your area. quickly move on to another listening to the question how you're on the Air National Public Radio is the is the calmness of the broadcaster's they all seem to have not the rush maybe in the commercial station. I really appreciate that my question concerns amateur radio drama, and I really enjoy it and I'm just to fold question. I would like to know when I can hear more on national public radio or on Minnesota Public Radio. And do you have any plans for doing more in that area? Also one other thing I'm interested in forming a National Arena amateur radio drama organization in St. Paul, and I'd like to leave my phone number if that's possible. Well, I will get the truth out of the week and take your phone number in the control room question on radio drama. There isn't much of it. It's fairly expensive to produce. It is not drawn large audiences so far though, some of the very sophisticated things like the Star Wars the radio series do a lot of people seem to enjoy it neither National Public Radio nor American public radio at this point have any plans on the drawing board to do it though, they both look at it periodically and it will just add your comment to those that are coming in today about what you like and don't like and keep in mind. Okay. Another color is waiting with a question for Minnesota Public Radio President Bill Clinton High. Go ahead please it was a question about how When American public radio was formed it seemed to be used as know what happened was apparently that you used to Prairie Home Companion as a sort of a lever to sell a package of programming which number of stations within forced to accept just in order to get the Prairie Home Companion show. Although they couldn't afford the whole package and didn't actually wanted and I read this in a new story and I never got around to following up on it and it Disturbed me quite a bit because it seems like what the Prairie Home Companion offers is something that people care about you a great deal and it shouldn't be exploited like that to run a new service good to good question and I don't blame you for thinking it because I think I know the news report that you read and it was just wholly inaccurate it sounded as if people were being forced to take programs that they didn't want which was never the case A Prairie Home Companion and the number of other programs that the five major chord. Cheddar's produced cost money to distribute you you can't simply put them on as National programs without having staff people to deal with the questions that stations have with the satellite time for transmission with the promotional materials they want and we found that we were each spending listeners contributed money in order to just to facilitate this National Distribution. So we Consolidated it all into American public radio. And then we said to the station's this isn't our expense. It should be yours, since you are the ones who are benefiting from these programs being made available by us for you there for there will be a modest fee. Which Time Magazine this week calls a minuscule. I think is there. Where is there a word about anything at that time was about $800 per station? Annually to cover the administrative cost of Distributing those programs. There were some who thought that was unfair. However, they very quickly change their mind. They're now getting as I mentioned earlier more programming from American public radio that any other source and they're using it the average station increased its usage from about 50% of the offerings last year to a close to 80% this year. So, I think the the Judgment was a correct one on our part and we're now beginning to see the Press coming around to correct some of those earlier I miss statements are most of the programs that are offered by American public radio carried on Minnesota Public Radio most but not all many of the Welding it miserable green Christmas. So diverse many of the program too carried on our AM station here in the news programs that are not carried on some of our FM stations, but by and large, we we carry most of them. Okay, it's 11 minutes before 1 and here's our next listener. Go ahead, please. Chronic crusade to get a better balance between your concern and your liberal views refer you to the spring issue a policy review by Benjamin heart from that foundation on exactly the thing I complained about for so long that you use every opportunity. You can to Club the Reagan program the conservatives Republicans. I don't want hundred percent of your time. I love to see it contrasted with the other side and I'd like to give you an example of what I mean. Not what are broadcast this I heard recently in Indonesia first presidential debate broadcast anything about the fact that Mondale lied when he got his best point answering the president on there you go again, it took human events the conservative paper to have the headline the conversation. What's that? He quoted they quoted in the surrounding thing on this their front page New York Times exactly what that conversation was. Excuse me. I'm not going to cut you off, but I will ask you to State your question. Succinctly. We only cut people off will begin to make Ron statements instead of asking 16 questions. Toriel that accompanies what they say, they are attitudes and it has two people on the conservative side, which is purely subjective on their part. And I think is there possibility of getting a better distribution in all straight through your station nationally and locally, okay with conservative Viewpoint or sensitive to this because no liberal is ever going to be sensitive to it and just by having somebody say we got so many liberals and so many conservatives voting on program is not going to do any more that does not answer the question of how are you more sensitive the only control that we really can have here because he's our national issues Minnesota Public Radio did not cover the Reagan Mondale debate itself. It had to draw on other media organizations that covered the debate. What we have done is tried to diversify the sources of news that come to Minnesota Public Radio. We've done that by adding an enormous amount of news coverage from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation news certainly can't be accused of having any particular United States biased one side of the other they see us as they see us monitor radios. I mentioned before a new source consistent program service that is editorially developed and judged by a different group of people National Public Radio standing on its own. All of these sources come together in are presented in at 6 this afternoon on ksjn am you can listen to an hour or William F Buckley who certainly is a non-conservative giving his views and he may in fact that at some point have mentioned to the point that you make about the mister model. I don't know but all we can do is try to bring you in as many viewpoints from noted and respected. News authorities responsible and we certainly have done that. We created monitor radio Minnesota Public Radio staff was involved in the development of that program Nick Nash in particular was the one who brought back to radio. We personally I personally went to CBC in Canada to be sure that that resource could be brought to us in this country. So I think that whatever you're concerned about it, we certainly have done everything and are doing everything we can to see that you're getting diverse viewpoints and if you listen to us thoroughly through the week, I believe you'll find a very clear balance in our newest programming 7 minutes before we have time for number of other listeners with questions for Bill Kling and will take you next to Hadley's. I'm going to leave you with a very up and positive positions people. I know from Minnesota who have moved away to North Carolina, California, Ohio and in Illinois have just been Show thrilled with the program Minnesota Orchestra and Garrison Keillor Prairie Home Companion and I get letters from all over from friends and relatives. That's so good to hear that dinner. I hear the old Hometown and I want to thank you for all you've done for all the years. I've been a member for a long time and just keep it up because we get all kinds of use. I don't know where this woman is listening. She must be in a closet someplace because you get all kinds of diverse views of everything on your national public radio and the Canadian broadcaster marvelous. So keep it up. We need you and lots of love. Thanks very much and I really hope that is true. I believe that that that is true that you're getting just so many viewpoints, but you got to listen to the mall. Okay. Here's another color with a question. Go ahead. You're on the air. And I wanted first of all to thank you for the excellent Network system that you set up. It's it's very unique when the Minnesota monthly came out to summer. I notice to put a map of where all the station for NPR throughout the country and in traveling I discovered that this is more precious commodity that I realized. How did you manage to set up a system? That is so strong. So unify the throughout the state where other states in this country and not necessarily ones that are terribly rule but some with lots of big cities have not managed to pull it all together and make a unified that up so that you can go virtually any place in the states the continuity that we got through NPR. Well, I gave a speech on that yesterday. So I'm all prepared and when we dedicated the Bemidji station and I'll give it very quickly right now, which is that the most important initial decision was made by st. John's University when they decided they couldn't afford to to run the stage. At the level that it should be run they believed in the highest quality and you felt that they didn't have the resources because they had another purpose to see that that happened. So they were they did a very unusual thing. They took the entire investment that they had made in the station there and in the station in the Twin Cities and gave it to a community board of directors and said you take it as far as you can take it. We then found that the people who served on that initial board who were excellent board members came across what has become known throughout the country is the generosity of the Minnesota corporate foundation and the end and communities people simply put up the funds to see that this could be developed. So we had a combination of an intelligent institution in the beginning making a generous decision a good staff a very strong board and generosity from all parts of the sector that gave us another one of the things that Minnesota seems to have done better than just about anybody else. You about three minutes left him for a few more questions will take you next go ahead. Please bill is listening. Is now the same Paul is finally of being wired. How will cable TV be different because NPR is involved in the management of it and also is there yet? An opportunity for significantly greater Fidelity by transmitting NPR over cable perhaps in a digital form of some sort of that's something that's in the future and I'll find another area on the high power stations on the IDS Tower is that now it says is the abuse of the airwaves at the expense of quality signals. Now a Dead Issue quickly try to answer all three of those IDs the lawsuits continually Federal Communications Commission is continuing to hold everybody at the half power while they try to sort through just what is causing that problem. We find from our listeners that it is still even a half power causing a lot of interference. It is not dead and we still hope for resolution of that a digital transmission of our audio programming cable digital something we're very interested in we're playing a lot of compact discs, which I'm sure you know are digitally encoded provided quality. Music you don't hear otherwise, we're looking at it. We hope maybe something like that can be developed either through cable or through a couple of other Technologies were examining cable television. How will it be different? The system is starting to be built now and it will be up in some people connected in the spring. We are the members of the executive committee of the board of Continental Cablevision of Saint Paul. We review consistently and regularly what they're going to be doing local programming and in technical parameters and quality and cetera and I think that we will exert the same influences there that that we do elsewhere I can tell you that they want to do it right. It's a good company. It's a professional company and it's not a matter of our having to a push very hard because their objectives and ours are similar and we find that we are of good Associates to work together. Well get out the shoe horn and packing one more question. Very very briefly, please your question. Go ahead. quickly I'm glad you asked the world theater is if you were to go by to find it that has been gutted that is to say we've torn out all of plaster that was falling on people. It is in its final stages of redesign by The Architects to restore it. We are just beginning the campaign to raise money for it will be used by A Prairie Home Companion and buy a wide variety performance groups around this region that expressed an interest in a good thousand seat theater and a if the money comes in we will be back in it by about the mid September of next year and we sure hope that goes on schedule. Well bill at that. We have run out of time. Thank you very much for coming in and visiting with listeners today welcomed Bill Clinton president of Minnesota Public Radio. Thanks to engineer. Dave sleep n Dorothy Hanford weekend is made possible by economics laboratory products and services for household institutional and Industrial Cleaning worldwide. This is Bob Potter. Look at the news coming up next and then Mark I said we back with more weekend in the Twin Cities. It'll be variably cloudy and windy this afternoon shower is possible. The high will be in the middle 50s tonight is 30% chance of showers windy and cold air is the forecast for tomorrow. This is ksjn in Minneapolis and st. Paul.