story by: Tamara Lee photo: Veronica Falls
Perhaps you are a fan of public radio and are thinking ” because they play independent music….obviously!” Or perhaps you aren’t a fan and think “Phhssshhh, the just play music for seniors, lefty weirdos, and world music fans.” And maybe you’ve been following debates over the last year about government funding and wondered what all the fuss is about…. Well, fan or not, NPR matters on a much deeper level; a proverbial spoke in the wheel of independent music industry’s success. Why? Because NPR is owned by you. Literally.
Now if you are thinking, “Gadzooks! I’m gonna make a program of my favorite CD collection right now!” you better hold your horses. But have you ever considered why your local public or college radio plays interesting and rare music when other stations are 
bringing you the same repeating pop giants? If you think it’s because they have weirdos or hipsters at the helm of programming, it’s possible that’s true… but it’s less about the people doing the programming and more about who’s buying it.
Lets deconstruct what a commercial media is exactly vs. public media. For starters, I’m sure you know that public broadcasting doesn’t have commercials, but this is bigger then that. Any type of commercial media, (including radio, TV and print), gets its lion’s share of income selling these commercial spots to corporations. If a commercial station relies on a business to exist, then how much influence do you suppose those businesses have on how things go? Of course, ratings are a factor and we as the public can always decide to listen or not. But if I’m making a million dollar investment to advertise my product, then I want to make sure I get the most bang for my buck, wouldn’t you? So I am probably putting my money on the safest horse brought by the best trainer, ridden by the best jockey… a band; a big label; and played in a Pavlov’s Dog fashion- top 10 hits, on the hour! Not to go overboard here; things are not quite as dyer as a Taco Bell owned dystopia, as sci-fi movie Demolition Man would suggest… just yet. 
Especially since the public still directly owns some media options. With 39% of it’s funding coming directly from the people, NPR basically has to play what you say or you won’t pay. In essence, public broadcasting is the voice of the people. Feels pretty democratic to me…
For independent artists, the days of needing record labels and large corporate backing are starting to fade away. There are more options for creativity and every one of Justin’s Belieber’s knows You Tube is an option. Technology has made self recording more accessible and D.I.Y. tours are more common. And public radio remains approachable with avenues like All Songs Considered. Artists don’t wait to be signed; they take a more proactive approach with their work. As the power returns to the people, these are exciting times for the independent music world indeed!