Fraters Libertas

Radio Chatter

While I was punching the presets on my car radio the other day, I discovered that the venerable KLBB (1440 AM) had switched formats from the American Standard catalog of Frank, Dean, Bing, and their modern derivatives to something resembling the Mexican Standard catalog. Yes, spanish langage, peppy, jumpy music, no doubt featuring Jose, Julio, Juan and their heirs. Since I don't know Spanish, I'm not able to devine what demographic niche they're trying to appeal to. But I'd suggest an attempt to retain some of the old KLBB listeners by adapting their slogan "The Music of Your Life" to something like "The Music of your VIDA LOCA! (Bang! Bang! Bang!)"

The new KLBB is the second Spanish language outlet in this market (along with Radio Rey), which seems excessive for a metro area where the overwhelming majority of residents' knowledge of Hispanic culture is provided by the fine folks at Taco Bell.

But, looking in to the Google archives, it seems the turnover of KLBB shouldn't have been a surprise at all. The station underwent an ownership change in May 2005 when MPR (your tax funded ministry of information) unloaded it to Davidson Media Group, whose mission is:

Davidson Media Group is a multicultural multilingual radio broadcaster that partners with local entrepreneurs (generally first generation immigrants) to build profitable and sustainable radio stations.

A business model which surely melted the hearts of all MPR executives. Let's hope they took a break in their swooining long enough to negotiate a fair market price for us common citizens footing the bill for their continuing broadcasting adventures.

More from the Davidson mission statement:

According to all recent census data, America is increasingly diverse and increasingly multicultural. DMG recognizes and celebrates the nation's increasing depth and diversity. DMG is proud to be radio broadcaster of this 21st century multicultural and multilingual America.

Multilingual America? I didn't get the memo on that one. Was it in Spanish?

Even the vision of "multicultural" America has a dark edge to it, in that it's not exactly an historical prescription for national cohesiveness or, you know, avoiding civil wars. As the great Victor Davis Hanson reminds us here and here:

A multiracial society works. But a multicultural one - whose separatist identity transcends the enriching and diverse elements of food, fashion, entertainment, music, etc. whether in Rwanda or the Balkans - does not, especially when new arrivals do not learn English ...

This state [California], like the country at large, was a raw experiment, a multiracial society united by a common language, culture, and law. But that subjugation of race to culture is forever a fragile creation, not a natural entity. Each day it can erode. A single fool can undo the work of decades and so allow small people to feel one with those of like tongue and skin color, not united by shared ideals and values. Thus, each time a university president, a politician on the make, or a would-be muckraking journalist chooses the easy path of separatism, he, like the white chauvinists of the past, does his own little part in turning us into Rwanda or Kosovo.

In summary, for the easily offended and short attention span afflicted: Multi racial, yes. Multi-cultural, no.

Of course, Davidson Media Group has a right to engage in their business and if this now 21 station network thinks that it can be profitable in Minnesota with Spanish language broadcasting, I wish them all the success the market will allow. And, on the bright side, at least MPR allowed a private company to undertake this experiment in multiculturalism instead of doing it themselvs and forcing the public to pay for it.