The Latest Scoop on "Issues, Etc."

Here's a brief update on "Issues, Etc."

1).  The on-line petition has crossed the 5,000 mark.  That's amazing!

2).  The chairman of the Board of Communications (David Strang) has finally placed an explanation on the LCMS website as to why the program was pulled--supposedly, it was losing money, lots of money.  Fair enough.  That is certainly a good reason to discontinue the broadcast.

3).  But if bureaucrats can do wonders with explanations (such as we saw with President Kieschnick), they can also do a number with numbers.  Several respondents (with knowledge of the situation, and with pointed questions about the manner in which the "loss" was calculated) have raised real doubts about the arguments presented in  the chairman's explanation.  Turns out his "answer" only raises more questions.

For the latest on the on-going saga, Click here: Bring Back Issues Etc.   Meanwhile, one of the best forums for Reformation theology/thought has been silenced.

Update on Thursday, March 27, 2008 at 09:10PM by Kim Riddlebarger

A former member of the Board of Communications has written a stellar piece on the "Issues, Etc.," debacle for the Wall Street Journal.   Click here: Radio Silence - WSJ.com.  Bureaucrats love publicity--well, not this kind of publicity.

Comments

[Ed Hurst]

The WSJ article suggests the denominational leadership are taken with the Market Driven heresy. My personal experience indicates there is no force so brutal and unaccountable in the church today as these worldly efficiency experts. My admiration of the LCMS was born when they cast out the liberals in the `70s. May they succeed again.

[Paul]

What does Rod think about all this?

[George]

It's time for the Spring fund raising drive at one of the local public radio stations I listen to a lot and I'm about to call in my pledge. Whether their threats are real or just an attempt to generate donations, this station often implies that some of the more costly syndicated programs it carried might have to be canceled if their funding goals are not reached.

The last time I checked KFUO depends on listener funding, as well (there are several radio buttons on their web site one can click to make a donation). If, "Issues, etc." were truly losing money, it would seem like the appropriate thing to have done would have been to have the program host begin a listener appeal for money months prior to a date when broadcasting would have to stop. Instead, the plug was simply pulled without warning, so much the so that at least one responder to this blog indicated that he had not even been notified as the manager of an affiliate broadcasting station.

Therefore, it seems logical to conclude that 1) either the cost of the program was not as big a deal as it has been claimed and the real reason behind the sudden discontinuation had more to do with some of the internal politics mentioned by other responders; or 2) funding may have been a problem but was poorly dealt with by the synod's administrative staff, by terminating the show without advance appeal to listeners.

Either way, it is a poor reflection of the synod's operation to the general public.