Larry Monroe Back on the Air – on KDRP

RECEIVED Tue., April 5, 2011

Dear Editor,

While I realize that there has been a lot going on lately, South by Southwest, the April Fools' dome, and assorted hijinks at the Lege, I am surprised that there has been no mention of former KUT deejay Larry Monroe's return to the airwaves. The Chronicle provided greatly appreciated coverage when KUT cut much of his and Paul Ray's programming back in 2009, as well as the protests from their fans. Larry subsequently retired from KUT last fall and has been off the air since.

Now he is back, both Blue Monday and The Phil Music Program – Mondays and Thursdays, 7-10pm – but now on KDRP in Dripping Springs. For free-form radio fans, this is news of Second Coming magnitude as Larry now has complete artistic control of his shows, something lacking in his last few years at KUT.

And the word is now out on just how tightly controlled KUT's programming is. Except for niche shows such as Horizontes and Sunday's Folkways, every deejay is required to play four rotation tracks each hour, rotation tracks being strictly enforced and coming from new CDs chosen by KUT's music department. And only the tracks recommended by the music department can be played! There are also "core artists,” of which three have to be played per hour, as well as two tracks from the new CD rack. You don't have to be a math wiz to see that the required tracks pretty much fill up an hour, especially if you add the spots for car donations and the "enhanced underwriting" spots which would be called "commercials" on other stations.

KUT did just have a record fundraiser, so I suppose if a tightly controlled AAA format is what interests you, then KUT is the spot for it. But KUT quit being an actual public station long ago; community-funded stations are now filling the gap left behind. KDRP takes no taxpayer dollars and is not beholden to NPR for any programming dollars. Support local radio! Support KDRP!

Thank you,

Jim Vest

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