Some Reactions

Having spent some time reading Mr. Strand's letter, I find it hard to draw much in the way of a satisfying conclusion. Yes, Mr. Strand says that the reason for terminating Issues, Etc. was financial. The KFUO statement states it was for "programmatic and stewardship (business) reasons." Apparently the "programmatic" reasons are not on the table for discussion. The letter addresses the stewardship (business) reasons, though we are asked to trust the numbers since there is no way to check the actual numbers. We are, however, assured that the books have been audited. How can anyone outside the synodocracy possibly prove or disprove pre-interpreted financial numbers?

I'll let the money people think about all this. I have a nagging headache and a few nagging questions of my own after reading this letter.

Why did it take ten days to produce such a simple letter?

Why the abrupt cancellation?
According to the letter, the station and the show were bleeding money for at least seven years. Why was the axe laid so quickly to the root in Holy Week? There was no prepared statement, and apparently no substitute programming, not even 10 days later. Even stranger is the fact that KFUO-AM is about to enter a fundraising period in April. How does this cancellation help their fund raising efforts?

Why the initial removal of the Archives if the reasons were purely financial?

Why is Issues, Etc. the only show that has to develop its own donor base? How much of Issues, Etc. donations goes to pay for other things?

Why the change from viewing KFUO-AM as a "ministry" to a profit center and when did this change in philosophy occur?

Were Jeff and Todd aware that they had to raise more money to stay on the air? (We may never know the answer to that one, I'm afraid.)

There are even more questions.

There is an anonymous analysis which raises some very disturbing questions.

Finally, Mr. Strand does not deal with the download numbers from Issues Etc. org. Here is a summary of the download activity for Oct to Dec 2007:

October 2007 - 172,607 downloads
November 2007 - 320,800 downloads
December 2007 - 160, 315 downloads

Who knows how many downloads came through iTunes and other podcasting services?

All of this raises even more questions in my mind. But sufficient are these unto the day.