From: gak@wrs.com (Richard Stueven)
Subject: Letter to KQED-FM
Reply-To: gak@wrs.com
Organization: Wind River Systems, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 19:25:20 GMT

I got a letter from our local NPR station last week, asking for more
money to help pay for their "fair, complete, timely, accurate,
detailed, thoughtful, aggressive, in-depth" election reporting.

Attached is my response, which I'm sending to them via overnight mail.

---
Richard Stueven        gak@wrs.com         attmail!gakhaus!gak        107/H/3&4
          To sight it must ring clear as a bell, it must snap
          in the ear, feel pleasantly sticky between the fingers,
          smell fresh and tempting and taste heavenly.
---
					September 10, 1992
Jo Anne Wallace
KQED-FM General Manager
2601 Mariposa Street
San Francisco CA  94110

Dear Ms. Wallace,

I recently received a letter from you asking for an additional
contribution to help support KQED-FM's election coverage this year.  I
listen to KQED-FM exclusively, and nearly all of the news information I
receive comes from your station.  I am generally happy with the programs
and the information they present, and that's why I feel it is necessary
for me to explain my reasons for choosing not to give additional support
in this case, rather than simply ignoring your request.

You state in your letter that "we at KQED-FM are more determined than ever
to bring you the fairest, most complete coverage available anywhere."  Yet
during this election, I have not heard a single report on any political
party other than the Democrats and the Republicans.  According to the
Libertarian Party's press release this morning, their candidates, Andre
Marrou and Dr. Nancy Lord, have completed their petitioning to appear on
the ballots in all fifty states.  In my opinion, this qualifies the party
to receive as much coverage as the two entrenched parties receive.  I have
included a copy of that press release with this letter.

You may not be aware that Mr. Marrou will be appearing in Pleasanton on
September 16.  This is a great opportunity for your station to provide
coverage that no other station in the Bay Area, radio or television, and
probably no print media, will provide.  Because I will be out of town that
evening and unable to attend, I will make this offer:  I will pay the
price of admission for up to two people that attend on KQED-FM business.
If you are interested, please contact me on XXX-XXX-XXXX by September 15,
and I will send a check.  I have included a copy of the invitation with
this letter.

I have heard a number of reports on the campaigns of Barbara Boxer and
Diane Feinstein, especially regarding the fact that two women are running
for the two Senate seats.  I have heard nothing about June Genis, a third
woman in the race, who is a Libertarian candidate for the Senate.  Ms.
Genis is running against Ms. Boxer and Bruce Hershensohn.  I have included
a complete list of Libertarian candidates with this letter.

We continually hear complaints from voters that they are being forced to
make a choice between the lesser of two evils when presented with the
Democratic and Republican candidates.  This is patently false, given the
number of candidates and indeed, the number of political parties that are
available for voters to choose from.  To ignore those parties, and
especially a party that will have ballot exposure equal to that of the two
entrenched parties, gives the lie to your claim of providing fair and
complete election coverage.

Finally, I will probably renew my KQED-FM membership when it expires in
November.  But unless the station's political coverage truly becomes as
fair and as complete as claimed, I will not contribute beyond the amount
of my membership.

					Sincerely,



					Richard Stueven
Newsgroups: alt.politics.libertarian