Educational Objective of Theatre Organ Preservation of Nebraska
(Excerpted from the representations made to the FCC in the original radio station application filed with the FCC)
The bylaws of Theatre Organ Preservation of Nebraska specifically state that the goal of our organization is to preserve, restore, maintain, and promote theatre pipe organ music and other great American music that is becoming lost to the ages. This includes preservation of these magnificent, uniquely American instruments and their music, preserving original instruments whenever possible or replicas. Our stated goal is to operate a non-commercial full service radio broadcast station that includes theatre organ music to expose and educate the public regarding its existence without over doing it. Obviously broadcasts of exclusive theatre organ music would not be serving the public convenience, interest, or necessity. Nor would this be desireable under any conditions.
Therefore the radio station is using a modified EZ-Listening and Beautiful Music format. Not far in the past this was by far the most popular format on FM radio stations nationwide, ranking high in the ratings everywhere. With deregulation mom and pop Stations like these were bought out by big conglomerates in order to make more rock and roll stations playing the same stale songs a million times on every channel and the format has been all but lost. In most communities only one or two corporations own all of the available facilities, SW Nebraska and NW Kansas included. Theatre organ music mixed in with this type of music fits perfectly. Most people won't even realize what it is or even notice it. People hear organ music all the time and don't even realize it. So many popular songs included heavy organ use even up to and including today's music and it doesn't strike anyone as unusal whatsoever. Inclusion of much older material from the 1920's and 30's has been done as well to help achieve the goal of promotiion of other non-organ lost musical forms as well. The format may change in the future depending upon the community needs and acceptance of the staton upon the advice of the KEZL Programming Community Advisory Board.
Radio Programming would include use of the theatre organ in live broadcasts as many stations did in ages past and recordings of theatre organ music featured with other music, mostly distinctly American in nature, that is now long forgotten and lost to the ages.
Theatre Organ Preservation of Nebraska also operates theatreorgans.com a website developed back in 1995 which promotes theatre organs. This website offers many resources including a classified section for parts and organs plus contains detailed databases on the topic of theatre organs and their preservation along with many articles. The website has for many, many years been hosted home based in McCook, NE at McCooknet.com.
This website is the home base for all things theatre organ and the radio station KEZL licensed by the FCC is our outreach program to educate the public on the matter of theatre organs, to teach about their extensive use in live broadcasts of past days and to bring the music of the same to the forefront in the public eye wherever possible. Many great and famous radio stations of the past had their own theatre organs installed for broadcasts including the famous WLW organ in Cincinnati.
In addition, the rich history of broadcasting of live programs will come to the forefront of the listener’s attention. This will educate the public about the way radio was done in the old days and the use of the theatre organ in these original programs and now in the new programs we plan to produce. Even television networks used the organ heavily (until soap operas were no longer performed live but videotaped) until the 70s as the music for soap operas on television.
It is the intention to have theatre organs of various sizes located in the studios of the radio station and use them wherever possible as part of our broadcasts for program opens, scene changes, interludes and closes. Our studio organs would also be made available for persons to take lessons on or practice theatre organ playing to keep the art alive.
KEZL-FM radio has acquired completely by accident the original Hammond organ from the Royal Motel in McCook, NE where it was promoted and used to entertain guests in the 1950’s and 60’s. This organ will be showcased as well as the theatre organs. The organ was found in a residence near Houston, TX and is returning home to McCook to be the official Hammond organ of the new FM Public radio station (In addition to various theatre organs). The true tale of the little Hammond organ trying to find its way back home is a story of unbelievable odds that would warm the cockles of any heart hearing the details.
We plan to bring public radio to the greater Republican River Valley area in a way that few have ever attempted to do in any location. The station is TRULY to be locally operated, and the citizens can have a chance to broadcast on the air the things that they embrace. It is intended to have an all volunteer broadcast station. Many of these exist. However since most radio stations prefer to just play music all day and do nothing special, these stations are few and far between. Those that exist are extremely popular in their own listening areas.
Moonlight Over The Republican River Valley broadcast
A nightly broadcast before midnight of theatre organ music background with the radio station chorus featuring recited poetry and short prose about the plains, the Republican River valley, the American Farmer, and farms as a good night to our audience. Listeners will be encouraged to submit poetry that they have written. Additionally, poetic works of past native Nebraskans, Kansans and others will be showcased. This will remind the public of the organ’s history in broadcasting by its very nature and will educate the public about the local talent of persons that can write poetry and those locals who perform musically for the program.
Plains Jamboree and “The Big Broadcast”
In conjunction with area high school and colleges and the local non-profit theatre associations. It is our intent to broadcast live broadcasts of local country and gospel music (of course showcasing a theatre organ as well) from a local theatre or auditorium on a quarterly basis. These programs were common in the golden days of broadcasting. Live local talent along with regional famous talent invited for the programs can tell stories, have sing-a-longs and students from drama clubs and local theatre associations can work up short radio skits to perform before a live audience. This will educate the public about how live broadcasts work as they will be able to attend in person and see for themselves.
Request a Tune on the Organ
It is proposed to have popular national theatre organists perform remotely live on our station in a
“Request Time” where listeners can participate via our website to request numbers they would like to hear performed live on a theatre organ.
There Goes That Song Again!
It is proposed to have a local program featuring mainly theatre organ live based upon a “Name that Tune” concept where contestants via the website, telephone or live participants could win donated prizes by being able to name tunes in the shortest number of notes.
Hymn Singing Along Live!
It is proposed to have an old church hymn sing-along at a local church with pipe organ and piano accompaniment broadcast live to further educate the public of the great reach of pipe organs of all kinds in the public use.
As the Windmill Turns, Serial
This program will be a daily 15-minute serial radio program performed by local actors including members of non-profit acting troupes of the area and local schools. Every episode ends in a cliffhanger that encourages the audience to return the following day. There will be just enough connection with real or imagined events and people to keep the audience speculating as to how much is real and how much is imagined.
This program will be a daily 15-minute serial radio program written, performed and produced by local volunteers. Every episode ends in a cliffhanger that encourages the audience to return the following day. There will be just enough connection with real or imagined events (past and present) and people to keep the audience speculating as to how much is real and how much is imagined. The synopsis of this is the life of a local family (Somewhere in Nebraska) that has mega-millions and runs everything and everybody. Set in the 1970s this rich family is juxtaposed with a family that was formerly rich but now lost everything in bad investments. However, the IRS feels they can’t let the world know the situation of this family or the entire economy of southwest Nebraska could fail. The IRS helps cover up the situation while trying to keep the family from spending too much money that they no longer have anyway while keeping up appearances. At the same time an unsuspecting young man purchases an old Hudson automobile at the estate sale of a crazy old “mad scientist” former science teacher that lived in an ancient old two-story schoolhouse, local to the area. This old schoolhouse was full of lab experiments and every kind of equipment a scientist could have. Unbeknownst to the purchaser the automobile has been made capable of time travel and possibly dimensional travel at the most inopportune moments. When the Hudson begins to shimmy and shake out on the highway, the riders are about to do some time travel. This gives occasion for the occupants to suddenly be in the past, present or future where historical events can be acted out. From back when the buffalo roam and natives would attack the settlers or in the future where we can only speculate on what the Republican River Valley will be like. There is all kinds of material that can be covered here.
When three of a group of teenagers partying late one night in an old abandoned 3 story farm house out in the country disappear while exploring the upstairs a massive manhunt starts. No evidence of the teens can be found but when visiting the old farm house at night they can be heard eerily calling for help, but the sound can never be pinpointed. How can this case be solved? Can the time travelling Hudson be put to the test?
We plan to emphasize the local Republican River Valley area, it’s citizens and historical events. Hopefully much of this as we progress can be performed before a live studio audience.
These are the three basic story lines starting off the serial broadcasts. Where will these lines go? Only the writers know....and they haven't written the first episode yet.
In Addition
KEZL is the first public radio station besides one or two low power stations or low power translators for Nebraska Public Radio to serve the broader area of the greater Republican river valley. Without a regiment of offerings expected from a broadcast outlet serving rural farm communities, operating a radio station would be pointless.
It is our intent that in order to further promulgate the theatre organ and other forms of quickly declining American music to operate a full-service radio facility. This will include market reports, news and weather. Birthdays, Anniversaries, Obituaries, Hospital Reports, school closings and Lost Dog Reports are important in a small community as well. One might say, “but these things are readily available on the internet”. True, but in rural communities high speed internet is still often not available or is too expensive and many still rely on tried and true radio broadcasting.
We do not intend to be a “computer playing music”. How boring is this? And far too common. We intend to be a vibrant living radio station for the communities of Southwest Nebraska. A true community station operated by citizens of the community. This station will have a good coverage area unlike LPFM stations and will attract volunteers to help build upon the initial plans. Once operating we can promote the station and invite local persons highly connected to the community and educational institutions to get on board, literally on the board of directors or our Program Community Advisory Board and help guide the station.
Wherever possible, theatre organ will be used for openings, closings, interludes, music beds and other places appropriate this will in a small way instruct the audience of the importance of a theatre organ that they’ve overlooked.
Other programs proposed including a local call-in programs. It is proposed to enlist local business leaders and politicians to come on the air often along with our own local talent and interact with the public with questions and answers type programs, for example, Ask a Doctor, Ask A Lawyer, Ask a Mortician. It is believed it is the duty of public radio to have these forums. The “celebrity” local will be asked to bring his/her own choice of music along to play during these “Koffee Klatter” morning programs between phone calls. As the theatre organ is a historical item, it would do us well to include other historical items and regional history as part of our programming. It is proposed to work with the local historical societies and museums to showcase an artifact or exhibit each day. We propose to have the museum spokesperson choose this item. Then have the person come on the air and talk about this item and post photos of same on our website. This will generate local interest as the items will be of regional interest.
We will then accept calls where people can comment on the item or related remembrances. These will be recorded and broadcast throughout the day each day as a short vignette type daily interest item.
This will encourage community involvement in the station.
All these items and more as we can design and offer them will expose the public to theatre organ music and teach of the lost American music of ages past without it being directly shoved at them. The public will be unaware as the theatre organ can be so seamlessly incorporated in broadcast operations. Theatre organs were used by so many radio stations in years past. Its use will be prominent enough as to invite inquiry and interest but subtle enough not to overwhelm.
Our starting Board is diverse, one African-American, one Mexican-American and one Caucasion. It is our plan to employ teachers, professors and other professionals with direct knowledge and experience in drama and musical matters to assist us in developing further educational programs once the station is operating. Once the station is operating and we have something to show, we intend to broaden the board of directors to include community leaders and others.
Minute Lessons in Math, Science, and Other Subjects
Local volunteers and citizens will have the opportunity to be on the air in their area of expertise, be it “Minute or Two” lessons in Mathematics, English Grammar and Science from retired school teachers and professors or helpful kitchen hints by local home economics professionals, car mechanics, lawyers and doctors, gardeners or others.
Mother Goose And Grandpa on the Porch Swing
Short form children’s stories will be broadcast regularly throughout the day, à la Mother Goose and the Brothers Grimm as read by volunteers. Other stations have commercial breaks we shall have entertainment. Young and old alike delight in hearing these short old stories we are familiar with from childhood. Short poetry readings are proposed interspersed throughout the day particularly featuring Nebraska and Kansas poets current and past as well as others. Fatherly advice from a grandfather “On the Porch Swing” is also on the schedule. Submissions will be encouraged from the audience. All of this within our regular beautiful music format and replete with theatre organ accompaniment.
Non-Broadcast Activities
Over the years since 1995 the operator of Theatreorgans.com, our home base website, helped two local Nebraska theatres find their original organs and saw to it that they got taken back home.
Theatre Organ Returned to Fox Theatre, McCook
Theatre Organ Returned to World Theatre, Kearney
These articles talk about this.
The McCook, NE Fox theatre organ was returned to Nebraska but unfortunately the console was put in the local museum and the pipework not restored. It would be part of our plan to try to work with the owners of these instruments and get both of these organs up and playing as part of local pipe organ history, hopefully to be used in our live broadcasts. The Fox Theatre and World Theatre are owned by local non-profits as is the local museum.
All of these types of stories are interesting from the Little Hammond organ that is trying to find its way back home to Nebraska to the theatre organs that were once lost to the original theatres and somehow found pathways home after decades. It is our duty to further these types of activities and involve the public at every turn.
It is believed that the contemplated mission will, indeed, make a positive effect upon knowledge and understanding of the theatre organ and other historical events as well as provide SW Nebraska with a great local radio station.
How quickly any of this can be accomplished will depend upon revenues generated by underwriters, grants and donations by the listening audience.
Phase 1 is now complete, with the station on the air, licensed and an application into the FCC to increase the power of the station to maximum amounts possible now pending. At this point not much further progress can be made without having a studio location readily accessible by the public.
Phase 2 will involve building out a studio location and that is when the fun begins. Without a studio we can only utilize volunteers working out of their homes so it is hoped to get the studio part going as soon as possible. When we reach a target goal of monthly revenue of only $5,000 a month we can build the studio locations out. Many of the projects may be done without a studio location, though less convenient.
THE KEZL-FM Community Advisory Board
Because KEZL-FM was founded with the community in mind, it is incumbent on us to solicit the input of a diverse range of community members.
(A) To accomplish this KEZL-FM is establishing the KEZL-FM Community Advisory Board (CAB).
As such KEZL will undertake good faith efforts to assure that:
i) its advisory board meets at regular intervals;
(ii) the members of its advisory board regularly attend the meetings of the advisory board; and
(iii) the composition of its advisory board are reasonably representative of the diverse needs and interests of the communities served by such station.
(B)The board shall be permitted to review the programming goals established by the station, the service provided by the station, and the significant policy decisions rendered by the station. The board may also be delegated any other responsibilities, as determined by the governing body of the station. The board shall advise the governing body of the station with respect to whether the programming and other policies of the station are meeting the specialized educational and cultural needs of the communities served by the station, and may make such recommendations as it considers appropriate to meet such needs.
(C) The role of the board shall be solely advisory in nature, except to the extent other responsibilities are delegated to the board by the governing body of the station. In no case shall the board have any authority to exercise any control over the daily management or operation of the station.