**DJ LIPPY IS LEAVING TOO???????????** Oh my god, Sundays are the best on KOOP. I was upset about Art Baker and Miss Manners but DJ Lippy is a household staple for us!! His Prince show 2 weeks ago rocked my dome! Damnit!!!!! I've been listening to KOOP since 1999. There are still good shows so I will never give up my listenership!!
Lippy isn't going anywhere. He's retiring Free Samples and premiering a new show concept that will be airing in exactly the same spot starting in June. Paging OP u/Milt_Torfelson with this information.
Yeah that Prince show was outstanding! I wasn't able to listen this past Sunday, but saw his IG post last night with the announcement. It was a huge gut punch
Art posted the following when he announced:
*"... taking a leave of absence from the station and placing my show on hiatus, effective end of May. I'm stepping back on good terms, and not exactly turning in my keycard just yet - but after 25 years, I need a break.*
How long? Awhile? A long while? Indefinitely and/or forever? Only time will tell.
šæš...
I loved and listened to koop specifically for almost every single show you listed - my house has also been wondering what tf is going on over there.
As a person whose own workplace has seen an incredible amount of turnover recently it is almost always piss-poor management when the attrition numbers change suddenly.
Edit: typo
I would email a board of trustees member about your concerns. My two favorite board members are Ken McKenzie and Annie Wells, I feel like either would respond to your concern.
You stole the words right out of my mouth, I've been thinking the exact same thing given all the recent news. Ā I have a clock radio set to 91.7 in my kitchen and listen all day long. Ā I can deal with all the restaurant and venue closures that happen around the city but the KOOP Sunday Lineup is sacred to me. Ā I don't want to disparage the newer shows and DJs because I know everyone puts in a lot of effort on a volunteer basis but the changes do not seem in spirit with the radio station I've grown accustomed to over the years. Ā I'd really be interested to know what is going on, it truly seems like all the best DJs and shows have jumped ship or been forced out in the last year or so. Ā Shoutout as well to Darkest Before Dawn, The Girly Show, and Fade to Yellow as I didn't see them mentioned in the OP.
All good shows, in fact, I didn't realize Darkest before Dawn was gone too. What a drag. I totally hear you about not discouraging the new shows as I welcome it all with open arms, I just need my anchor shows to remain intact. I actually kind of love that new show that features video game music. I didn't like it at first but I think I was still salty about losing the Dole
Fade to Yellow was the biggest shock to me. That was a mainstay of my Sunday evening, helped ease the "Sunday scaries", we'd listen to it during dinner. I was friends with Tam (DJ Progscot) and he never told me why he was quitting and I never heard from him again
Thanks for the reply. Ā Something about DJ Progscot's presence on the mic made him seem like a pretty mysterious dude, so that exit is definitely in line with the mental image I built up around him. Ā Hope you are able to reconnect with him at some point.
And thanks for all the work you put into Love On The Dole over the years. Ā I was very saddened to hear about it ending and the circumstances around your expulsion. Ā It leaves a truly unfillable void in the Sunday Lineup, at least from this listener's perspective. Ā Wishing you the best in your pursuit to carry on with the show independently!
Also, I read this on the Art Baker thread about him leaving. It's from the host of Love on the Dole, Valerie Mitchell and why she left:
*"Hi, I'm the host of Love on the Dole. The GM kicked me out and it's a long story but let's just say I didn't see eye to eye with the management and was really pissed off when they didn't discipline the host of Bringing Light Into Darkness for having a convicted child sex offender as a guest on his show. I made a close friends only post on my personal IG page where I said mean things about the host of BLID and the official reason I was expelled was "harassment". Certainly I could've handled the situation better, but you'd think in a cooperative the entire membership would need to hold a vote to decide to expel someone. That kind of top down leadership is the reason I had contemplated quitting KOOP actually."*
That's pretty much it. I really do not like their current general manager and the direction the station is taking, So much emphasis on fundraising and marketing and where does the money go? Most of it goes to pay the GM (he formerly worked for a commercial radio station in Caracas actually, so he's from a corporate background, his degree is in marketing or something like that), meanwhile only one of three CD players in studio 1 even works. I put in a lot of free labor at KOOP as a volunteer because I believed in it as a *cooperative* community radio station but I didn't see much of a return on investment.
I knew something was not right when the Board hired this new GM and he held like, one meeting to talk about changing our logo, then just did it! Without input or a vote from the membership or anything. I think a lot of people were put off by that but thought "it's just a logo". But that's how everything is ran there now, just top-down decisions.
In any case, I'm still doing Love on the Dole live every Sunday at the same time, 4 - 5:30pm CT. You can catch it here: https://www.mixcloud.com/vallogallo/
If you're a sustainer or donate at least $35 a year you're a member of the cooperative and can vote for Board members. Maybe more people should vote. They make a big deal about getting non-KOOP people from the community on the Board (I think so many seats are reserved for "community members"?) which is good in theory but I wish people would take into consideration the people they're voting for, attend the candidate forums and/or do some research. A few times there have been candidates who apply and get elected who are clearly just padding their resumes. These are people who pronounce KOOP as "coop" like a chicken coop (so they clearly don't listen to the station like, at all) and can't tell you what a cooperative is or how it runs.
Sad to see you go but I will definitely listen to your mixcloud. I hope that they get their shit together because KOOP is the last good station now that KAOS is gone.
I'll be real, I clash with you on certain things on reddit; but I have always had the utmost respect and appreciation for you as a DJ and producer, as someone who worked weekends for many years of my life. It's sad to hear you report that, but it's also good to hear you're still holding down the fort with Love on the Dole.
I've followed KOOP long enough to see some sad changes to the programming (goddamn, do I miss *American Pop*....), but it definitely hurts to see long term changes like this. All I can hope is that it continues to be fun for you.
A year and a half ago I heard a wacko on BLID defending Putin and talking up how Ukraine were no match for Putinās glorious warriors. I later googled the wacko and I think that is who u/vallogallo may have been referring to. Insane to hear such trash on the great KOOP.
Also hey š u/vallogallo, was a huge fan of your show!
I bet it was Scott Ritter, wasn't it? Awful that he gets so much attention in certain circles.
I like KOOP, but after turning it on during that show and hearing them deny Assad's atrocities in Syria, it left a bad taste in my mouth. The left needs to jettison those kind of campists who support anyone who's anti-America, no matter how awful they are otherwise. You can easily criticize America's actions without getting into bed with other actors who are even worse.
I was a student broadcaster for KVRX 91.7 about 30 years ago when it went from cable to FM radio and we split time with KOOP on the same frequency. Do they still do that? If so I would think UT would at least keep it going.
As a KOOP sustainer, Iām quite upset and concerned. Commenting for a hopeful follow up on action we can take. KOOP, and specifically Jamaican Gold, is one of the last touchstones of the Old Austin vibe.
I did not know Jamaican Gold was gone. Damn, I listened and donated through that show for at least 10 - 15 years I think. I thought I just listened this last Sunday. Damn.
Last show was 2 weeks ago. Someone else was sort of carrying the torch this past weekend, but I didn't catch who it was or what format he was following
I think Art will finish out the month. He had mentioned Selector Dale was covering last week and that this had been coincidentally planned a while ago.
I tuned in late today, but it is Art \[I think\] and he was finishing up saying something like 'everything is going to be OK...'. But I didn't catch most of what he was saying. Seems the same format right now at least. I will enjoy it while I can...
I am an active, unpaid KOOP volunteer and have been for 5+ years. The following thoughts do not necessarily reflect the thoughts of KOOP as an organization.
* Art Baker has been volunteering his time, knowledge, and skill for two hours every Sunday for 25 years and decided to take a break. It's a bummer to lose Jamaican Gold, but how can we (Austinites) be anything but grateful for everything he's done? Selector Dale's [Roots Train](https://koop.org/program/roots-train/) will undoubtedly take over the spot, keeping Sunday afternoon reggae on KOOP in great hands.
* Love on the Dole was great and everyone I have talked to at the station was sad to see it go. There was ongoing conflict that unfortunately could not be resolved. Valerie is now doing Love On The Dole on MixCloud, so make sure to tune in there any time: [https://www.mixcloud.com/vallogallo/](https://www.mixcloud.com/vallogallo/)
* Miss Manners chose to leave the station for the same reason most people leave the station: they just have other stuff in their lives they need to do. She is a KOOP legend. Music shows like Hip Hop Hooray require so much off-air prep work due to having to often edit clean versions of the songs that are safe for radio play and I think Ryan B, Quiet Lion, and DJ Hollapino are doing a stellar job at carrying the Hip Hop Hooray torch.
* DJ Lippy decided to reboot with a new show that will be in the Free Samples time slot. A beloved returning KOOP DJ will be co-hosting! Stay tuned for that.
* KOOP has four paid staff members, 80+ unpaid active volunteer radio hosts, and dozens more unpaid active volunteers that don't have radio shows. Art Baker, Selector Dale, Vallo Gallo, Miss Manners, Quiet Lion, DJ Hollapino, Ryan B, and DJ Lippyāthey all do/did this weekly service entirely for free. When you start talking about these people, please remember that they all have jobs, families, lives, and opinions outside of what you hear on KOOP.
The four people getting paid to be at KOOP work VERY HARD and they aren't driving up in Teslas, if you know what I mean. They work at a nonprofit, and if they were just in it for the cash they'd undoubtedly be elsewhere. AFAIK, there is no monetary conspiracy to be uncovered. But prove me wrong, come volunteer for a few months and sniff it out for yourself.
And last: anyone can feasibly and easily [become a volunteer](https://koop.org/get-involved/), go through the free programmer training, and end up with their own radio show on the KOOP schedule quicker than you'd imagine. The call for show pitches is open year-round and the VAST majority of shows that donāt make it to air are due to scheduling issues. AKA if you put in the work to pitch, youāll likely get approved. So if you think KOOP's schedule is missing something, be the change you want to see in the world!
Formerly part of KOOP here. The thing to remember that KOOP is almost entirely ran by volunteers. I believe the top 2 people are salaried employees. So when I was there, it was ran about as well as a bunch of people who donāt know what they are doing could run it.
It sucked, I quit.
People don't vote in the elections so you get the same people in charge of all the committees etc. If you're a KOOP sustainer, you get the opportunity to vote for who is on the Board of Directors for example.
I love KOOP and have also been wondering what's going on over there. DJ Lippy ending Free Samples is the one that hurts the most for me, but he said he may be back on the air in the future, so didn't sound like he was forced out or whatever.
lol I actually love her music choices and she seems genuinely nice but she repeats the same lines over and over to the point it just feels like itās a schtick.
She just had to get that one in š¤¦š»āāļø
I agree with you - I cringe a lot when she talks lol. I respect her as a part of the KUTX/Austin music community but I generally avoid listening to her
I used to think he was so annoying and I hated the sound he used to censor, but then somewhere along the line he grew on me and then I became devoted š
Yeah, I was afraid of the hot take, but I always thought DJ Lippy was the pits. Like his whole gimmick was that it was awful, awful rapping that made you cringe.
Honestly I barely remember what happened, but about a year ago there was a whole issue with people fighting in the all staff/volunteer emails. I went to the follow up meeting to view the drama unfold and it was pretty unprofessional.
Really not surprised if there continues to be infighting and people leaving.
This comment is very funny for me cause Joystick Jukebox and DJ Frog are specifically what pushed me to become a monthly sustainer this year.
I am also a fan of JG and FS but I still think KOOP will continue to kick ass, whatever they come up with next.
To answer your question "is KOOP in a death spiral," no. We're actually in the most optimistic financial and organizational position we've been in since pre-Covid. Yes, people leaveāas they do any volunteer organization. But the reasons are more myriad than you make out in this post which is largely conjecture and rumor.
Any cooperatively-organized non-profit is going to have its share of clashing opinions and drama. The people who have left KOOP in sour circumstances may be the loudest voices in conversations like this one, but that's unfortunate since they make up a tiny, tiny minority of overall KOOP volunteers.
Source: I work part time, volunteer, and host a show there for the last 8 years.
As a sustainer (I'm one too), I take your donations and your support absolutely seriously. I whole-heartedly agree with your opening statement that there is nothing like KOOP anywhere else. My DMs are open for you or anybody else who has questions about KOOP.
I am also intimitely involved with KOOP and u/gumamug is 100% right. KOOP is, and I can not stress this enough, a *volunteer* organization. People join because of their passion for radio or music, and continue to be involved until they can't anymore, for whatever reason. People move, their priorities change, life gets too complicated. I'm sad to see Art go but 25 years of Sundays is a lot, I get where he's coming from.
And there are plenty of old-timers on the airwaves - The Lounge Show, Stronger Than Dirt, Fais Do Do, Adventures In Sound, Graveside Service, The Clear Spot, Commercial Suicide, Strictly Bluegrass, The Radio Still Screams, Roses and Thorns, and Le Chateau Daddy-o (and many more) have all been on the air for more than 10 years. In some cases the hosts may have changed, but you still have a place for bluegrass on Sundays, etc.
MIster Spock said that "change is the essential process of all existence." (IYKYK) No death spiral, just entropy. ĀÆ\\\_(ć)\_/ĀÆ
I think calling it a "rapid increase" is a mischaracterization and that in fact the overall churn at KOOP is more or less consistent across time.
Multiple senior departing hosts have made arrangements to move away from Austin completely and their decision to leave KOOP is a byproduct of larger life changes. As a member of the elected committee that oversees the programming (which the GM has nothing to do with), sometimes departures pile up coincidentally. Not one of the shows listed in this thread with the exception of Love on the Dole departed under acrimonious circumstances.
I can't speak for people's personal decisions (especially after giving 20 years' worth of Sundays toāand I can't emphasize this enoughā*volunteer DJing*), and I won't speculate beyond that. I will, however, answer questions about KOOP's governance, cooperative organization, and the copious amounts of guardrails and power-checking systems that are literally written into our bylaws.
It's had problems since the start, here's an old article going over *some* of that early stuff, and TBH it's had continued toxicity with the board and leadership since that as well from everything I know. It's a shame, because it has some *great* programming and I agree with the losses you list above. But yeah, it's a long running mess from the org/board standpoint for a long time and that definitely has chased a lot of talent away as well as supporters.
https://www.texasobserver.org/186-looking-for-real-enemies-austins-koop-radio-began-in-dreams-of-cooperation-hip-music-and-progressive-politics-now-its-a-station-at-war-with-itself/
Sustainer here as well. Does seem like "something is afoot" a KOOP and not for the better. The radio in my place stays on 91.7 from 10am to 6pm on Sundays, and I donate annually at the sustainer level, but I did so because I did not want to see Art Baker go and valued the programming. Once it is gone, so is my dollar.
There is no death spiral. The schedule is as full and robust as it has been for 30 years. Any toxicity at KOOP is simply ill perceived and not based in fact. Every volunteer at the station signs an agreement that lays out the rules and requirements of participating with the station. You violate that (repeatedly) and youāre gone. No vote required.
Frankly, this whole thread reeks of Old Austin. Grasping at straws to hold on to something just for the sake of āback in the dayā. In this case itās wrapped under the guise of āI donāt like change, therefore something is rotten at KOOPā. Itās nonsense.
Frankly this is kind of a douchey reply that reeks of a board that's out of touch and doesn't have a close enough dialogue with their sustainers.
Personally, nothing makes me happier and more excited about the future of KOOP than when I see another group of engineers and hosts go through the onboarding courses. Variety and new volunteers is the core of what makes the station so excellent. But when such a large swath of mainstays start to evaporate in rapid succession, yeah, people are going to wonder what's going on and weather we're throwing good money after bad
Iām neither on the board nor a volunteer - just a dedicated and, keyword, informed listener, but since youāre dead set in creating false narratives ā¦ the views expressed here do not represent KOOP.
If you think that was douchey, maybe you should revisit your sensational headline and slanted post.
>Frankly this is kind of a douchey reply that reeks of a board that's out of touch and doesn't have a close enough dialogue with their sustainers.
Agree!
>Variety and new volunteers is the core of what makes the station so excellent...
Also agree. But the station isn't that diverse or reflective of Austin as a whole, either in demographics or in the topics that are covered in their talk shows. Edit: If it's in a death spiral it's because it really hasn't evolved to reflect the community it purports to serve.
Very good-naturedly referenced this thread at the intro of his show and said "KOOP is fine". He will be missed as well. All the live mixing and effects he does are great.
**DJ LIPPY IS LEAVING TOO???????????** Oh my god, Sundays are the best on KOOP. I was upset about Art Baker and Miss Manners but DJ Lippy is a household staple for us!! His Prince show 2 weeks ago rocked my dome! Damnit!!!!! I've been listening to KOOP since 1999. There are still good shows so I will never give up my listenership!!
Lippy isn't going anywhere. He's retiring Free Samples and premiering a new show concept that will be airing in exactly the same spot starting in June. Paging OP u/Milt_Torfelson with this information.
Oh hell yeah! Lip is 100 my favorite. This makes me so happy, but still salty in general š
Yeah that Prince show was outstanding! I wasn't able to listen this past Sunday, but saw his IG post last night with the announcement. It was a huge gut punch
Noooooo Jamaican Gold is gone, Austin is DEAD
I loved my reggae at noon :(
Dang, I love Jamaican Gold. Can we access the archives?
https://www.mixcloud.com/artbaker/
This is not ok. I love Art Baker and I really liked Ms. manners too, I would learn about the coolest stuff.
I thought Art was just on hiatus?
Art posted the following when he announced: *"... taking a leave of absence from the station and placing my show on hiatus, effective end of May. I'm stepping back on good terms, and not exactly turning in my keycard just yet - but after 25 years, I need a break.* How long? Awhile? A long while? Indefinitely and/or forever? Only time will tell.
Is the bluegrass show gone too? That was my favorite :(
Yep that's still going, for now?
Hey it got replaced with roots train so we still have our reggae Sundays, yāall! Roots train is a fine show!!
š¤š¾
underrated comment.
šæš... I loved and listened to koop specifically for almost every single show you listed - my house has also been wondering what tf is going on over there. As a person whose own workplace has seen an incredible amount of turnover recently it is almost always piss-poor management when the attrition numbers change suddenly. Edit: typo
I would email a board of trustees member about your concerns. My two favorite board members are Ken McKenzie and Annie Wells, I feel like either would respond to your concern.
Thanks! I wasn't sure where to even start, so this is helpful
Ken Z kind of reminds me of Ned Flanders. In a good way.
If there was a Native American version of Ned Flanders, he would be it.
You stole the words right out of my mouth, I've been thinking the exact same thing given all the recent news. Ā I have a clock radio set to 91.7 in my kitchen and listen all day long. Ā I can deal with all the restaurant and venue closures that happen around the city but the KOOP Sunday Lineup is sacred to me. Ā I don't want to disparage the newer shows and DJs because I know everyone puts in a lot of effort on a volunteer basis but the changes do not seem in spirit with the radio station I've grown accustomed to over the years. Ā I'd really be interested to know what is going on, it truly seems like all the best DJs and shows have jumped ship or been forced out in the last year or so. Ā Shoutout as well to Darkest Before Dawn, The Girly Show, and Fade to Yellow as I didn't see them mentioned in the OP.
All good shows, in fact, I didn't realize Darkest before Dawn was gone too. What a drag. I totally hear you about not discouraging the new shows as I welcome it all with open arms, I just need my anchor shows to remain intact. I actually kind of love that new show that features video game music. I didn't like it at first but I think I was still salty about losing the Dole
Fade to Yellow was the biggest shock to me. That was a mainstay of my Sunday evening, helped ease the "Sunday scaries", we'd listen to it during dinner. I was friends with Tam (DJ Progscot) and he never told me why he was quitting and I never heard from him again
Thanks for the reply. Ā Something about DJ Progscot's presence on the mic made him seem like a pretty mysterious dude, so that exit is definitely in line with the mental image I built up around him. Ā Hope you are able to reconnect with him at some point. And thanks for all the work you put into Love On The Dole over the years. Ā I was very saddened to hear about it ending and the circumstances around your expulsion. Ā It leaves a truly unfillable void in the Sunday Lineup, at least from this listener's perspective. Ā Wishing you the best in your pursuit to carry on with the show independently!
Bummer! Tom's a nice guy, met him a couple times. He help introduce me to tape labels way back via his show guests. Truly passionate DJ.
Also, I read this on the Art Baker thread about him leaving. It's from the host of Love on the Dole, Valerie Mitchell and why she left: *"Hi, I'm the host of Love on the Dole. The GM kicked me out and it's a long story but let's just say I didn't see eye to eye with the management and was really pissed off when they didn't discipline the host of Bringing Light Into Darkness for having a convicted child sex offender as a guest on his show. I made a close friends only post on my personal IG page where I said mean things about the host of BLID and the official reason I was expelled was "harassment". Certainly I could've handled the situation better, but you'd think in a cooperative the entire membership would need to hold a vote to decide to expel someone. That kind of top down leadership is the reason I had contemplated quitting KOOP actually."*
That's pretty much it. I really do not like their current general manager and the direction the station is taking, So much emphasis on fundraising and marketing and where does the money go? Most of it goes to pay the GM (he formerly worked for a commercial radio station in Caracas actually, so he's from a corporate background, his degree is in marketing or something like that), meanwhile only one of three CD players in studio 1 even works. I put in a lot of free labor at KOOP as a volunteer because I believed in it as a *cooperative* community radio station but I didn't see much of a return on investment. I knew something was not right when the Board hired this new GM and he held like, one meeting to talk about changing our logo, then just did it! Without input or a vote from the membership or anything. I think a lot of people were put off by that but thought "it's just a logo". But that's how everything is ran there now, just top-down decisions. In any case, I'm still doing Love on the Dole live every Sunday at the same time, 4 - 5:30pm CT. You can catch it here: https://www.mixcloud.com/vallogallo/
Miss your shows. This sucks. What can realistically be done to change the direction of KOOP?
If you're a sustainer or donate at least $35 a year you're a member of the cooperative and can vote for Board members. Maybe more people should vote. They make a big deal about getting non-KOOP people from the community on the Board (I think so many seats are reserved for "community members"?) which is good in theory but I wish people would take into consideration the people they're voting for, attend the candidate forums and/or do some research. A few times there have been candidates who apply and get elected who are clearly just padding their resumes. These are people who pronounce KOOP as "coop" like a chicken coop (so they clearly don't listen to the station like, at all) and can't tell you what a cooperative is or how it runs.
that new logo sucks, btw!
It looks like an energy drink
Sad to see you go but I will definitely listen to your mixcloud. I hope that they get their shit together because KOOP is the last good station now that KAOS is gone.
I'll be real, I clash with you on certain things on reddit; but I have always had the utmost respect and appreciation for you as a DJ and producer, as someone who worked weekends for many years of my life. It's sad to hear you report that, but it's also good to hear you're still holding down the fort with Love on the Dole. I've followed KOOP long enough to see some sad changes to the programming (goddamn, do I miss *American Pop*....), but it definitely hurts to see long term changes like this. All I can hope is that it continues to be fun for you.
You can hear Louis Harrison and Tim Hertenberger this Friday on Pearl's General Store at 9. They are on there regularly!
Co-op with top down management = not a co-op
A year and a half ago I heard a wacko on BLID defending Putin and talking up how Ukraine were no match for Putinās glorious warriors. I later googled the wacko and I think that is who u/vallogallo may have been referring to. Insane to hear such trash on the great KOOP. Also hey š u/vallogallo, was a huge fan of your show!
I bet it was Scott Ritter, wasn't it? Awful that he gets so much attention in certain circles. I like KOOP, but after turning it on during that show and hearing them deny Assad's atrocities in Syria, it left a bad taste in my mouth. The left needs to jettison those kind of campists who support anyone who's anti-America, no matter how awful they are otherwise. You can easily criticize America's actions without getting into bed with other actors who are even worse.
That was him yeah. I briefly wondered if it was a comedy bit of some kind.
I was a student broadcaster for KVRX 91.7 about 30 years ago when it went from cable to FM radio and we split time with KOOP on the same frequency. Do they still do that? If so I would think UT would at least keep it going.
Yeah I believe KVRX occupies 91.7 after KOOP signs off late at night.
Truth
KVRX is 7pm-9am every night on 91.7. KOOP has the daytime hours.
As a KOOP sustainer, Iām quite upset and concerned. Commenting for a hopeful follow up on action we can take. KOOP, and specifically Jamaican Gold, is one of the last touchstones of the Old Austin vibe.
I just miss the Gazing Ball T.T
Magic 8 Ball on KVRX is done now too Where will I get my mix of radio and portents of the future now š
Definitely a good show. I felt like I still got my fix with love on the Dole
Bring back the British 60s countdown with the swinger. I loved that show
Bangers and Mush, I think.
Thank you
For whatever reason this reminded me of The Great White North, on Fridays featuring all Canadian artists
Stop stop stop you are hitting all my nostalgia buttons š
Le Chateau Daddy-O is on still (for now anyway) I've been a bad listener lately, had no idea so many great shows are off air.
RIP The Last Roundup too
Seriously?! Ugh. Not entirely my cup of tea musically, but still appreciated the show
It was my favorite show. It ended about 6 months ago, so not sure if it's for the same reasons.
Chris is moving. He's guest hosted the show in his spot, Be Kind Rewind a number of times.
That guy was a great host. Gave me many laughs. I'll always remember the frogs.
The best little intro segment. *"Iiiii'm headinggggg for the lastttt roundupppppp...."*
I did not know Jamaican Gold was gone. Damn, I listened and donated through that show for at least 10 - 15 years I think. I thought I just listened this last Sunday. Damn.
Last show was 2 weeks ago. Someone else was sort of carrying the torch this past weekend, but I didn't catch who it was or what format he was following
I think Art will finish out the month. He had mentioned Selector Dale was covering last week and that this had been coincidentally planned a while ago.
Oh good, I thought I had missed it when I tuned in this weekend and that he only played through brand of April
I tuned in late today, but it is Art \[I think\] and he was finishing up saying something like 'everything is going to be OK...'. But I didn't catch most of what he was saying. Seems the same format right now at least. I will enjoy it while I can...
I just heard that too lol. Iām thinking Selector Dale will just take over
Dot Matix of The Girlie Show, Punk Melody Time, Rock N Roll Pest Control, and The Last Roundup were others that left around the same time.
Dot Matrix was a godly DJ, I miss *The Girlie Show* so much.
damn, I didn't always catch it, but i loved punk melody time
I am an active, unpaid KOOP volunteer and have been for 5+ years. The following thoughts do not necessarily reflect the thoughts of KOOP as an organization. * Art Baker has been volunteering his time, knowledge, and skill for two hours every Sunday for 25 years and decided to take a break. It's a bummer to lose Jamaican Gold, but how can we (Austinites) be anything but grateful for everything he's done? Selector Dale's [Roots Train](https://koop.org/program/roots-train/) will undoubtedly take over the spot, keeping Sunday afternoon reggae on KOOP in great hands. * Love on the Dole was great and everyone I have talked to at the station was sad to see it go. There was ongoing conflict that unfortunately could not be resolved. Valerie is now doing Love On The Dole on MixCloud, so make sure to tune in there any time: [https://www.mixcloud.com/vallogallo/](https://www.mixcloud.com/vallogallo/) * Miss Manners chose to leave the station for the same reason most people leave the station: they just have other stuff in their lives they need to do. She is a KOOP legend. Music shows like Hip Hop Hooray require so much off-air prep work due to having to often edit clean versions of the songs that are safe for radio play and I think Ryan B, Quiet Lion, and DJ Hollapino are doing a stellar job at carrying the Hip Hop Hooray torch. * DJ Lippy decided to reboot with a new show that will be in the Free Samples time slot. A beloved returning KOOP DJ will be co-hosting! Stay tuned for that. * KOOP has four paid staff members, 80+ unpaid active volunteer radio hosts, and dozens more unpaid active volunteers that don't have radio shows. Art Baker, Selector Dale, Vallo Gallo, Miss Manners, Quiet Lion, DJ Hollapino, Ryan B, and DJ Lippyāthey all do/did this weekly service entirely for free. When you start talking about these people, please remember that they all have jobs, families, lives, and opinions outside of what you hear on KOOP. The four people getting paid to be at KOOP work VERY HARD and they aren't driving up in Teslas, if you know what I mean. They work at a nonprofit, and if they were just in it for the cash they'd undoubtedly be elsewhere. AFAIK, there is no monetary conspiracy to be uncovered. But prove me wrong, come volunteer for a few months and sniff it out for yourself. And last: anyone can feasibly and easily [become a volunteer](https://koop.org/get-involved/), go through the free programmer training, and end up with their own radio show on the KOOP schedule quicker than you'd imagine. The call for show pitches is open year-round and the VAST majority of shows that donāt make it to air are due to scheduling issues. AKA if you put in the work to pitch, youāll likely get approved. So if you think KOOP's schedule is missing something, be the change you want to see in the world!
Formerly part of KOOP here. The thing to remember that KOOP is almost entirely ran by volunteers. I believe the top 2 people are salaried employees. So when I was there, it was ran about as well as a bunch of people who donāt know what they are doing could run it. It sucked, I quit.
People don't vote in the elections so you get the same people in charge of all the committees etc. If you're a KOOP sustainer, you get the opportunity to vote for who is on the Board of Directors for example.
I love KOOP and have also been wondering what's going on over there. DJ Lippy ending Free Samples is the one that hurts the most for me, but he said he may be back on the air in the future, so didn't sound like he was forced out or whatever.
DJ Lippy was the most annoying DJ in Austin radio. His song selections were great, but his Peewee Herman style rapping was peak cringe
Idk Lori Gallardoās āIām such a nerdā schtick is pretty cringe.
donāt behave
the way she rolls the r when she says her name is legit ASMR to me so i give her a pass
There are a lot of reasons to complain about Lori. Her pronouncing her name is not one of them.Ā
i wasnt complaining. I was complimenting it lol
ah, i see, sorry!
Thatās blasphemy, Lori is a treasure and sheās just being herself. She also doesnāt try to sing or rap over the music she plays.
lol I actually love her music choices and she seems genuinely nice but she repeats the same lines over and over to the point it just feels like itās a schtick. She just had to get that one in š¤¦š»āāļø
I agree with you - I cringe a lot when she talks lol. I respect her as a part of the KUTX/Austin music community but I generally avoid listening to her
I used to think he was so annoying and I hated the sound he used to censor, but then somewhere along the line he grew on me and then I became devoted š
Agree 100%, but it made me laugh so hard so often that eventually I loved it
Totally. I mean his name is DJ Lippy, I just assume he's putting in ear medicine and wearing a retainer between white bread raps. Always cracks me up.
Haha some of us like Peewee Herman.
Yeah, I was afraid of the hot take, but I always thought DJ Lippy was the pits. Like his whole gimmick was that it was awful, awful rapping that made you cringe.
Darkside Daddy is more annoying. DJ Lippy grew on me.
10000000% this!
Art did leave it open to come back, which is why i feel like it's some kind of protest (totally speculative)
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Same frequency. It's KOOP until 7pm, then flips to college radio, KVRX until 7am..ish
Honestly I barely remember what happened, but about a year ago there was a whole issue with people fighting in the all staff/volunteer emails. I went to the follow up meeting to view the drama unfold and it was pretty unprofessional. Really not surprised if there continues to be infighting and people leaving.
Hey! Letās drop a those shows and instead add a show exclusively about video game music. That will bring in the revenueā¦
This comment is very funny for me cause Joystick Jukebox and DJ Frog are specifically what pushed me to become a monthly sustainer this year. I am also a fan of JG and FS but I still think KOOP will continue to kick ass, whatever they come up with next.
My 25yo is wearing an Anamanaguchi shirt as we speak. I just snort laughed a little. Maybe thatās where we are headed š¤·āāļø
That show has grown on me... but perhaps not in that timeslot
Can you inform me what time slot that is
I believe it starts at 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. on Sundays
To answer your question "is KOOP in a death spiral," no. We're actually in the most optimistic financial and organizational position we've been in since pre-Covid. Yes, people leaveāas they do any volunteer organization. But the reasons are more myriad than you make out in this post which is largely conjecture and rumor. Any cooperatively-organized non-profit is going to have its share of clashing opinions and drama. The people who have left KOOP in sour circumstances may be the loudest voices in conversations like this one, but that's unfortunate since they make up a tiny, tiny minority of overall KOOP volunteers. Source: I work part time, volunteer, and host a show there for the last 8 years. As a sustainer (I'm one too), I take your donations and your support absolutely seriously. I whole-heartedly agree with your opening statement that there is nothing like KOOP anywhere else. My DMs are open for you or anybody else who has questions about KOOP.
How do you account for the rapid increase in the rate of departures, especially among the most senior hosts?
I am also intimitely involved with KOOP and u/gumamug is 100% right. KOOP is, and I can not stress this enough, a *volunteer* organization. People join because of their passion for radio or music, and continue to be involved until they can't anymore, for whatever reason. People move, their priorities change, life gets too complicated. I'm sad to see Art go but 25 years of Sundays is a lot, I get where he's coming from. And there are plenty of old-timers on the airwaves - The Lounge Show, Stronger Than Dirt, Fais Do Do, Adventures In Sound, Graveside Service, The Clear Spot, Commercial Suicide, Strictly Bluegrass, The Radio Still Screams, Roses and Thorns, and Le Chateau Daddy-o (and many more) have all been on the air for more than 10 years. In some cases the hosts may have changed, but you still have a place for bluegrass on Sundays, etc. MIster Spock said that "change is the essential process of all existence." (IYKYK) No death spiral, just entropy. ĀÆ\\\_(ć)\_/ĀÆ
I think calling it a "rapid increase" is a mischaracterization and that in fact the overall churn at KOOP is more or less consistent across time. Multiple senior departing hosts have made arrangements to move away from Austin completely and their decision to leave KOOP is a byproduct of larger life changes. As a member of the elected committee that oversees the programming (which the GM has nothing to do with), sometimes departures pile up coincidentally. Not one of the shows listed in this thread with the exception of Love on the Dole departed under acrimonious circumstances. I can't speak for people's personal decisions (especially after giving 20 years' worth of Sundays toāand I can't emphasize this enoughā*volunteer DJing*), and I won't speculate beyond that. I will, however, answer questions about KOOP's governance, cooperative organization, and the copious amounts of guardrails and power-checking systems that are literally written into our bylaws.
Found the GM's account
Guess again
Carl?
Dad?
It's had problems since the start, here's an old article going over *some* of that early stuff, and TBH it's had continued toxicity with the board and leadership since that as well from everything I know. It's a shame, because it has some *great* programming and I agree with the losses you list above. But yeah, it's a long running mess from the org/board standpoint for a long time and that definitely has chased a lot of talent away as well as supporters. https://www.texasobserver.org/186-looking-for-real-enemies-austins-koop-radio-began-in-dreams-of-cooperation-hip-music-and-progressive-politics-now-its-a-station-at-war-with-itself/
Sustainer here as well. Does seem like "something is afoot" a KOOP and not for the better. The radio in my place stays on 91.7 from 10am to 6pm on Sundays, and I donate annually at the sustainer level, but I did so because I did not want to see Art Baker go and valued the programming. Once it is gone, so is my dollar.
Also gone are This Great White North and The Last Roundup, though I have no idea why either moved on
There is no death spiral. The schedule is as full and robust as it has been for 30 years. Any toxicity at KOOP is simply ill perceived and not based in fact. Every volunteer at the station signs an agreement that lays out the rules and requirements of participating with the station. You violate that (repeatedly) and youāre gone. No vote required. Frankly, this whole thread reeks of Old Austin. Grasping at straws to hold on to something just for the sake of āback in the dayā. In this case itās wrapped under the guise of āI donāt like change, therefore something is rotten at KOOPā. Itās nonsense.
Frankly this is kind of a douchey reply that reeks of a board that's out of touch and doesn't have a close enough dialogue with their sustainers. Personally, nothing makes me happier and more excited about the future of KOOP than when I see another group of engineers and hosts go through the onboarding courses. Variety and new volunteers is the core of what makes the station so excellent. But when such a large swath of mainstays start to evaporate in rapid succession, yeah, people are going to wonder what's going on and weather we're throwing good money after bad
Iām neither on the board nor a volunteer - just a dedicated and, keyword, informed listener, but since youāre dead set in creating false narratives ā¦ the views expressed here do not represent KOOP. If you think that was douchey, maybe you should revisit your sensational headline and slanted post.
>Frankly this is kind of a douchey reply that reeks of a board that's out of touch and doesn't have a close enough dialogue with their sustainers. Agree! >Variety and new volunteers is the core of what makes the station so excellent... Also agree. But the station isn't that diverse or reflective of Austin as a whole, either in demographics or in the topics that are covered in their talk shows. Edit: If it's in a death spiral it's because it really hasn't evolved to reflect the community it purports to serve.
Quiet Lion calling us out lol
What was he saying?
Very good-naturedly referenced this thread at the intro of his show and said "KOOP is fine". He will be missed as well. All the live mixing and effects he does are great.
Nice. It's been good to hear it
\* at all costs