Privatize the Austin Music Network!

[Updates below.]

I never sit down to watch the channel but the times I've surfed across it there were some interesting acts playing.

Media group offers to privatize Austin Music Network

The Austin Music Network (AMN) was funded mostly by the city of Austin until last fall.

Once funding was cut, the city and the network began looking for alternate financial resources. City leaders decided the network will have to look for money outside the city budget once its $150,000 contract expires in September.

A private media group, Austin Music Partners, offered Wednesday to privatize AMN. Longtime TV producer Connie Wodlinger would be in charge of programming.

Her proposal comes just two months after city leaders questioned the network's financial viability.

Copyright ©2004TWEAN News Channel of Austin, L.P. d.b.a. News 8 Austin

Good news. Austin's tourists (the network's $150,000 comes from the hotel/motel bed tax) shouldn't have to pay for this. Also keep in mind that there may be a deal with TimeWarner Austin in the works:

This whole mess broke last week when AMN tipped the daily to the fact that - as both Wynn and McCracken have long suggested - the city was talking with Time Warner about the possibility of the latter taking over AMN and turning it into an arts-and-entertainment version of News 8 Austin.

Copyright © 1995-2004 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved.

Which would also be neat.

Searching for "Austin Music Partners" doesn't turn up anything at all, so perhaps this private media group has just gotten together for the purposes of buying AMN. It certainly would be a good opportunity. According to AMN:

The Austin Music Network is the only independent music channel in the world. We are on the air 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and showcase the best of Austin and Texas music. Each day features original music videos and uninterrupted concert performances with a short list of national artists mixed in.

It enjoys a fair bit of support from the local indie community. The Austin Chronicle seems to love it and has stuck up for it's existence in the past.

In any event, funding arts and entertainment is something government has no business doing. This is a step in the right direction. Now, how about privatizing those homeless shelters...

UPDATE(6/24/2004 8:27am)
News8Austin: AMN reaches compromise with Austin Music Partners

After months of heated discussions and "he said-she said" disputes, the Austin Music Network and Austin Music Partners are joining together to make television.

It started at a telecommunications infrastructure meeting on Wednesday afternoon. Louis Meyers, the general manager of AMN came to the table along with Austin Music Partners TV producer Connie Wodlinger, much to the surprise of the committee.

[...]

"Whether it's private or nonprofit, I think there's a lot of advantages for the local community and at the end of the day probably affect a different group of the local community. So, our goal is to make sure we create a plan that everybody is part of," Meyers said.

Copyright ©2004TWEAN News Channel of Austin, L.P. d.b.a. News 8 Austin

No, it does matter whether it's privately owned or publicly owned. It matters a lot and that crucial question shouldn't be sacrificed in order for the pandering to locals to continue.

Posted by Drizzten at April 29, 2004 04:50 PM