Late last week, we learned that Energy 92.7 FM, our local, community-focused, often-LGBT-themed radio station, was no more. The station was sold several months ago, and the new owner, who also owns stations in Las Vegas and Palm Springs, apparently decided to fire 92.7's DJs, end the station's local focus, and instead use DJ-less top 40 playlists that can be heard on any random radio station around the country and that have nothing to do with San Francisco or the LGBT community.
Whatever one's taste in music, 92.7's disappearance is a loss for the LGBT community and a loss for local and diverse media. It is another step in a sad transition from locally owned and focused media �" media that covers what is happening in the community and that promotes the community �" to bland, homogenized media disconnected from the community. This is the wrong direction.
Energy 92.7 was not just about the music. The station focused on the local San Francisco scene, and especially the LGBT scene, in a way that I've never seen before with an FM station:
- 92.7 regularly promoted local community-based nonprofits, ranging from the LGBT Community Center to HIV service organizations to women's organizations to organizations serving communities of color. As one of the organizers of Castro Community on Patrol, a small grassroots neighborhood safety organization, I saw first-hand the benefits of having our volunteer trainings and other activities promoted by 92.7 at no cost. The station also regularly made service announcements about LGBT health issues.
- 92.7 promoted San Francisco's local entertainment scene, and particularly LGBT-focused entertainment. The station helped spread the word about local bars, nightclubs, one-time parties, and street fairs.
- 92.7's DJs �" especially Fernando Ventura and Greg Sherrell �" were unique personalities specific to our community. And, they were present and involved locally in a way that only a few other radio DJs are.
- 92.7 promoted San Francisco's many unique local personalities, including community leaders, elected officials, and other interesting characters in the community.
- 92.7, by reaching many straight listeners throughout the Bay Area, educated them about LGBT issues and equality. This kind of entertainment-based outreach is arguably among the most effective ways to educate straight people about LGBT equality, health issues, and so forth.
The radio station's role in the community was analogous to the Bay Area Reporter's role. Similar to 92.7 and its DJs, the B.A.R. has journalists, photographers, and other staffers who are local. That makes a huge difference in how our community is covered and how our issues are portrayed. Imagine if the B.A.R., and other community newspapers like the Bay Times, were purchased by a national media company and then filled with staff reports from other parts of the country. We would be worse off for that lack of local coverage and focus.
Energy 92.7's contributions are now a thing of the past. The station is part of the consolidation that is stripping local media of its ability to cover and be a part of the local community. The Federal Communications Commission is directly to blame for this state of affairs. Starting with the Reagan administration, the FCC has allowed far too many media mergers and acquisitions, leading to media conglomerates that focus on the bottom line, not on producing great and unique local content. The FCC needs to get back in the business of ensuring diversity and competition among media outlets and back to the basic concepts that the public owns the airwaves and that media companies may use the airwaves only when doing so benefits the public. What happened to 92.7 benefits no one except for the station's owner. It certainly does not benefit our community.
Let's all do everything in our power to make sure this doesn't happen again. And, let's make sure to support our local independent media to help it survive and to make sure it stays around for the long term.
Scott Wiener is a longtime Castro resident. He is also a candidate for District 8 supervisor.