[joe-frank-list] Re: joe-frank can NOT be free

[Jargonym at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/30/2004 1:00:50 PM Central Standard Time, 
joe-frank-list-request at armory.com writes:

> Joe's work was all public, or at leat 95% of if was, due to the
> dilligent efforts of his fans, who collected, stored, and supplied
> bandwidth to distribute it.

When he left KCRW, Joe Frank specifically asked that we stop posting MP3 
files, as it was clear that it hurt his sales. Since the MP3 trading has stopped, 
he's sold more CDs. That's pretty simple to comprehend.

So, while in some kind of nebulous "long run" Joe Frank may gain from people 
trading his product without compensating him for it, in the "short run" he has 
rent to pay and $75 an hour for engineering at 10-20 hours per show as well 
as other costs- cost of any actors he uses, etc. So if you think he should pay 
to produce these programs somehow out of his own pocket for your continued 
entertainment and enlightenment, without any remuneration from the listeners, 
then I'm sure you'd agree to come over once a week to clean my apartment for FREE 
(no pay) because in the "long run" you'll make money. That's how it works, 
right?  Kind of a "Karmic trickle-down theory" - a cross between Ronald Reagan 
and the Dali Lama.

I think for young artists who just want to distribute their work to become 
better known, and who have day jobs anyway, that "free MP3" model is great.  But 
for anyone who's made the commitment to focus their energy ENTIRELY on their 
art, with no "day job" to fall back on, I don't see how the current day-to-day 
expenses get paid by "in the long run" economics.

You know, if someone is a PROFESSIONAL artist, in any media, then that work 
is ALL THEY DO, because it takes ALL THEIR ENERGY to do it properly.  If you 
have someone like me who paints but who is really a CAB DRIVER, that's called 
"AMATEUR."  I'm not willing to make the LEAP INTO THE ABYSS of doing painting 
full time, because I'm afraid I'd become homeless within a month..... probably a 
well founded fear, but still, if I were to REALLY commit myself, I'd take 
that step.  Joe is a PROFESSIONAL, and if you feel his work is valuable and fine 
then why would a few dollars matter to you?  

After seeing him live, and listening to him 24 x 7 here on this pirate 
station (I understand the pirate has Joe's permission- ) I am going to buy as much 
Joe Frank stuff as I can.  I am also going to write letters to NPR and tell 
them they ought to give direct, unqualified support to Joe!

(FYI Joe Frank is still being heard at 87.9 FM here in Chicago 24 x 7, no 
announcements or interruptions.  The signal area got a little larger too it 
seems, I heard it at Fullerton and Cicero the other day and also it could he heard 
sporadically in the near-north suburbs of Evanston and Skokie.)
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