It is rare that I disagree so wholeheartedly with a Gazette editorial as I did after reading your opinion that the town of Amherst should go through a lengthy and expensive goose chase to search for an entity to provide the services that Amherst Media has been delivering so well for over 40 years (“Prudent to seek local broadcast bids,” March 20).
Is the town obligated to go through the Request For Proposal (RFP) process in this case? Will the town be in violation of the law if it continues to fund Amherst Media in the usual way? Is every town in Massachusetts racing to issue RFPs for their community broadcasting services? If the answer is “no,” then my question to the town manager, who seems to be driving this, is “Why spend scarce dollars and staff time trying to fix something that’s not broken?”
Amherst Media is a stunning cross section of the town of Amherst. It has trained our sons and daughters. Its policy: open door. The organization is part of the warp and woof of the town.
It has fulfilled its mission to educate, inform and entertain the people of Amherst. You don’t “bid” on a service like that. We are not talking about road repaving here. To think that you can find “competing bids” to build better relationships at a cheaper price is flawed. Not all decisions are economic decisions.
For over 40 years, Amherst Media has delivered on its promise, building a national reputation in the process. Why fiddle with success?
Glenn Siegel
Northampton