Walt Rubel Commentary: Love for antiquated media leads me to Que Tal

New years don’t always bring new opportunities, but mine did last year.

It was at about this time last year that I decided I had sulked for long enough after being laid off by the Sun-News, and needed to find something productive to do with my time. And so, I applied to be the general manager at KTAL-LP 101.5 FM Las Cruces Community Radio; or, Que Tal, as we call it.

Like all positions at Que Tal, it’s a volunteer gig. And, to be honest, it was one I was not overly qualified for. I earned a degree in mass communications, and had a show on the campus radio station at the University of Northern Colorado. But that was more than 40 years ago.

Fortunately, we already had talented and knowledgeable managers and volunteers in place to handle the day-to-day operations of running a radio station. 

I didn’t know what community radio was when I edited our first news story about Kevin Bixby, then of the Southwest Environmental Center, obtaining a license in 2013.

In 2000, the FCC created a new class of low-powered broadcast licenses for community radio stations. The idea was to counter the growing shift to corporate radio, which has been swallowing up independent stations throughout the nation ever since the Telecommunications Act of 1996 removed restrictions on national ownership. In the year after that bill was passed, 2,045 radio stations were sold for a combined $13.6 billion. Local voices and issues were replaced by smoother, more polished professionals from another state with nothing to say. 

Community radio operates under the same set of rules and runs some of the same shows as National Public Radio. But there is a big difference. They are a behemoth, with a signal that covers nearly the entire nation - despite the unfortunate efforts of the current administration.

We are Lilliputians, with a signal that begins to fade out once you leave town. And so, we are all about Las Cruces. Local politics, local sports, local music, local arts and culture.

The past year has been a learning experience. As a newspaper reporter and editor, I was constantly on guard for those who would try to “bribe” me through simple acts of kindness like offering a bottle of water on a hot day. Now, I’m learning the realities of life as a non-profit organization that relies on the generosity of local supporters to survive. It feels like I’ve always got my hand out asking for money. That’s one part of the new job I’m still getting used to.

But, we are wrapping up what will be our most successful fundraiser in years, with support from the Local News Fund, the Devasthali Foundation, the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico and the Green Chamber of Commerce. The most gratifying part has been hearing from our listeners.

Radio has always played a special role in my life. It’s where I developed a love for music; a lifetime of anguish following first the Denver Bears and now the Colorado Rockies; and an interest in political debate.

Maybe it’s not what it used to be. But there were several local bands and musicians who had their songs played on the radio for the first time last year by Que Tal. And that’s still a special thing to be a part of. 



Walt Rubel can be reached at [email protected]

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