In a November 23, 2009, article titled "Kling: For bigger role, stronger stations required", The Current, a publication covering public media — public television and public radio — reported on the recent "Future of News" summit meetings that Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) recently sponsored.
As part of a white paper, titled "In Service of Democracy: Achieving Public Radio and Public Media's Potential", APMG/MPR CEO Bill Kling presented data on public radio news and hybrid-format stations in the top 25 radio markets.
First, note the operating budgets of each of these stations.
Everhart went on to report:
Kling urged [public radio] leaders to break away from colleges, universities and other institutions, which still hold 60 percent of station licenses, and develop the larger scale and greater independence of strong local institutions.
Even among the news-oriented stations in the 25 largest markets, 17 are licensed to universities or other multipurpose institutions, Kling wrote in a white paper he presented to the [Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)] Board and other system leaders Nov. 17. Only eight “have what could be described as a dedicated, effective board” with authority to hire and fire their chief execs.
The governance and structural weakness of stations licensed to other institutions has undercut [public radio]’s ability to attract “competitive leadership talent . . . with ability, vision, entrepreneurial genes, community skills and boundless energy,” Kling wrote.
Among the station licenses that Kling apparently wants "liberated" are those whose licenses are currently held by:
- University of Houston – Houston/Galveston, TX
- Atlanta School Board – Atlanta, GA
- American University – Washington, DC **See the story of WGTS
- Boston University – Boston, MA **See the story of WRNI
- University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, MI
- Miami School Board – Miami/Dade County, FL **See the story of WMCU
- Maricopa County Community College – Phoenix, AZ
- San Diego State University – San Diego, CA
- University of South Florida – Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater, FL
- Sacred Heart University – Long Island, NY
- University of Missouri – St. Louis, MO **See the story of KFUO
- Duquesne University – Pittsburgh, PA
Everhart went on to report:
[Public radio]’s weaknesses have everything to do with the governance structure of local stations under institutional or joint licensees, according to Kling. These stations’ are inhibited in fulfilling their public service mission because their agendas are subservient to that of the parent institution, he said. In the case of joint licensees, he wrote, radio revenues are too often siphoned off to subsidize [public television] operations, preventing the radio outlet from reaching its full potential.
Minneapolis Star-Tribune publisher Mike Sweeney questioned the use of state subsidies to fund MPR’s news expansion at the Summit and in a recent editorial.
David Brauer of the MinnPost wrote a November 25 article about Everhart's article, "Minnesota Public Radio: punching above its weight". The reader comments are interesting.
