CapRadio cuts 12% staff and cancels shows

[radiofan2023]

Studios and offices in that building.

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There's a second building that's a performance space with meeting rooms that would be suited to classes about a block and a half away, CapRadioLive. The signage has been up for about a year and a half.

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Artist rendering of the performance space:

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Originally, the offices, studios and performance space were supposed to all be in one building, the one that ultimately became the performance space. Sactown Magazine did a pretty good look at that (with more renderings) in their September 2019 issue:

Radio Activation - Radio Activation

The visionaries behind a new downtown headquarters for Capital Public Radio will transform a long-empty mid-century building into a living, breathing physical manifestation of the station’s news-and-music format.

www.sactownmag.com

Somewhere along the way, the decision was made to split the studios and offices into a second building. We never got what we considered a good answer as to why, and the second set of construction and lease costs contributed significantly to the financial issues.

The article said the staff offices were supposed to be in the basement, maybe some people didn't like that and that's why they split the buildings. Or maybe the Opera and Philharmonic sharing the building wasn't going to leave enough space for offices and the performance area.

Also that open office basement setup looks incredibly distracting when you're trying to get work done with people walking on the ceiling above.

 

[michael hagerty]

Anyone who hasn't really should read the September 2023 audit:

https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/transparency-accountability/audit-reports/Documents/auxiliary-organizations/2022/2237CapitalPublicRadioSacramento.pdf

This audit, as damning as it is, is incomplete because of what the auditors paint as a lack of full cooperation and transparency from the General Manager at the time (who left shortly after the auditors did).

With the full cooperation of Sacramento State University and the first Interim GM, Tom Karlo, there has been what's called a "forensic examination" that will supposedly say much more about the state of the station's finances and the actions and actors responsible.

Sac State is on record as saying it will release as much of that forensic examination "as the law allows" when it's finally ready.

 

[michael hagerty]

The article said the staff offices were supposed to be in the basement, maybe some people didn't like that and that's why they split the buildings. Or maybe the Opera and Philharmonic sharing the building wasn't going to leave enough space for offices and the performance area.

Guessing about stuff isn't helpful. Those are easy answers that would have been given the staff if they were the right ones.

 

[michael hagerty]

Also that open office basement setup looks incredibly distracting when you're trying to get work done with people walking on the ceiling above.

It's a radio station. They know how to do sound insulation.

 

[radiofan2023]

It's a radio station. They know how to do sound insulation.

I meant being able to see people walking above would be distracting, for me anyway.

 

[michael hagerty]

I meant being able to see people walking above would be distracting, for me anyway.

Are you under the impression that the ceilings would have been transparent?

 

[radiofan2023]

Are you under the impression that the ceilings would have been transparent?

Yes

 

[michael hagerty]

Yes

Okay. No. That's an architectural cutaway rendering showing the spaces. There would have been solid floors, walls and ceilings. The only open space was the stairway down from the performance space lobby to the radio station lobby, which would have had secure access in reality, and there would be walls between the radio lobby and the workspaces.

There's something similar in the separate office/studio building (again, my photos from our tour last February):





In that building, studios and newsroom are on the second floor and reception on the third. Visitors would have to take an elevator to floor 3, check in at reception and wait to be escorted down. While it looks like open space above, there are security doors so that if reception is unattended, someone couldn't simply go down onto floor 2 on their own.

The elevator does not stop on 2 unless an employee access pass is presented. So employees could go straight to the studios, and employees could bring visitors who can't use stairs in via the elevator, but there would be no direct, unsecured access.

 

[radiofan2023]

Thanks for explaining the layout and how it works

 

[michael hagerty]

The latest, published in the Sacramento Business Journal on Friday. It's behind a paywall, but here's the opening paragraph:

Seventy-five Sacramento community leaders signed a letter sent to California State University Sacramento President Luke Wood supporting the proposed integration of the struggling Capital Public Radio with local Public Broadcasting Service television station KVIE Channel 6.

Among those leaders is Henry Wirz, former CEO of Safe Credit Union, former Chairman of KVIE, and a donor/member of both CapRadio and KVIE.

I'm working to get a copy of the letter and will post it here if/when I do.

 

[michael hagerty]

Here's the link to the letter from 75 Sacramento community leaders to Sac State President Luke Wood supporting a CapRadio/KVIE merger.

It comes up funky on my browser, but if you hover over it and click the second to the right icon (next to the download), it opens it out fullsize without downloading. If you would like to download a copy, that's the icon on the far right:

https://media.bizj.us/view/img/12732862/capradiokvie-support-lettersignatures13.pdf

 

[michael hagerty]

More news---just this morning, the Sacramento Business Journal published a reply by Elizabeth Shattuck, co-founder and a former president of the Capital Public Radio Endowment, Frank Maranzino is CapRadio’s interim president and general manager, Susan Catron, CapRadio’s board of directors vice chair and a dean emerita at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education and Gary Vercelli, CapRadio’s jazz music director, who's been with the station for more than 20 years.

Since it appears to be a BizJournal exclusive, I won't quote all of it, but here's the headline:

Opinion: The future of CapRadio is important to the community but it can't be decided by a public campaign​

And here's the nut graf (journalism speak for core of the piece):

"The suggestion that CapRadio should rush to merge with KVIE at this juncture lacks substance and foresight. Everyone in our community should be asking the question: What will keep public media thriving into the future? Answering this question is crucial but complex and challenging. Hastily merging two legacy public media businesses does not help solve this problem."

 

[michael hagerty]

Again from the Sacramento Business Journal, which appears to have taken the lead on this story from the Sacramento Bee:

On April 1, the BizJournal reported that CapRadio will not be occupying its downtown offices and studios. It quotes former Interim General Manager Tom Karlo, who now consults the station, as saying there is no plan as to what to do with the facility at 730 I Street nor for CapRadio Live, the planned performance space, and that the long-term leases have yet to be resolved.

 

[michael hagerty]

And one last thing...BizJournal quoting Sac State spokesperson Brian Blomster on April 5 as saying the forensic audit for CapRadio is expected to be released sometime this month.

 

[radiofan2023]

Why would KQED want Capital Public Radio/KXJZ when they already simulcast on KQEI (besides the fact that KXJZ is 50,000 watts) & what would they do with KQEI then?

 

[michael hagerty]

Why would KQED want Capital Public Radio/KXJZ when they already simulcast on KQEI (besides the fact that KXJZ is 50,000 watts) & what would they do with KQEI then?

I see the reference in the community leaders' letter.

IF (big IF) KQED were to take over Capital Public Radio, it would, as you say, give them a much bigger signal and allow them to cover the Bay Area, Sacramento and Lake Tahoe.

I think the expectation would be that there would be very little local programming (KXJZ would likely be reduced to a bureau that covers Sacramento for KQED), in much the same way that when CapRadio took over KUOP in Stockton, it was reduced to a repeater with one independent contractor who covers the San Joaquin Valley.

I'd also wonder about the future of KXPR (CapRadio Music, 88.9 FM) if KQED were to take over. That signal might be spun off.

That's why the community leaders are pushing for the KVIE merger---it ensures that the signals remain local.

 

[radiofan2023]

Thanks for explaining - I think KQED is actually more interested in getting back to #1 in SF/focusing on expanding their audience there, rather than expanding their presence/buying a more powerful station in Sacramento. John Myers did a great job covering the statehouse, though and is a super nice guy - did you ever run into him at all?

 

[michael hagerty]

Thanks for explaining - I think KQED is actually more interested in getting back to #1 in SF/focusing on expanding their audience there, rather than expanding their presence/buying a more powerful station in Sacramento.

First of all, I don't think KQED is salivating over the idea of taking over CapRadio. They're certainly not going to get into a bidding war for it.

However...if CapRadio were to suddenly go under and the licenses were put up for sale, KQED could buy those fairly cheap.

Again, it would likely run KXJZ, KUOP and KKTO as repeaters and have maybe one person in the region to cover breaking news or state government stories. No need for studio space, equipment or staff beyond that one person. And they could not even have that one person--just send someone if and when a story happens.

And with very little initial expense and very little overhead, it would then have access to an additional pool of donors and their dollars in this region. Plus whatever cash they'd get from selling KQEI's license to whichever non-profit wanted it.

There's absolutely an upside for KQED if it doesn't involve much outlay.

John Myers did a great job covering the statehouse, though and is a super nice guy - did you ever run into him at all?

I certainly know John's work. Never met him.

 

[Mark Roberts]

First of all, I don't think KQED is salivating over the idea of taking over CapRadio. They're certainly not going to get into a bidding war for it.

However...if CapRadio were to suddenly go under and the licenses were put up for sale, KQED could buy those fairly cheap.

At that point, though, especially judging by the open letter that you posted upthread, it seems likely that there would be a community effort to pick up the licenses and then spin them off to KVIE.

I don't remember much about the KQEI acquisition, other than that Family Radio didn't want it any more after getting a frequency with better coverage, but I don't think it's had much of an impact on Sacramento. Aside from state capitol coverage, the only nod to Sacramento in KQED's local coverager is the weather forecast and occasional mentions in the traffic reports.

Again, it would likely run KXJZ, KUOP and KKTO as repeaters and have maybe one person in the region to cover breaking news or state government stories. No need for studio space, equipment or staff beyond that one person. And they could not even have that one person--just send someone if and when a story happens.

Assuming that reporter doesn't get stuck in traffic!

 

[michael hagerty]

At that point, though, especially judging by the open letter that you posted upthread, it seems likely that there would be a community effort to pick up the licenses and then spin them off to KVIE.

Clearly, though, those 75 community leaders feel it's enough of a possibility to mention a KQED takeover scenario in the early part of their letter.

I don't remember much about the KQEI acquisition, other than that Family Radio didn't want it any more after getting a frequency with better coverage, but I don't think it's had much of an impact on Sacramento. Aside from state capitol coverage, the only nod to Sacramento in KQED's local coverager is the weather forecast and occasional mentions in the traffic reports.

I don't think I've ever seen them get more than a 0.2 or 0.3 in the Sacramento PPMs.

Assuming that reporter doesn't get stuck in traffic!

Which is why they'd probably just hire an independent contractor who lives in the area. It works for CapRadio in Stockton.