KPLU Intent to sell to KUOW

[bossbill]

Whatever happened to the original concept of a non-commercial station operated by an educational institution for educational purposes? How many students are involved in the operation of these stations? Why on earth would a university operate a radio station for the purpose of providing music programming that isn't enough in demand to justify a commercial operation?

 

[TheBigA]

Why on earth would a university operate a radio station for the purpose of providing music programming that isn't enough in demand to justify a commercial operation?

Keep in mind this same university offers courses of study for limited audiences as well. Not everything is aimed at the largest audience. Programming a music genre that is considered America's classical music is educational in and of itself.

 

[Rob Piotrowski]

Whatever happened to the original concept of a non-commercial station operated by an educational institution for educational purposes?

Just follow the money, Bill. You'll find your answer there.

 

[AQH]

Whatever happened to the original concept of a non-commercial station operated by an educational institution for educational purposes? How many students are involved in the operation of these stations? Why on earth would a university operate a radio station for the purpose of providing music programming that isn't enough in demand to justify a commercial operation?

If schools are simply teaching kids how to talk up intros of songs, they are failing them. Today's radio curriculum needs to teach not just programming, but engineering, sales, promotions, management and even ownership if they are to get a proper education.

 

[Kelly A]

Just follow the money, Bill. You'll find your answer there.

Money? What money? With the loss of CPB funding and it becoming harder and harder for fundraising a shrinking audience, at least for a music format like Jazz, I suspect the lack of money has been the largest reason PLU decided to get out of the radio operator biz.

 

[Rob Piotrowski]

Money? What money? With the loss of CPB funding and it becoming harder and harder for fundraising a shrinking audience, at least for a music format like Jazz, I suspect the lack of money has been the largest reason PLU decided to get out of the radio operator biz.

You think?

 

[Robert Biltmore Jennings]

It's not a money making venture and they lack the fortitude to play. It's not quitting if you quit while you are ahead...

 

[Radio-X]

It's not quitting if you quit while you are ahead...

Watched American Gangster this weekend, remembered that quote well...

PLU sees the writing on the wall. Jazz as a radio format is aging, just like classical. Notice when KING-FM switched to non-commercial operation they mentioned how quickly they were able to do so based on donations. As a commercial operation, they had to deal with an audience that was fairly old (upper end of sales demos) and not desired by many advertisers. This is despite the fact that the classical demo is usually very well-off and well learned. They knew the only way to ensure the station survives in today's radio market was to take it out of the commercial realm where it was not performing as well to non-com, where Seattleites are well known for keeping listener-supported properties afloat (except, arguably KRAB).

So what's to become of 88.5? I see the following things happening:

- They will not have the same luck KEXP had in getting folks to pony up for a shiny new building. That cost $15 mil...I haven't checked, but I'm pretty sure at least 2/3rds of that came from individual and corporate donors. KEXP gets a lot of new (tech) money flowing its way from 20-30 somethings with limited vices, social lives, or financial obligations/burdens. KPLU's audience is probably more likely to individually donate, but is also more of a "middle class" married-with-older-kids donor base that is further aged (older folks, especially pre-baby boomers are tighter with money...either because they learned to be that way and/or they are on fixed incomes). My guess is they will net about $8-10 million in donations.
- PLU will gladly sell 88.5/92.1 to the community org for $6-7 mil. Don't discount KUOW -- they'll get those out-of-market signals everyone has been speculating they're salivating over. Probably will cost them $500k or less. 88.5 may keep the rebroadcasters in places where KUOW has duplication (Bellingham comes to mind right away)
- If the community organization buys 88.5, don't be surprised if they stay at their current location at least through the duration of the lease for a token amount per month through PLU.
- If the community org buys it, the calls will remain KPLU. Format may change a bit further away from NPR news -- but not the 24/7 jazz programming KUOW proposed. Over the next 5-10 years, little to no change will occur in the programming. Community-run stations tend to follow either the "Pacifica School" of agitators/wannabe-revolutionaries forcing changes in the schedule at least twice a year or the "Fuddy-Dutty School" of people not wanting to change anything in the schedule for decades.
- Within a year or two, the community-owned KPLU would probably be on decent financial ground long-term. Remember, unlike a lot of jazz/classical non-coms, this one comes with a revenue stream from produced in-house Jazz24. They could also unload the service to another jazz station in the country and make quick cash on it.

Radio-X

 

[Rob Piotrowski]

Let's not be naïve here, board denizens. All this "we'll sell to the community" stuff is window dressing to appease the hundreds opposing the sale. It will go through and UW will spin off 94.9 to one of the commercial operations in town for a LOT more than they paid for KPLU.

 

[Radio-X]

Not naive...but I think you'd see NPR fans scream bloody murder worse than when they announced KPLU was sold. Seattle has a very low chance to completely lose a NPR station...especially if the next logical format will be commercial (see WBAI-FM NYC) or religious (see EMF buying West Palm's NPR station...their arm was twisted hard enough EMF had to operate a HD2 translator to provide WPB with NPR until a Miami station took over).

While 94.9 may get sold soon, to whom is the million-dollar question. Assuming Seattle will NOT lose a NPR station, that basically forces a non-commercial station to 94.9 and the NPR "format" to the lower-powered noncom frequency.

Only people who would even benefit from this or desire to do it (swapping stations with 94.9) around here would be KWAO, KSER, KVTI, KEXP, KBCS, KYFQ.

My guess is if any station gets switched, it'll be KPLU, KEXP, and KUOW. It would be a huge improvement on KEXP's signal...and it could set up the potential for the station to be run commercially while being owned by a non-profit group (a la KING-FM in the 90's-00's). NPR news junkies or jazz fans will get 88.5 and 90.3, respectively. That allows jazz on some sort of signal in the area on 90.3, puts NPR news on the big 88.5 stick as KUOW wants, and unloads the 94.9 frequency to someone not considered "big business".

It's the nice, humane way of doing this whole thing. KPLU doesn't lose their programming, KUOW would probably get a sizeable check from KEXP's sugar daddy, Paul Allen, for 94.9...and there won't be scores of Wallingford basement dwellers picketing at the university because some "1% er" company like Entercom, Hubbard, or Sinclair cuts out pub radio for "corporate propaganda, maaaaaaan!"

Of course, this is assuming that "Friends of KPLU" will get anywhere close to the offer proposed by UW. If not, they may consider that their mandate to axe the format all together since they would've given jazz fans the opportunity to purchase the station away and do whatever they wished with it.

I just doubt that 94.9 will be sold to "The Man". Format flip? Very possible. Re-licensed as a commercial station? Possible. Chances we'll see NPR on 94.9 by 2017 if they buy KPLU? Doubtful.

Radio-X

 

[Rob Piotrowski]

Let's not be naïve here, board denizens. All this "we'll sell to the community" stuff is window dressing to appease the hundreds opposing the sale. It will go through...

And here's proof: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article50990530.html

 

[Kelly A]

Well said! Pretty much boiled down to common sense. As we talked about before, originally they estimated around 700 or so outraged people calling to buy the station. Sounds like the actual number of vocal majority is a few dozen. Good luck putting together more than eight million dollars, plus operating capital to run the station with that few supporters. Maybe a bake sale? Car wash?

 

[AQH]

Even if some "community group" raised enough money to purchase KPLU, the UW would simply grab some loot from the athletic department and outbid the other group's price.

Hard to say whether UW would sell 94.9. Part of me hopes they would sell it to a religious broadcaster, if only to piss off some of the experts here.

 

[bobdavcav]

I'm thinking 94.9 will be sold at some point, but it won't happen in the next few years, especially if the other group wanting to buy KPLU doesn't materialize. If what I propose will happen actually does, we're going to see 88.5 pick up the current KUOW programming displacing jazz, and 94.9 will be sold. I'm not sure what would happen to Jazz24 in that case, but I would hope that would continue on hd2, so as to not hav jazz completely disappear.

 

[Rob Piotrowski]

I'm thinking 94.9 will be sold at some point, but it won't happen in the next few years, especially if the other group wanting to buy KPLU doesn't materialize. If what I propose will happen actually does, we're going to see 88.5 pick up the current KUOW programming displacing jazz, and 94.9 will be sold. I'm not sure what would happen to Jazz24 in that case, but I would hope that would continue on hd2, so as to not hav jazz completely disappear.

Huh?

 

[bobdavcav]

Ok maybe the timing wasn't clear. Here's what I think is going to happen,
The group planning to buy KPLU doesn't materialize, and UW ends up with it, but at the time 94.9 isn't sold.
Some time down the road, UW will see what PLU sees now that jazz isn't sustainable and pulls it from 88.5, replacing it with the current KUOW programming, then sells 94.9. When the second step would happen I have no idea, but it probably won't be in the next year or so.

 

[Bongwater]

Has KUOW made any intention of selling off 94.9?

I kinda think we're rushing things here a bit.....

 

[Radio-X]

Firstly, the News-Tribune article linked above is a great read...really puts things into perspective. If it was all about the money PLU's president said they'd have sold to a religious broadcaster (I bet EMF and BBN both offered them a bit more than KUOW). The fact that they didn't shows that they are interested in the station and the format succeeding under another owner. It also mentioned that KPLU had considered buying KUOW, though the asking price was almost triple KPLU's price. It made more sense for a smaller school with just one station seeing downward listening patterns in both jazz and NPR to get out of the radio game now before it becomes an expensive subsidy.

Assuming the sale to UW goes through (80% chance of that IMHO), in order for 94.9 to get out of the NPR game anytime in the next few years, there would have to be another decent non-com signal to come up for sale. Unless KMIH and its translator come up for grabs at some point, I doubt any other signals in Seattle will be on the block. And the fact remains, there would be many, many headaches involved to axe one of the public stations to free up 94.9. Not only are there the listeners who will lose a public station, but despite what the crazies in The Stranger may say about its board being a 'backdoor' to big business and right-wing propaganda, UW is a liberal-leaning school in one of the most liberal parts of the country. There would be many board members who would vehemently fight the idea of selling off a long-time historical frequency for public radio in town so we could get another commercial station. So long as huge amounts of cash are not being infused to prop the station up, 94.9 will be non-commercial public radio of some type for awhile.

For now, jazz is safe. I could see it switching with 94.9 at some point, or perhaps KEXP moving to 94.9, KUOW 88.5, and jazz on 90.3. If there is a "hot" public radio format right now, it would be KEXP. Despite not pulling huge numbers, they seem to be doing quite nicely in the $$ department. Always have, too. My guess is it would cost them the 90.3 frequency + $8-10 million to get 94.9 out of UW's hands.

Also, there may be an issue with selling off 94.9 to begin with! Remember, Dorothy Bullitt donated the station as KRSC-FM when she picked up KING-FM/TV. There may be a clause in that contract from the early 50's that prevents its sale or restricts it to an educational entity only...

Radio-X

 

[AQH]

Has KUOW made any intention of selling off 94.9?

I kinda think we're rushing things here a bit.....

YA THINK?!?!

Most of this board's content is speculation and a "pie in the sky" viewpoint.

 

[bobdavcav]

Firstly, the News-Tribune article linked above is a great read...really puts things into perspective. If it was all about the money PLU's president said they'd have sold to a religious broadcaster (I bet EMF and BBN both offered them a bit more than KUOW). The fact that they didn't shows that they are interested in the station and the format succeeding under another owner. It also mentioned that KPLU had considered buying KUOW, though the asking price was almost triple KPLU's price. It made more sense for a smaller school with just one station seeing downward listening patterns in both jazz and NPR to get out of the radio game now before it becomes an expensive subsidy.

Assuming the sale to UW goes through (80% chance of that IMHO), in order for 94.9 to get out of the NPR game anytime in the next few years, there would have to be another decent non-com signal to come up for sale. Unless KMIH and its translator come up for grabs at some point, I doubt any other signals in Seattle will be on the block. And the fact remains, there would be many, many headaches involved to axe one of the public stations to free up 94.9. Not only are there the listeners who will lose a public station, but despite what the crazies in The Stranger may say about its board being a 'backdoor' to big business and right-wing propaganda, UW is a liberal-leaning school in one of the most liberal parts of the country. There would be many board members who would vehemently fight the idea of selling off a long-time historical frequency for public radio in town so we could get another commercial station. So long as huge amounts of cash are not being infused to prop the station up, 94.9 will be non-commercial public radio of some type for awhile.

For now, jazz is safe. I could see it switching with 94.9 at some point, or perhaps KEXP moving to 94.9, KUOW 88.5, and jazz on 90.3. If there is a "hot" public radio format right now, it would be KEXP. Despite not pulling huge numbers, they seem to be doing quite nicely in the $$ department. Always have, too. My guess is it would cost them the 90.3 frequency + $8-10 million to get 94.9 out of UW's hands.

Also, there may be an issue with selling off 94.9 to begin with! Remember, Dorothy Bullitt donated the station as KRSC-FM when she picked up KING-FM/TV. There may be a clause in that contract from the early 50's that prevents its sale or restricts it to an educational entity only...

Radio-X

Well said, though I didn't think about KEXP playing into this. I expected the two stations to just swap frequencies with jazz being only a placeholder until the station is sold, but as you and I have both said that's not likely to happen within the next year, two, or even three.