WUWF’s executive director resigned. What’s next for WUWF?
WUWF Loses Director, Is NPR Next? - Rick's Blog
WUWF Loses Director, Is NPR Next? - Rick's Blog
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Pensacola/Fort Walton Will WUWF be the next station to drop NPR?
- Thread starter Poledo
- Start date
WUWF’s executive director resigned. What’s next for WUWF?
If you follow public broadcasting around the country, there's a lot of movement in the executive director job. It's mainly a fundraising job, and requires someone to ask for money. It's harder now because the federal subsidy is gone. So a lot of EDs are going to other types of non-profit organizations.
As for WUWF, if they drop NPR, they have a lot of programming to fill. They also need to see how many members primarily subscribe to the station to get NPR news. If they can live without that money, then it doesn't matter. WSRE felt that people didn't subscribe for PBS. We'll see how that works out.
What we've seen around the country is that it's hard to replace any radio format. People who listen to radio have lots of choices. So when you change the format of something people liked for a long time, you're alienating people who may not stick around for what you do next. South Carolina Public Radio originally announced they were cutting back on NPR. Then, they changed their mind. But I don't see a change in ED as having anything to do with programming or NPR. It's all about fundraising.
If you follow public broadcasting around the country, there's a lot of movement in the executive director job. It's mainly a fundraising job, and requires someone to ask for money. It's harder now because the federal subsidy is gone. So a lot of EDs are going to other types of non-profit organizations.
As for WUWF, if they drop NPR, they have a lot of programming to fill. They also need to see how many members primarily subscribe to the station to get NPR news. If they can live without that money, then it doesn't matter. WSRE felt that people didn't subscribe for PBS. We'll see how that works out.
What we've seen around the country is that it's hard to replace any radio format. People who listen to radio have lots of choices. So when you change the format of something people liked for a long time, you're alienating people who may not stick around for what you do next. South Carolina Public Radio originally announced they were cutting back on NPR. Then, they changed their mind. But I don't see a change in ED as having anything to do with programming or NPR. It's all about fundraising.
What is interesting about the supplied article is that several Board members who approved of WSRE-TV's disaffiliation with PBS are now sitting on the WUWF Board--the same Board that will determine who the next director for the radio station will be. It wouldn't surprise me if we learned in a future post that current Florida governor Ron DeSantos was behind the changes that occurred at WSRE-TV and is working behind the scenes to disaffiliate WUWF-FM from NPR as well. If he is behind these changes, the south Florida juggernauts in Tampa Bay, Orlando, Fort Pierce, and Miami had better look out!
If he is behind these changes, the south Florida juggernauts in Tampa Bay, Orlando, Fort Pierce, and Miami had better look out!
Geographically those are very different areas. The panhandle is very conservative. The bigger cities are not. Yes the governor has cut funding to public radio, but not just because of NPR. There are some conservatives who don't believe in government funding of broadcasting. Chris Christie was one of them. That's why it's so important that the new ED of this station has strong ties to local business, and knows how to raise money locally. Because the future of this station won't be from the state or federal government. If the board cuts NPR, then it will find a new home. WUWF will have to compete against it for funding.
What is interesting about the supplied article is that several Board members who approved of WSRE-TV's disaffiliation with PBS are now sitting on the WUWF Board--the same Board that will determine who the next director for the radio station will be. It wouldn't surprise me if we learned in a future post that current Florida governor Ron DeSantos was behind the changes that occurred at WSRE-TV and is working behind the scenes to disaffiliate WUWF-FM from NPR as well. If he is behind these changes, the south Florida juggernauts in Tampa Bay, Orlando, Fort Pierce, and Miami had better look out!
WMFE in Orlando is not a university/state license, so there's not much that anyone in the Governor's office could do there (ditto WJCT and probably WLRN since it's a K-12 School Board). But the Governor is gone in 6 months and his duck is getting lamer by the day. He probably only has so much capital left in the tank, so I don't think this is the fight he's going to pick. Then there's a new Governor and who knows what will happen.
WMFE in Orlando is not a university/state license
That may be the future for most of the public stations in Florida. The fact is that NPR & PBS have strong fan bases for what they do around the country. Colleges and universities seem to be selling their radio & TV properties. WMFE began as part of the University of Central Florida. They sold it to a community group. That's also a direction UWF can go. Dropping an NPR affiliation isn't going to put NPR out of business, or stop them from doing news coverage.