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WMUB programs will be lost in operating agreement
Friday, January 23, 2009
OXFORD — Miami University's move to give up control of WMUB 88.5 FM will also end the station's unique programming, at least for the near future.
The university announced it was negotiating an operating agreement with Cincinnati Public Radio to manage the NPR-affiliated radio station on Jan. 22.
The station would join Cincinnati Public Radio's WGUC FM and WVXU FM. WVXU already offers similar programing as the Miami station.
The university said the 35,000 listeners of WMUB will still receive two-thirds of the same programming currently available.
For at least the near-term, WMUB and WVXU will be simulcast, said Richard Campbell, Miami journalism director and chair of the WMUB Review Committee.
"We just don't know how it will all end up," he said. The piece not fixed (in the agreement) is the journalism piece. I can imagine us being a kind of bureau for them that does stories on southwest Ohio and special stories for Butler County."
While WMUB listeners, which span from Butler to Montgomery County, will not receive local weather nor the station's 13 daily newscasts, he said similar broadcasting is already available at WYSO in Dayton.
Originally, Miami was working to partner with WYSO, but when that station's general manager resigned, the deal fell through, Campbell said.
The CPR deal will expand that company's footprint into the Dayton region which is why "this is such a good deal for them," he said.
Miami has been investigating new alternatives for the station since Jan. 2007. The school funds more than $800,000, or 62 percent, of WMUB's budget through direct and indirect support. Of the more than 185 public stations licensed to U.S. universities, the average funding is 37 percent, according to the committee report.
The university is facing a $22 million budget deficit and said it will cut about 100 positions this year.
"We have come to this decision with deep regret because of our long history with WMUB and the excellent staff there now, but the financial obligation of WMUB can no longer be borne by the university with the economic challenges we face," said university President David Hodge.
The new operating agreement means seven full-time and three part-time station staff will lose their jobs. The 16 undergraduate students working at WMUB will be reassigned to other campus offices, said Cleve Callison, station general manager.
The staff will remain on the Miami payroll until June 30, although the station will switch to WVXU broadcasting March 1, he said.
The station has been working to raise more funds to cover the university subsidy, but as the economy turned south Campbell said it was clear that would not be possible.
"One the one hand I have to look at this from an intellectual standpoint. I can read a budget sheet and see where (Miami) is coming from, but I also see what an incredible value this station was to the university, especially to the students and the public perception of Miami University," he said. "It's a sad time."
CPR said it is "determining the feasibility of managing WMUB as a news and information station" and the service it provides to its coverage area, which includes Miami, Butler County and the Dayton area.
Check back for more updates.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843 or jheffner@coxohio.com.
Comments
By Ron Carbaugh
January 26, 2009 7:50 AM | Link to this
I drifted away from WMUB when their local saturday classic jazz went away (Sams Place). Guess it’s all about ratings and revenue. Too bad though. I find it disturbing that people under 40 who consider themselves american music fans have no idea who Louis Armstrong, King Oliver and Paul Whiteman were…
By Darlene
January 24, 2009 7:31 PM | Link to this
Now, Now, Now Dear, you know you are my husband and you are unemployed, remember? So you pay no taxes to support your NPR stations. You want everyone else to support them. There you go with namecalling again. What is it that you can’t refrain from it? I guess it makes you feel more masculine, it is all you have.
By Barry
January 24, 2009 7:25 PM | Link to this
I never listen to npr any more. gave up on them years ago when they bought into the whole “man made global warming” crap. I used to listen to them to try to understand how the liberal mind worked (the whole know your enemy, and know yourself thing), but I gave up on that long ago
By darlene's husband
January 24, 2009 6:45 PM | Link to this
wow darlene, feel better about yourself? i’m sure you’re sooooo much better than everyone else? glad your husbands working. that gives you a reason to sit around the house and get fatter
elitist b***h
By Darlene
January 24, 2009 6:16 PM | Link to this
Thanks edu guy, it is good to know there is at least one level headed person around,as far as my husband he still lives in his parents basement sitting in his pj’s thinking of tired cliches to spout on the internet. Who knows who would ever hire him! Maybe he can get coffe for Mr. Obama’s road builders.
By Ann
January 24, 2009 2:39 PM | Link to this
What will I do without The Help Desk on Tuesday mornings? That’s the best computer show around and very accessible when you have a question. My sister in Georgia listens to it too and loves their knowledge base.
By Bosch's Poodle
January 24, 2009 2:16 PM | Link to this
Loss of news diversity is always sad, but frankly abuot 95% of what I got out of WMUB was from national programming, not locally produced stuff. Diagnosing printer problems, interviews of acupuncturists and new-age charlatans, and so on just did not interest me very much at all. PS: To the pinheads ranting about Rush Limbaugh, you obviously are not bright enough to understand the difference between entertainment and news. Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer, like a gigantic circus clown on drugs.
By Yep
January 24, 2009 1:42 PM | Link to this
It’s less about the listener and more about the advertiser. Just look at Channel 7, 2 and 22 today. They all running infomercials. When you run infomercials, you’ve pretty much given-up on the entertainment value. You basically saying screw the viewer, we want to cash-in.
By Mark
January 24, 2009 1:23 PM | Link to this
That sucks. Nothing but the dying Corporate radio stations form now on. Radio simply doesn’t sell music like it used to for artists. Pop music is about all that is profitable on radio these days. The internet has changed the game. The record industry is dead. Wake-up and smell the coffee.
By edu guy
January 24, 2009 12:07 PM | Link to this
Darlene, sorry to hear you are/were married to a left wing nut job. The good news is with Barack’s stimulus package guys like your husband will get called back to work since unemployment is so high right now (the only lines I’ve seen have been for the Blackberry Pearl and to eat at Longhorns). Anyway, us Republican small business owners will get to listen to Rush and Glenn all day as we write their checks. Or will your husband’s check continue to come from the government? Go Darlene Go!
By DURL
January 24, 2009 11:32 AM | Link to this
It’s a sad day when the NPR beast gobbles up another fine transmitter to spoon feed the masses. It’s too bad that these controlled feeds are wasting so much frequency bandwidth. It’s no wonder that alternative internet radio networks like GCN (Genesis Communications Network) and RBN (Republic Broadcasting Network) are now getting so much attention in this time of crisis. People have to get past this false left / right paradigm to understand that globalism does not work and it’s not your friend!
By Darlene
January 24, 2009 10:47 AM | Link to this
Why are you Lefties always so angry and resort to namecalling? Can’t we all just get along? You won, what can little ole Rush do to you now? We get to sit back and watch it all unfold before our very eyes. Hope you enjoy it!
By Barack Obama
January 24, 2009 10:06 AM | Link to this
Change has come…to WMUB.
By darlene's husband
January 24, 2009 9:56 AM | Link to this
LOL at defending a guy on the radio!!!!!
who’s the dummy now? “Rush is my idol” LOLOLOLOL
get a life lady.
By darlene's husband
January 24, 2009 9:54 AM | Link to this
i can’t wait to call you “ex-wife”
By Darlene
January 24, 2009 9:51 AM | Link to this
See how “smart” we are when we don’t listen to Rush! Go back to the playground where your namecalling and childish ways will prevail. Care to call me anything else?
By darlene's husband
January 24, 2009 9:46 AM | Link to this
i hope sherry lawson and tana weingartner show up somewhere locally.
i’ll miss hearing them on my drive to work
By Cleve Callison
January 24, 2009 9:27 AM | Link to this
The story is correct, but the headline “WMUB drops local shows” makes this sound like a decision by WMUB. The decider here was Miami, not WMUB. The figure of 62% support is incorrect. Miami’s cash support of $550K is 39% of the cash budget of $1.4 million. Add in $300K for in-kind (office space, services, etc.) and Miami support is 50% of $1.7 million, cash + in-kind.
By darlene's husband
January 24, 2009 9:01 AM | Link to this
my wife gets her political advice from a guy who barely graduated from high school and is a drug addict.
i’m thinking about divorce
By darlene's husband
January 24, 2009 8:59 AM | Link to this
don’t listen to my wife. she’s an idiot
By Ron Carbaugh
January 24, 2009 8:57 AM | Link to this
WMUB has been going down hill since cancelling Sam’s Place Jazz on saturdays a few years ago.
By mechengr9
January 24, 2009 8:39 AM | Link to this
Hey Darlene pull your head out of your backside and YOU may learn something. Al Franken was right Rush Limbaugh IS a big fat IDIOT!
By Darlene
January 24, 2009 8:15 AM | Link to this
I think it is a good thing! Who needs to listen to that liberal tripe? What has happened to my alma mater? Try listening to Rush Limbaugh and you might just learn something of value!
By Pat
January 24, 2009 7:46 AM | Link to this
By Nancy Pelosi,
“Don’t worry, I’m sure there is something in the President’s stimulus package to save WMUB.”
Yea, I agree, I’m sure that a radio station that employed 10 people is way up the list for stimulus money.
By Jim
January 24, 2009 7:27 AM | Link to this
If Miami University would spend less money on ice hockey rinks and carillons, perhaps it could afford to operate its radio station—or beef up its library to truly “public ivy” standards. As it now stands, in all its faux Georgian splendor, Miami is one big monument to Gregory Potemkin!
By Tim
January 24, 2009 3:09 AM | Link to this
Buy Sirius XM and forget about old fashioned terrestrial radio!!!
By Lee Kreider
January 23, 2009 10:36 PM | Link to this
A great loss. Although WVXU is a good choice if it had to happen.
By Lisa
January 23, 2009 10:12 PM | Link to this
I’m sad to see this happen, especially since I had given money for a number of years. I’ll miss the local programs like the Help Desk. I’ve never been a fan of WVXU, especially their exceptionally long pledge breaks. However, one can generally listen to many of the NPR news programs on other NPR stations via the Internet.
By Chris
January 23, 2009 9:59 PM | Link to this
That’s a shame WMUB is no longer going to broadcast it’s own shows. I’ll not give them anymore of my money. Why should I? I can hear NPR any time I want for free. America doesn’t need anymore off the shelf radio stations.
By Nancy Pelosi
January 23, 2009 9:12 PM | Link to this
Don’t worry, I’m sure there is something in the President’s stimulus package to save WMUB.