WYSO IS BECOMING INDEPENDENT • MIKE HENRY MOVES TO CPR’s OpenAir CHANNEL • MARTHA FOLEY TO RECEIVE “LEO LEE” AWARD

Antioch College and WYSO-FM have announced [link] that the station will become independent of the college in the near future. 

WYSO is buying the station’s FCC license for $3.4 million. 

Once the paperwork is complete, WYSO will be operated by a separate community nonprofit organization.

WYSO has the resources to become independent of Antioch. According to disclosure documents on the station website WYSO had revenue around $2.38 million in FY 2017.  Of that amount, approximately 40% came from members, 8% from underwriters and 5% from CPB.

Antioch College contributed non-cash, in-kind support of $426,000 during FY 2017.  Though the support from Antioch is not itemized, much of it likely is for office and studio space WYSO uses on the campus. There was no announcement about the station’s location when it becomes independent.

WYSO is consistently a strong performer in the Nielsen Audio ratings. 

The station competes for NPR News/Talk listeners with Cincinnati’s WVXU. WVXU’S programming is repeated on local station WUMB, which WVXU acquired a few years ago.

Antioch and WYSO have had a fascinating and sometimes contentious relationship over the years. Antioch has long been home to various political and social causes. 

WYSO, since it began in 1958, has been self-described as a “community station." Tension between idealists and pragmatists has been ongoing since 1973 when WYSO became a charter member of NPR.

WYSO GM Neenah Ellis welcomes the change. She told local reporters:

“This is a wonderful opportunity for WYSO, and we are ready to stand on our own.“We are a strong organization with dedicated staff and volunteers who are ready to guide WYSO into the future.”

CONSULTANT MIKE HENRY CHANGES STATIONS IN THE DENVER MARKET

Willobee Carlan

Changes have been happening quickly at two Denver area “music discovery” stations.” 

We reported on the competition between Open Air and 105.5 The Colorado Sound last Monday [link]. 

After we published the story, Colorado Public Radio’s (CPR) press people contacted us with the news that Willobee Carlan is Open Air’s new Program Director.

 

The next day, consultant Mike Henry told Spark News in an exclusive e-interview that he is going to be also working with OpenAir:

Mike Henry

"I now consult CPR’s Open Air and no longer consult The Colorado Sound!  I worked with Willobee Carlan to launch NV89 in Reno and still consult NV89 and am happy to have him as the PD for Open Air now that I’m consulting for them." 

"Willobee starts on March 4 and the work will begin to create a bigger and better Open Air for the listeners of Denver.  Stay tuned!"

MARTHA FOLEY WILL RECEIVE PRNDI’s 2019 LEO LEE AWARD

Martha Foley

The board of the Public Radio News Directors association (“PRNDI”) has announced that long-time North Country Public Radio (NCPR) News Director Martha Foley will receive the 2019 Leo C. Lee Award.

Foley has worked at Canton, NY-based NCPR since the 1970s when joined NCPR as a part-time classical music announcer. Foley went on establish and build a news department at NCPR.

In the press release announcing the honor, PRNDI said Foley shaped the news culture at NCPR and her work became a model for small public radio stations that serve rural communities across the country.

The Leo C. Lee Award was established by PRNDI in 1993. Lee was an influential independent reporter who established vital lines of cooperation between station-based and independent reporters with NPR News. Lee was also a founder of PRNDI while he was President of the San Francisco Press Club.

Foley will receive PRNDI’s 2019 Leo C. Lee Award at the organization’s annual awards banquet: June 15 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC [link].