When
we covered WCBE in October 2019 [link], it looked like the licensee was looking
for a way to get out of the public radio business.
At
that time, the Columbus City School District was reportedly talking with Ohio
State University about crafting a Public Service Operating Agreement (PSOA) to
operate WCBE.
A
deal was reached with WOSU and now the school district is keeping open the
option of keeping the station.
The
reason is that WCBE’s finances have stabilized and no other potential new owner stepped forward.
According
to a report in The Columbus Dispatch [link], Scott Varner, the person who the
District chose to oversee WCBE, told the District’s it is now time to begin
“re-imagining the radiWCBE’s future, including how WCBE can best fit with the District’s
educational mission.
Varner
told District that he needs more time to explore the options before
recommending a path forward.
The options range from keeping WCBE to selling the
station’s FCC license.
Warner
told board members that stabilization was needed to make an informed decision
about the future of WCBE. Varner tpld the board members:
“This
yearlong stabilization effort that we undertook truly revealed the extent of
some of the dysfunction at the station. We are still finding unplanned or
unaccounted for expenses.”
Varner
is referring to the
situation caused by former WCBE General Manager Dan Mushalko who hid around
$900,000 of past due invoices, mainly from NPR, for reasons that are still
unknown. Mushalko didn’t personally take any money that belonged to
station.
 |
| Dan Mushalko |
Mushalko
pleaded guilty in October 2019 to a felony change of destroying station
documents. In his plea, he admits he falsified invoices to conceal the
station's true debt.
Mushalko was sentenced to two years on probation and a $500 fine
According
to the report in The Dispatch, the
District spent more
than $1.6 million to keep WCBE operating since the unpaid invoices were uncovered
in February 2019.
PODTRAC RE-INTRODUCES ITS
MONTHLY TOP 20 PODCAST CHART
Earlier
this year, Podtrac put its Top 20 podcasts rankings behind the pay-wall. But
now they have changed their minds. Podtrac just released a Top 20 list for June
2020 (on the left).
The
new Podtrac Top 20 now includes several shows that were previously
excluded.
However, the consensus number
one podcast in the U.S. – The Joe Rogan
Experience – is not listed on Podtsc's Top 20 chart.
Despite
that omission, we are pleased that Podrac re-introduced the Top 20 podcast
chart.
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