WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO KFAI? • NIELSEN MAY PPM RATINGS FOR PHILADELPHIA, MIAMI & DETROIT

When we were preparing yesterday’s story about the Public Radio Content Conference (PRCC) and the May PPM ratings for Minneapolis-St. Paul, we realized that longtime community station KFAI wasn’t listed by Nielsen Audio.  In fact, it has been several years since KFAI subscribed to the ratings.

People who read Spark News in our early days might remember we created a bit of a stir in March 2015 [link] when we opined that KFAI “fire its programming committee.” 

At that time, KFAI was fighting to keep its Community Service Grant from CPB.  Here is how we described the situation in 2015:

Community noncom KFAI is trying to stay in business.  According to news reports, KFAI is more than $100,000 in the hole and they need money now. Listening to KFAI has fallen to perhaps its lowest level ever. The most recent Nielsen Audio PPM numbers I could find were from Summer 2014.  KFAI had 100 AQH listeners and 15,600 Weekly Cumulative listeners.  That is hardly a pulse.

KFAI, like many Community noncoms is constrained by too many committees, particularly a committee to determine the station’s programming.  Programming Committees ensure the status quo, make certain people in the “in group” keep control of their schedule turf and mean no one is held accountable. That is the current situation at KFAI.

Soon after our story was published, KFAI actually took our advice…sort of. 

They replaced the Programming Committee with a Content Advisory Committee. The big difference was that new committee “advises” management, and doesn’t make final decisions.  This is progress.

So, how is KFAI doing now?

Leah Honsky

We spoke with General Manager Leah Honsky who is now in fourth year on the job.  Honsky told us that running a nonprofit community radio station always has challenges.

She described KFAI [link] today as "stable."

In community radio, "stable" is often significant progress.

Honsky seems to have ended the roller-coaster ride that preceded her arrival. “Stable” is necessary before any station can plan for the future. Honsky says KFAI is getting ready for a new chapter.

The station survived CPB’s proposed funding cuts in 2015. In fact, Honsky said relations today between the station and CPB are good:

“We stay visible with CPB.  I am frequently in touch with them and take their advice.  When money is tight, we let CPB know. We are in this together.”

KFAI currently has around 1,500 members and annual revenue around $600,000. Underwriting is down a bit but the finances are stable.

If you are in town for the PRCC visit KFAI in the

West Bank neighborhood near the University of Minnesota

Honsky says that the biggest challenge that KFAI faces now is the status of their FM translator in St. Paul.

KFAI has been serving listeners in St. Paul for over a decade via a translator at 106.7 FM. 

That translator has been off the air for several months due to local construction. The problem is outside of KFAI’s control. 

KFAI has a second translator at 93.3 FM that covers portions of St. Paul. Honsky is hopeful that 106.7 FM will return to the air soon.

Honsky is particularly proud of KFAI’s educational initiative with The Pavek Museum of Broadcasting: Summer Podcast Camp. The Camp is for kids ages 9 to 13. Over three days, students create, produce and perform their own podcasts. The podcasts are available online and portions are featured on KFAI.

More information about the Summer Podcast Camp is available here.

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