2008 Woodie Awards
MU committee recommends keeping WMUB station open
Roger Sauerhaft
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: Campus
The committee appointed by President David Hodge to review the future of WMUB-Miami University's long-standing FM radio station and NPR affiliate-released its findings to the public Friday.
According to the report, for more than 50 years the station has been a part of Miami, blending programming from National Public Radio (NPR), Public Radio International and Minnesota Public Radio with local news talk and music.
According to WMUB's general manager, Cleve Callison, WMUB originally was part of the department of communication before being moved in 1997 to the College of Arts and Science by former president James Garland-a normal evolution for such stations.
"(This review of the station) was at the station's request partly because of the transition from President Garland to President Hodge," Callison explained. "A lot of activities within the university were examined to make sure things were functioning as well as they can. We requested this because of cuts in our budget that were much larger than we were initially led to believe, so we went to the president and said that we were uncertain about what our role within the university was in the face of these budget cuts and in the transition between Garland
and Hodge."
As part of appointing this committee, as Callison noted, Hodge agreed to roll back some of these budget cuts the station was slated to face in order to give the station some breathing room. As seen in the report, the budget cuts began as Miami sought to drop its subsidy toward the station. As of 2006, 62 percent of WMUB's $1.7 million budget was from subsidizing on behalf of Miami, whereas the national average for radio stations licensed to universities is approximately 37 percent. Callison said the status quo was not an option.
In the report, which was first sent to Hodge Sept. 26, there were four options outlined pertaining to what could be done with WMUB's future.
Option one is to remain a stand alone, or independent station-essentially maintaining the status quo.
According to the report, for more than 50 years the station has been a part of Miami, blending programming from National Public Radio (NPR), Public Radio International and Minnesota Public Radio with local news talk and music.
According to WMUB's general manager, Cleve Callison, WMUB originally was part of the department of communication before being moved in 1997 to the College of Arts and Science by former president James Garland-a normal evolution for such stations.
"(This review of the station) was at the station's request partly because of the transition from President Garland to President Hodge," Callison explained. "A lot of activities within the university were examined to make sure things were functioning as well as they can. We requested this because of cuts in our budget that were much larger than we were initially led to believe, so we went to the president and said that we were uncertain about what our role within the university was in the face of these budget cuts and in the transition between Garland
and Hodge."
As part of appointing this committee, as Callison noted, Hodge agreed to roll back some of these budget cuts the station was slated to face in order to give the station some breathing room. As seen in the report, the budget cuts began as Miami sought to drop its subsidy toward the station. As of 2006, 62 percent of WMUB's $1.7 million budget was from subsidizing on behalf of Miami, whereas the national average for radio stations licensed to universities is approximately 37 percent. Callison said the status quo was not an option.
In the report, which was first sent to Hodge Sept. 26, there were four options outlined pertaining to what could be done with WMUB's future.
Option one is to remain a stand alone, or independent station-essentially maintaining the status quo.
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