Radio host, Gary Scott, prepares a broadcast on WMUB Thursday afternoon.
The task force committee assigned to review the status of WMUB, Miami University's public broadcasting station, continues to explore alternative options for salvaging the station's future, despite a current lack of funding and stability.
"This is a tough time financially for Miami and the station is expensive," said communications professor Howard Kleiman. "We need to look at the structure of the station and how it's funded and see if there are alternative models for running the station."
Formed in late January at the request of WMUB director Cleve Callison, the committee has met four times and is examining the station's role at Miami and how the university contributes to the mission of public radio.
"There are lots of public radio stations here in southwest Ohio," Kleiman said. "We have to look at the competition and ask ourselves how much does Miami benefit from (WMUB). Is it unique?"
WMUB is facing a decline in financial support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and Miami, as the station is licensed to the university's president and board of trustees. The university provides for office space, cash support for expenses such as student wages, and for seven full-time staff positions.
Kleiman also said that the station hopes to hear from listeners about what should be done during on-air discussion about the importance of public broadcasting.
"This is the only public radio station in Oxford, so we have to look at how it affects the community and what they have to say about it," he said.
During station's annual spring fund-raising campaign, which began March 21 and will continue through March 28, WMUB broadcasters deliver on-air pitches in between programs, asking listeners to help support the station through monetary contributions.
Several public broadcasting stations around the country are facing similar financial pressures. According to Adolph Haislar, committee member and senior associate vice president of finance and business services, the committee has been consulting with expert radio consultants who are more familiar with radio operations as well as with members within the community in order to devise a suitable plan for the program.
Haislar described the committee as now being in a transitional stage, trying to become more familiar with how radio works by looking at how other stations operate. By doing so, the committee hopes to determine whether or not the university should contribute more funding.
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"We are looking to come up with a list of questions that the committee should be asking itself in order for us to come up with a set of potions to offer the president and university," Haislar said.
The committee is comprised of administrators, faculty and students and continues to meet once a week. They plan to deliver a formal recommendation about what changes should be made to President David Hodge and the university's executive council by the middle of the summer.
In addition to Miami students and faculty, the station's listening area includes the surrounding Oxford community, Middletown, Dayton and Cincinnati.
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