KUSP may sell license to large classical music syndicator

KUSP Foundation Annual Meeting:

What: Foundation to vote on selling license.

Santa Cruz >> Santa Cruz public radio station KUSP’s foundation is set to vote Monday on whether to sell its license to a national classical music syndication company.

After buying expensive National Public Radio programs to stay competitive in a challenging market and with NPR-affiliate KAZU neighboring, KUSP faces bankruptcy. The station has a $1 million budget and owes $280,000 in loan debt and $435,000 in deferred payments to NPR.

If its staff and volunteers decide not to move forward with the Classical Public Radio Network, which is operated by the University of Southern California and runs stations throughout the United States, KUSP 88.9 FM might explore potential partnerships with KCRW in Santa Monica and KAZU in Seaside.

This option would allow the station to move forward with the possibility of some local programming by restoring financial health.

What that rebirth could look like would depends on listeners, said KUSP general manager Terry Green.

“I think there’s widespread agreement that news about our community and a connection to the arts and cultural scene here are very important services KUSP provides,” he said.

In response to declining listenership and membership in 2008, KUSP increased its NPR programming and saw some success.

“Listening to KUSP increased, as we hoped,” Green said.

Former KUSP host and journalist Rachel Goodman said that the station’s leaders shouldn’t give up yet.

“The real issue is about having local access to your local media, and having people who care about your local community on the air,” she said, later adding, “When you give away a license, you lose access to the airwaves for the local community.”

But Green disagrees.

“If we proceed to a negotiation with Classical Public Radio Network, I’m confident that local elements would remain an essential consideration for KUSP,” Green said.