Tuesday, Jun. 9 2009 @ 1:48PM
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| If you want a sneak peek at what KERA's new frequency will sound like, Paul Slavens's podcast is a "microcosm." That, and World Cafe. |
I just got off the phone with Deborah Johnson, the senior veep of marketing at KERA, who was more than happy to answer any and all questions concerning
its just-announced, fall-debuting music-only radio station, 91.7 on your FM dial. And, yes, that's the very same frequency currently occupied by
The Truth, a Christian talk station owned by Covenant Educational Media, Inc. But Johnson says the owners were looking to sell -- which is how, 18 months ago, KERA management began looking into acquiring the frequency.
"We did a lot of due diligence with the board to see how
other public
Triple-A radio stations were operated," she says. "We looked at the funding
models in other urban markets and put together a business plan, and we
decided it was an opportunity we couldn't pass by because it would probably never
present itself again."
In the end, KERA purchased the frequency for $18 million, Johnson says.
"That comes from prudent operation of the station," she tells Unfair Park. "We're pretty frugal
when it comes to managing our operating budget, so we had the money
necessary to get it started on an operating basis. We're also working
with three lenders who specialize in nonprofit lending, and we were
able to negotiate financing terms even in this economy because our
financial situation is strong."
As for what the station will sound like in the fall, look no further than
Paul Slavens's biweekly "Track by Track" podcast. "That points to the direction of the station in the future," Johnson says, adding that the show is a "microcosm" of 91.7's future. But she also says such stations as Minnesota Public Radio's
The Current, Philadelphia's
WXPN and Seattle's
KEXP ("Where Music Matters") served as role models during the exploratory process.