Tag: npr

KHSU Update: 1 Employee Remains

Administration rehires union protected station broadcast engineer

Humboldt State University has rescinded the lay off of one KHSU employee out of the seven laid off in April.

Kevin Sanders, a full-time employee who primarily works in Information Technology Services was rehired after his union, the California State University Employees Union, pushed back against the university. Sanders was and is the National Public Radio affiliate’s only broadcast engineer.

“Kevin is employed, working mostly in the Information Technology Services area, but is available to assist with broadcast engineering for KHSU if the need arises,” HSU Communication Officer Grant Scott-Goforth said in an email.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Steve Tillinghast” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]”Humboldt realized over the last several months that the chief engineer of KHSU is a critical employee and that the station could not operate, even in its reduced form, without him.”[/perfectpullquote]
Humboldt chapter president of CSUEU Steve Tillinghast said in a press release that HSU management did not expect the Union to care.

“Or perhaps they did not even realize that one of the employees in the group they terminated was part of a Union and that they would be held accountable,” he said. “Humboldt realized over the last several months that the chief engineer of KHSU is a critical employee and that the station could not operate, even in its reduced form, without him.”

KHSU runs with the help of Chico’s North State Public Radio station to air its programming off and on since April.

At the beginning of August HSU signed a short-term interim agreement with Capital Public Radio in Sacramento for programming assistance with KHSU Public Radio. The agreement will keep KHSU running till the end of October.

According to a press release, “the agreement allows KHSU to continue airing national and state programming as the University considers various approaches for KHSU’s future.”

HSU will be assessing ways to ensure KHSU aligns with the university’s teaching missions after an advisory audit report. The audit report, ordered by the previous HSU president Lisa Rossbacher, found the station lacking in the opportunities it was supposed to provide for students.

The report suggested that over time the station had evolved from an exclusive student training ground to primarily a community servicing station. The report said the university should assess student involvement at KHSU and determine whether or not to develop more opportunities for students through “employment, internships, academic programs and coursework.”

The advisory team did not, however, suggest laying off employees as an answer to any suggested shortcomings.

For now, the university is considering joining the discussion of a three-way regional partnership with the Chico and Sacramento stations.

This partnership could bring about certain opportunities such as a Public Service Operation Agreement, which would formalize cost-sharing for programming and management.

Structural organization was also an area of improvement listed on the KHSU audit.

HSU President Tom Jackson wants to gather input from faculty and students to learn more about their interest in KHSU before committing to anything further.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019
OPINION: Former KHSU intern speaks up

A student’s perspective on the gutting of KHSU

This shit is insane.

I’m not sure how else to describe the shuttering of KHSU in the last month of my education.

Interning for KHSU has been rocky from the day I signed the paperwork. I began in the summer of 2018. Katie Whiteside, the beloved program director, hired me and on my first day of work she was unexpectedly fired. We have since bumped into one another, but I was unsure of how to proceed when the only string we had tying us together had been broken so quickly. Now we have a lot more in common…

The station also had a physical shift in my first days. The studios were moved from the top floor of the Theater Arts Building to the sunny, albeit noisy, Feuerwerker House.

I mention these abrupt changes to point out that my time at KHSU has been anything but stable. I’ve come to expect some level of shaky ground, but not like this…this felt off the Richter scale.

I finally felt this internship was paying off. Literally. I began getting paid for my work for the first time and I had my first solo-produced audio feature run on the station two weeks ago. It felt fitting that the culmination of my work at HSU would be disseminated professionally the day before I turned 30 and just a month before I graduate. I was already excitedly working on my next piece and I made plans to stay for the summer. This was Wednesday, April 3.

Tuesday, April 9 KHSU held a going away party for HSU alum Michael Roccaforte at Richard’s Goat. We ate tacos, drank beers and espoused the success of (and waking up for) the pledge drive that had concluded just two days prior. Nobody had any idea it would be a going away party for all of us. I’m partially glad for that, because it was a blast.

Wednesday, April 10 would be the last full day of KHSU as we knew it.

Thursday morning KHSU was gutted of nearly all its employees. Two remained, but not for long. My only indication anything was amiss that day were the cop cars parked on either side of the studios. Nothing was said prior to myself or any other intern. We learned at the same time as everybody else, standing in the rain in front of the studio. Later that afternoon I read a story on the Lost Coast Outpost with a quote which vaguely informed me that I, as a student, might still have a job. Why was I reading the status of my employment through a news outlet instead of being told directly?

Myself and the two other interns, Damian Jimenez and Destiny Hill-Brekke, received a generic email at 5:35 p.m. apologizing for the the silence on the university’s end, saying that it was an “oversight.”

KHSU was shut down because it had “drifted” from the interest of the students. Which students? Hypothetical students? Because I’m a real student and I still had a deep interest in finishing my internship. I had an interest in the connections not to mention references I was gaining. I had an interest in the paycheck I counted on. I had an interest in having the last month (and summer) to fill out my portfolio with professional audio journalism, the thing I came to school for in the first place.

KHSU wasn’t the first community institution to get cut by an ax-wielding budget committee and it likely won’t be the last, but I feel cheated. At least the football team got to finish their season before they got cut…

To KHSU: You’ll be sorely missed by more than just me. From the bottom of my heart, thanks for experience and thanks for all the laughs.

Megan “Midge” Martin

Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Letter to the Editors: NPR producer supports KHSU

HSU alumni speaks out against KHSU shutdown

By Ashley Bailey

Dear Chancellor White,

I am writing to express my rejection of the recent unilateral dismantling of KHSU by the Humboldt State University administration. As a producer for National Public Radio’s “Here and Now” program, a Humboldt State University alum (class of 2010) and an Arcata native, I have benefited greatly from the existence of KHSU and have several concerns to express over this decision.

I know KHSU plays a huge role in the community in Humboldt County. I think you know that by now, too. And yet, the university did not properly support the station or communicate about drastic changes, as evidenced by the outcry from the people who pay for the programming, the staff who make the content and all the listeners who have written about their frustrations, anger and sadness.

The way that the university handled the reorganization of KHSU goes against everything Humboldt stands for. Humboldt State’s mission statement says it serves students from around the world by offering them “access to affordable, high-quality education that is responsive to the needs of a fast-changing world.”

As a professional journalist working in a volatile environment, I can say that a rural community news outlet working to educate people about the truth is essential right now. Gutting it without input from anyone from the public is irresponsible and shameful. Public radio is, and should always be, driven by the public.

I believe there is room for conversation about the future of KHSU and closing the door now without further discussion after decades of service is unconscionable.

The reason I feel so strongly about this is that I know firsthand how important KHSU is. I was the first person in my family to graduate from college and got my first taste of what NPR sounded like listening to KHSU as a student at Humboldt State. I joined the station as a volunteer during my senior year, eager to help. I was trained to do on-air announcements and run the board – opportunities I would not necessarily have had at a larger commercial station.

KHSU even aired some of my first broadcast stories before any other stations would. I volunteered for the pledge drive and heard from listeners about how much the local programs meant to them. This was a huge educational experience for me. I took what I learned and worked my way up to where I am now, producing content for NPR. This rural station was a valuable resource to so many. I can’t believe the disrespect Humboldt State administrators have shown to the people who worked and volunteered there and to the entire community that listens.

I ask that you, Chancellor White, reinstate KHSU’s long-term staff and reverse the related budget issues, as expressed in the recent Humboldt State Senate Resolution on KHSU. I believe there is room to correct what happened here and give others in the community the same opportunities that I had to succeed.

Sincerely,

Ashley Bailey

https://www.wbur.org/inside/staff/ashley-bailey

Wednesday, May 1, 2019
KHSU protest in the plaza

The last remaining KSHU staff members resign, join a peaceful gathering of a few dozen held during weekly farmers market

Forty-eight hours after the artery of the community was severed, a few dozen KHSU supporters took to the plaza in protest during the weekly farmers market.

Natalya Estrada resigned her position this afternoon as the last remaining paid staff member of KHSU. Estrada’s resignation came after administrators at Humboldt State University decided to fire all volunteers and terminate all but two paid positions at KHSU on April 11. David Reed was the second of the two remaining employees but resigned on Friday, April 12.

Estrada was at the protest to show support and said staying in the position would not only compromise her career in journalism but affect her overall health.

“There comes a time in life when you need to make a decision in life and I made that decision,” Estrada said. “I knew what I was going to do but I needed to know how and when.”

Local artist Lisa Enge holds a sign in support for KHSU during a peaceful protest at the weekly Arcata plaza farmer’s market on Saturday April 13. | Photo by T.William Wallin

After Reed resigned Estrada was the last staff member running the station. Estrada said when the California Report came on she put on Caroline King and cried at her desk.

“It was very lonely being the last person left,” Estrada said. “It felt like 48 hours on the 405 during rush hour traffic.”

Tom Cairns was one of the volunteers to be let go during the dismantling of KHSU, but he isn’t just any volunteer. Cairns has been with KHSU for 47 years, making him the longest running volunteer at the station.

Community member, Carrie Slack, and former host of Jazz with a Groove, Rob Enge, hold signs in support for KHSU during a peaceful protest at the weekly Arcata plaza farmer’s market on Saturday April 13. | Photo by T.William Wallin

Cairns was at the protest because he felt the way everyone was fired was wicked and shameful. Cairns felt the audit report done on KHSU was just an excuse for firing everybody and HSU administrators were planning this even before then.

“The way they handled it was bold face lies,” Cairns said. “They had checks written out already even before the meeting. They had it all planned.”

In the 47 years as a volunteer Cairns has seen KHSU have its ups and downs but “it’s always continued and was never shut off the air.” Cairns said the unfortunate thing about the station now is it has become a typical NPR station with all news and very little music.

“Basically it’s just another McDonald’s public radio station,” Cairns said.

Public citizens, Mark Mueller and Lisa Hockaday, hold signs in support for KHSU during a peaceful protest at the weekly Arcata plaza farmer’s market on Saturday April 13. | Photo by T.William Wallin

When asked what he felt the biggest loss was Cairns said the community of the station. Cairns said those that work with KHSU are very active in the larger northwest community and engaged in the arts, food, and news.

“The music, public affairs, and local programming is what made KHSU unique and a viable source for the community,” Cairns said.

A few dozen protesters gathered with signs during the Saturday farmer’s market at Arcata Plaza to show support for KHSU on April 13. | Photo by T.William Wallin

Rob Enge, former host of Jazz with a Groove, was a member and sustainer with KHSU for 25 years and agreed with Cairns. Enge said this has been a loss of a community forum where connection was made.

“This was a good place for people to put their energy,” Enge said.

Enge moved to Humboldt in 1992 and the first thing he did was get connected with the local radio station. Enge was an avid listener of KPFK in southern California and said public radio stations are an important way in getting connected with community.

“This has been an erosion of community,” Enge said. “This isn’t social media from out of the community, this is real people talking locally and when we lose that its a shame.”

Community members show support for KHSU during a peaceful protest at the weekly Arcata plaza farmer’s market on Saturday April 13. | Photo by T.William Wallin

Local artist Lisa Enge has also been a supporter of KHSU since 1992 and felt the loss of KHSU was like losing a friend. She said KHSU was a treasure in the community and it was a cruel way that it was cut.

“Cutting volunteer and staff is unconscionable, shameful really,” Lisa Enge said.

Jax Stuber (left) has been listening to KHSU everyday for the last six years and said she will miss all the music and diverse programming. | Photo by T.William Wallin

Lisa Enge said once general manager Peter Fretwell fired KHSU program director, Katie Whiteside, the love for KHSU waned. She said as an artist the radio kept her company while she worked and she didn’t feel so lonely.

“The people, DJs, and programmers became friends,” Lisa Enge said. “It’s like losing a friend, or a family member really.”

Saturday, April 13, 2019
And then there were none, Natalya Estrada resigns amid KHSU shakeup

By Natalya Estrada

Former KHSU employee Natalya Estrada speaks up after submitting her resignation

My father always told me: Do no harm, but take no shit. It appears I’ve been surrounded by a monumental amount of fecal matter within the past few days. But make no mistake; I will not be buried by this.

I came to KHSU in 2017, under the guise of needing to make a bit extra cash because I was paying double rent—my boyfriend at the time was helpful, but I still had two months left on my apartment lease. On the day of the interview, I had literally been under a fence. A large possibly, 300 pound wooden fence had fallen off of the rail on top of me as I was opening it so I could move my car out of the drive way. Was it a premonition? Was it a bad omen? I don’t know—one thing’s for sure, it made for a great interview topic. There were leaves in my hair, my red jacket had fresh mud stains and my legs were slightly swollen as I sat in the general manager’s office telling KHSU how much I love public radio. I got the job on the spot.

And then a week later, I quit the Times-Standard, which was and still is one of my favorite jobs. It was where I met my best journalism friends and how I managed to come back to “Homeboldt” after a disappointing stint as a reporter in Southern California.

Several months later, Katie was fired from KHSU; abruptly and without warning. It was chaos. I don’t have to remind everyone about how many sustainers canceled their membership, how much underwriting was lost to our bad reputation and how much of the community felt betrayed by the decisions of an institution. I was at a loss. Katie Whiteside was the first person I met at KHSU back during my internship as an undergrad at Humboldt State. She taught me how to manage the board during Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me, and Car Talk (RIP). She was the quintessential gem of KHSU, and I know I wasn’t the only person who felt like a piece of the station was forever lost with her dismissal.

More months had passed and staff meetings became less and less about the station’s content and more about what kind of station we were pressed to become. Who were we in the eyes of the community, of the university and of the higher ups who seemed determined to challenge the format of good vibes, good words and good people?

Eventually, we started having pledge drives again. None of us were sure we’d even get any kind of support—but we did. Why? Because despite the outrage, people believed we would come back, that we would get past this. And for I while, I also believed this. I was wrong.

Thursday, April 11, 2019 does not seem like it happened in real life, but it did. While two of us were told to attend a separate meeting, our friends, our colleagues and basically our radio family were told of their fates. The two of us were left scrambling to figure out why this was happening.

“David, what do we do? “

“I don’t know honey. I had to go home.”

Those were some of the last messages David and I sent to each other before the following day, when I was informed via phone call about his resignation. A couple minutes later, after texting Thad Greenson, Marc Valles and Andrew Goff, I read David’s Facebook post. I cried hysterically as I toggled between Morning Edition and the California Report. I switched on the mic and read the weather report: mostly cloudy and chances of rain—the weather has never represented me so well.

It was done. KHSU was done.

I called my friends, my sister, my mother and several of my editors. The bulk of the text messages I sent were: “I am fine. Please don’t worry about me.”

But the reality was, I was crying to Carol King in studio A, and wanting to hide from the phone which kept ringing.

“Something inside has died and I can’t hide and I just can’t fake it.”

I think I answered close to 25 calls on Friday.

Megan Bender, of The Osprey messaged me. Not about work, but about emotional support. At noon, on Friday, we met in Gist Hall to talk. She handed me an iced matcha latte and a breakfast sandwich. Damien Jimenez, a KHSU intern, waved me down as I was driving and gave me a hug through my car window—I asked him to pretend he doesn’t notice how messy my car is. Lumberjack reporter Freddy Brewster shook my hand and smiled warmly at me —it’s reassuring to know the future of journalism has compassion.

Then came the hard part: the official part. Three meetings and perhaps the most “Don Draper” attitude I’ve ever had, prevented me from openly crying in front of two men in suits and one on a speaker phone. I don’t understand their narrative or their reasons. Perhaps I never will.

Thank you all for letting me into your morning commute, for telling me your stories of hope, tragedy, triumph and love. Thank you for letting me speak your truths through an omni-directional microphone. Thank you for letting me take your photos and for calling me in the morning to let me know it’s White-THORN not Whitehorn. I will forever hold KHSU in my heart and memory as a place of acceptance, peace and home to the hardest working folks I’ve ever met.

What now you may ask will a local unemployed radio gal do in this crisis?

I’ll survive. I always do.

I know many of you believe I was indifferent to the situation and that my stairway to the “top” consisted of bricks made of manure. I advise you to check my shoes and notice they’re crap-free.

Saturday, April 13, 2019
Radio silence

Abrupt firings at KHSU send shockwaves, not sound waves, throughout the community

In a blow to the local community, administrators at Humboldt State decided to fire all volunteers and terminate all but two paid positions at the local NPR affiliate, KHSU, on April 11. The firings, and other reorganizations, came after months of tense back and forths with the administration and the KHSU Community Advisory Board. Some in the community felt that the hostile tensions were behind and that future broadcasting was no longer in jeopardy.

“This is fraud. KHSU is community radio. You just don’t knock the community out like that.”
Joyce Houston

Last week Joyce Houston volunteered during the KHSU fund drive and donated money to the future of the station. Houston said she has volunteered and donated money to the station for the last 30 years and felt that she was scammed given the administration’s decision for the firings.

“This is fraud,” Houston said. “KHSU is community radio. You just don’t knock the community out like that.”

According to a press release from HSU, changes to station include the elimination of five staff positions, the General Manager and Chief Engineer positions and an “indefinite suspension of volunteer-run programs.”

The press release mentions the administration will look into allowing students to take on a more active role at KHSU, however there is already a student-run radio program at HSU. Amy Berkowitz, KRFH radio news faculty advisor, said she has been contacted numerous times by the administration asking for students to be more involved at KHSU but said that was not necessary because of the student run station.

“KRFH is for students, by students,” Berkowitz said. “KHSU is for the community. Our area relies on the radio for emergencies. Having this gone is a loss to the safety of our community.”

Berkowitz said that the loss of the community programs is why it is such a blow. Some of the programs that were broadcast on KHSU had been on air for over 30 years, according to Berkowitz.

“Right now, they are just rebroadcasting out of Chico,” Berkowitz said. “We can all just ask our smartphones to play NPR, but that is not why we listen to KHSU.”

Some of the programs currently cut from the air are the KHSU magazine, The Race Beat hosted by Lorna Bryant, the Thursday Night Talk with Eric Kirk, and Immigrant Voices hosted by James Floss.

Lisa Rossbacher, president of Humboldt State University, said the reasoning for the abrupt firings was because of budget reasons, a realignment of the mission between KHSU and the university, and an advisory review from the CSU chancellor’s office that she received on “Monday or Tuesday of this week.”

“People think of volunteers of not costing anything, but in fact it takes two to three hours of paid staff time to support every hour of programming that is generated by volunteers,” Rossbacher said.

When questioned on how much oversight and time that paid staff have to give to volunteers who have been part of KHSU for over 30 years, Rossbacher acknowledged she didn’t know the exact details of the matter.

“I can’t speak to the details of how that programming gets produced, but it requires staff involvement to support them,” Rossbacher said.

On the future of KHSU, Rossbacher said the university is looking for partners to collaborate with and could not speak of the details of what that collaboration would look like or who it would involve.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Cliff Berkowitz” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”17″]“I understand budget concerns, but one of the main jobs of being president is trying to strike a balance. Cutting a vital part of the community is foolish.”[/perfectpullquote]
“We still want to have local programming,” Rossbacher said. “We still have to cover it within our budget and so I can’t tell you right now exactly what that looks like. If any of the volunteers ask to be able to take any of the programs that they have already produced with them, we are absolutely cool with that. Some of what has appeared in the past may show up again through other media, but I don’t know exactly what the future is going to hold.”

During Rossbacher’s five-year term at HSU she has oversaw the closing of the HSU Third Street Art Gallery, the cutting of the football program, and now the massive firing and change of direction at KHSU—all integral components of the Humboldt community. When asked about the reasoning on why she made these decisions Rossbacher said it had to deal with shortfalls in money.

“My goal is to get to a balanced budget,” Rossbacher said. “There have been some difficult choices in the process of getting there. Over the last two years the university overall has managed to reduce spending by about $9 million, with another million dollars we need to find in the next year.”

Cliff Berkowitz, husband of Amy Berkowitz and fellow KRFH faculty member, felt that the abrupt firings were a betrayal of the community and noted that KHSU has been an integral part of the Humboldt community for over 50 years.

“I understand budget concerns, but one of the main jobs of being president is trying to strike a balance,” Cliff Berkowitz said. “Cutting a vital part of the community is foolish.”

Cliff Berkowitz has been teaching at HSU for 11 years and said that the announcement of the KHSU firings was a “gut punch.”

“The most telling example of how sinister this is, is evident in the letting go of the volunteers,” Cliff Berkowitz said. “Their shows and their connection to the community are the reason why the underwriters have contributed. And it is gone.”

Friday, April 12, 2019
KHSU shutdown, plans moving forward vague at best

KHSU, 90.5 FM, has been abruptly shut down this morning with little to no notice given to the employees and volunteers. Currently University Police are inside the station and only granting access to individuals with the explicit approval of Craig Wruck, Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director of the HSU Advancement Foundation. Ryan Lee, a station volunteer and radio host since 1990, was standing in the rain outside of the station confused and upset about the abrupt closure.

Michael Fennell, who volunteered for KHSU, carries out a basket of CD’s from Feuerwerker House where the station has been on Humboldt State campus on April 11. | Photo by Thomas Lal

“The station is shut down, everybody is fired, all the volunteers have been let go,” Lee said. “All accounts for current staff have been locked. We have been denied access to Wagner House without an escort. We have no plans for programming. There may be nothing.”

Lee said that he came to the station this morning at 8 a.m. and his keycard worked at the time but when he tried hours nothing happened.

“Jeff Demark noted that [KHSU] just had a pledge drive and that everybody that pledged their money should be refunded,” Lee said. “Maybe because it was gotten under false pretenses. We all knew that there was something coming down the pipe, but nobody knew it was going to be like this.”

David Montoya, Associate Vice President of Human Resources, answered the door at the KHSU headquarters but declined to comment on the situation.

The press release reads as follows:

Humboldt State University is reorganizing and streamlining operations at its public radio station, KHSU, with the goal of preserving quality programming for the North Coast.
The changes are intended to address operational challenges at KHSU, prevent further negative impact to the University’s budget, and better align HSU’s financial support with its mission and with opportunities for students.
Station employees were told of the changes earlier today. Because the reorganization and budget reductions include the elimination of positions, a number of individuals will no longer be employed at HSU. The University is working to provide clear information to them, and to ensure they receive any benefits they are entitled to.
The steps taken today include:
Elimination of HSU’s direct payroll support, including the General Manager position and Chief Engineer position, saving the University more than $250,000 annually.
Elimination of five other staff positions, generating significant savings in the portion of KHSU’s budget that comes from government support, underwriting, and listener contributions.
Appointment of an Interim Station Director, to be supported through non-HSU funding.
Consolidating all KHSU operations in Feuerwerker House, reducing the inefficiency of having two separate spaces.
Indefinite suspension of volunteer-run programs. The University will evaluate how students can return to a more substantial on-air role at KHSU.
Actively pursuing collaboration with other public radio stations and seeking CPB funding to support this effort.
The decision to realign the station reflects a comprehensive assessment. Factors included the station’s increasing cost to the University; KHSU’s limited capacity for additional fundraising and underwriting; challenges identified by the CSU Office of Audit and Advisory Services; feedback from listeners and volunteers; the University’s commitment to public service; and the appropriate role of student involvement in station operations and programming.
The report from the CSU Office of Audit and Advisory Services (pdf), which was recently received by HSU, includes an in-depth program review of the station that identified a number of issues with operations and administration. It was initiated at the request of HSU President Lisa Rossbacher, and she shared it yesterday with KHSU’s Community Advisory Board.
In addition to issues identified in the report, there are serious budget issues at the station. KHSU is heavily subsidized by the HSU general fund, and the station’s budget deficits have continued to worsen. At the end of the 2017-18 year, HSU had to cover a budget deficit of nearly $135,000 beyond its regular subsidy, and this year’s projected budget deficit is even larger.
KHSU’s budget challenge largely reflects increases in payroll costs. In addition, community support has been flat or declining, with underwriting revenue down approximately 14 percent for the year and listener support down approximately 17 percent. And while volunteers create a great deal of local programming, their efforts also come at a cost, requiring significant support by paid staff.
The budget challenges at KHSU come as HSU has been working to address an overall structural deficit as well as funding declines related to an enrollment drop. The University has reduced its spending by $9 million over the last two years, and is making nearly $1 million in additional reductions for the coming year.
For context, over the last year HSU has funded nearly half the cost of KHSU. Listener support provided about 22 percent, corporate underwriting 17 percent, and government grants 12 percent. HSU directly paid more than $265,000 in salary, covered at least $250,000 for space and utilities, and spent at least $80,000 receiving and processing contributions to the station.
Even with the changes at KHSU, listeners will continue to have access to high-quality national programming and news. The most recent audience data reaffirm this is, by far, the station’s most popular programming.

This story is ongoing and has been updated here.

Thursday, April 11, 2019
HSU announces clean up of KHSU
Earlier this morning, Humboldt State issued a press release regarding their NPR affiliate KHSU. The radio station will be undergoing drastic changes including the removal of all but two staff members.

Now former volunteers and station supporters meet outside of Feuerwerker House after hearing about the elimination of jobs and volunteer positions at KHSU on April 11. | Photo by Thomas Lal

HSU press release is as follows:

Humboldt State University is reorganizing and streamlining operations at its public radio station, KHSU, with the goal of preserving quality programming for the North Coast.

The changes are intended to address operational challenges at KHSU, prevent further negative impact to the University’s budget, and better align HSU’s financial support with its mission and with opportunities for students.

Station employees were told of the changes earlier today. Because the reorganization and budget reductions include the elimination of positions, a number of individuals will no longer be employed at HSU. The University is working to provide clear information to them, and to ensure they receive any benefits they are entitled to.

The steps taken today include:
- Elimination of HSU’s direct payroll support, including the General Manager position and Chief Engineer position, saving the University more than $250,000 annually.
- Elimination of five other staff positions, generating significant savings in the portion of KHSU’s budget that comes from government support, underwriting, and listener contributions.
- Appointment of an Interim Station Director, to be supported through non-HSU funding.
- Consolidating all KHSU operations in Feuerwerker House, reducing the inefficiency of having two separate spaces.
- Indefinite suspension of volunteer-run programs. The University will evaluate how students can return to a more substantial on-air role at KHSU.
- Actively pursuing collaboration with other public radio stations and seeking CPB funding to support this effort.
The decision to realign the station reflects a comprehensive assessment. Factors included the station’s increasing cost to the University; KHSU’s limited capacity for additional fundraising and underwriting; challenges identified by the CSU Office of Audit and Advisory Services; feedback from listeners and volunteers; the University’s commitment to public service; and the appropriate role of student involvement in station operations and programming.

The report from the CSU Office of Audit and Advisory Services (pdf), which was recently received by HSU, includes an in-depth program review of the station that identified a number of issues with operations and administration. It was initiated at the request of HSU President Lisa Rossbacher, and she shared it yesterday with KHSU’s Community Advisory Board.

In addition to issues identified in the report, there are serious budget issues at the station. KHSU is heavily subsidized by the HSU general fund, and the station’s budget deficits have continued to worsen. At the end of the 2017-18 year, HSU had to cover a budget deficit of nearly $135,000 beyond its regular subsidy, and this year’s projected budget deficit is even larger.

KHSU’s budget challenge largely reflects increases in payroll costs. In addition, community support has been flat or declining, with underwriting revenue down approximately 14 percent for the year and listener support down approximately 17 percent. And while volunteers create a great deal of local programming, their efforts also come at a cost, requiring significant support by paid staff.

The budget challenges at KHSU come as HSU has been working to address an overall structural deficit as well as funding declines related to an enrollment drop. The University has reduced its spending by $9 million over the last two years, and is making nearly $1 million in additional reductions for the coming year.

For context, over the last year HSU has funded nearly half the cost of KHSU. Listener support provided about 22 percent, corporate underwriting 17 percent, and government grants 12 percent. HSU directly paid more than $265,000 in salary, covered at least $250,000 for space and utilities, and spent at least $80,000 receiving and processing contributions to the station.

Even with the changes at KHSU, listeners will continue to have access to high-quality national programming and news. The most recent audience data reaffirm this is, by far, the station’s most popular programming.

Updates to come.
Thursday, April 11, 2019