Progress on Sale of WDUQ

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported progress toward the sale of WDUQ to Essential Public Media.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11123/1143689-67.stm

• Essential Public Media plans to file the FCC ownership documents within 30 days
• July 1 target date of taking over operations at WDUQ
• EPM plans to meet with Pittsburgh Jazz Lives
• A management team is will be in place soon

Plus, EPM is getting help from The Richard King Mellon Foundation in form of a $1.5 million grant.

You can read more in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. 

Fundraising is a challenge for WDUQ

Pittsburgh Public Media, a group of station staffers and community volunteers wants to keep WDUQ pretty much the way it is now with a mix of NPR news and Jazz. Raising money toward the purchase of the station is problematic. Money raised during the pledge drives cannot be used toward the purchase of the station. The group does not have access to the current donor lists. PPM is trying reach out to the current members through social media and a website. The article does not mention how much PPM has raised toward the purchase price. Duquesne University says it wants full value for the station. It is estimated to be worth $10 million.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10151/1061679-67.stm#ixzz0pXMBDaKi


To find out more about Pittsburgh Public Media go to: http://www.pittsburghpublicmedia.org/

Duquesne University aggressively pursuing sale of WDUQ-FM - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Duquesne University aggressively pursuing sale of WDUQ-FM - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

There are a couple of interesting aspects to this article about the sale.

· The article suggests that if the University sells the station, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting would ask for its money back. Duquesne bristled at that suggestion. "But Duquesne President Charles Dougherty insists that having to reimburse 30 years' worth of federal grants will not deter him from selling the station to a nonprofit group that offers the best deal." According to the Pittsburgh-Review a spokesperson for CPB Louise Filkins said, "As stewards of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting, CPB does have an interest in seeing the licensee maintained as a public broadcasting operation. It is too early for CPB to speculate about possible outcomes for the station, but CPB could request any or all of WDUQ's federal funding be reimbursed."

· There is also a huge discrepancy between between the value Pittsburgh Public Media puts on the station ($5 million), and the value Duquesne University puts on the station ($10 million). Pittsburgh Public Media Chairman, Joe Kelly, says his group is making a second offer.

Kelly also says the city cannot afford to lose the station. There are two other public radio stations in the market. WYEP programs the AAA music format. WQED programs classical music. At a time when in-depth news is at risk, the loss of NPR news and information would deeply felt.

Does Pittsburgh need another religious broadcaster? The market seems to be pretty crowded right now. According to radio-locator there are 11 strong frequencies broadcasting religious formats to Pittsburgh.