Sale of WRR could mean no more classical music radio in Dallas, says KERA president

Choices for the way forward for city-owned classical radio station WRR-FM (101.1) appeared to broaden this week with a suggestion that public radio and TV operator KERA may think about shopping for the station.

Final week, Dallas’ Workplace of Arts and Tradition really helpful that KERA take over administration of the money-losing station, preserving its classical music content material however switching from a business format to noncommercial. Metropolis officers are additionally contemplating the opportunity of merely promoting the station and taking the cash.

WRR is valued at about $13.5 million and town may use $5.6 million from a potential sale to repay station debt. If the station have been bought, there isn’t any assure that the station would stay classical.

At a Monday assembly of the Dallas Metropolis Council’s High quality of Life, Arts and Tradition Committee, chairman Adam Bazaldua requested Nico Leone, KERA’s president and CEO, if KERA would think about shopping for the station. Leone stated he’ll talk about this chance with KERA’s board.

In an interview after the assembly, Leone stated the choice could be as much as the board. He couldn’t touch upon the board’s curiosity till after they meet.

“It’s a business station. Anybody can bid on it,” Leone stated. “There are individuals on the market with fairly deep pockets and no strategy to place a restriction on [the format of the station]. My expectation is that if town bought the station, there could be no classical radio in Dallas.”

On the Monday assembly, no less than one committee member appeared to assist the contract negotiated by KERA and the Workplace of Arts and Tradition.

“This was nice information to listen to that KERA was the profitable bidder for the station,” stated council member Paul Ridley, who represents District 14.

However chairman Bazaldua, who represents District 7, thinks a sale would make extra sense. His district consists of Truthful Park in South Dallas, the place WRR’s studios are situated.

Promoting the station would bolster town’s Arts Endowment and permit town to extend entry to audio streams of public conferences, Bazaldua stated in the course of the committee assembly and reiterated later. He sees this as the most effective time to promote.

“It’s 2022, and I understand how a lot I hearken to the radio in comparison with what I used to, and the identical for my household,” he stated. “We’re not headed in a route the place extra persons are going to be listening to analog radio.”

Underneath the potential administration take care of KERA, North Texas’ public broadcasting group would signal a seven-year contract, with two possibilities for eight-year renewals. These time frames are tied to FCC license renewal necessities, and would permit town to assessment WRR’s state of affairs.

WRR started broadcasting Metropolis Council conferences in 1978 however hasn’t finished so since 2020. The council would revoke the mandate if it approves KERA’s proposal.

Different phrases of the deal would require KERA to air public service bulletins every single day on WRR or KERA’s different platforms to advertise arts organizations and metropolis applications.

Calling this a “Band-Assist repair,” Bazaldua believes it could profit all events if KERA have been to purchase the station as an alternative.

Final June, Dallas began on the lookout for new administration for WRR after eight years of the station working a deficit. The town’s arts workplace acquired proposals from the Dallas Symphony Affiliation and KERA, finally choosing the latter.

KERA and metropolis officers will host a public assembly Could 23 on the Truthful Park Multimedia Middle. The Metropolis Council is scheduled to vote on the matter June 8.