To add comment to your recent article on KPCW funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, let me add the following as a former general manager of the station. Congress has always forward funded the CPB in a bipartisan manner since it began. By approving money two years in advance, the idea was that public broadcasters would be protected from the immediate whims of political leadership. Like many things, the current president has turned that supposed protection from political interference upside down, demanding an end to public funding right now, despite the intent of Congress.
The fact is no radio broadcaster would ever set up a for-profit station in a city as small as Park City. In no way does it make sense as a commercial enterprise. It is simply too expensive to broadcast in so small a market.
Yet a city this size needs local broadcasting. Think back to the Summit Park fire, or the Rockport Estates fire, or further back to the Masonic Hill fire. Each threatened the lives and property of hundreds of our citizens, and only KPCW was there to broadcast immediate evacuation alerts and report on the progress of the fires in real time.
Think also that Summit County is the crossroads of two major highways where accidents and weather conditions can tie up everyone who moves, and that KPCW can give immediate traffic reports and suggest alternate routes.
Or consider the snow condition reports about backcountry hazards and road conditions.
And especially consider the impact of a fully staffed newsroom which keeps a close eye on local governments in both Summit and Wasatch counties.
Think also of the public affairs programs that foster community knowledge and conversation. And consider that part of KPCW’s mission is to give voice to our many nonprofit organizations that enrich our lives.
KPCW relies on four funding sources — listener contributions, sponsor announcements, private foundation grants, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
When I was there, the Great Recession was winding down. The first three of those funding sources dropped precipitously as a result. Only CPB funding could be relied upon to keep us on the air and it got us through challenging times.
I hope those who rely on KPCW’s flow of immediate local news and information appreciate the challenge ahead. One, please communicate with our congressional delegation in hopes they will see how small public stations benefit Utah communities in ways that cannot otherwise be filled. Two, if you listen regularly, please contribute regularly, especially if you are a listener who has not done so in the past.
KPCW is a great community asset that few other communities our size have. We have been recognized nationally as a leading public station. We all need to keep it fully funded for the benefit of all within its reach.
Larry Warren
KPCW General Manager 2010-17