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Future uncertain for Twin Cities jazz station
by Art Hughes, Minnesota Public Radio
December 23, 2004

The future of a Twin Cities jazz radio station is in doubt after the Minnesota Department of Transportation cancelled a long-running contract for traffic updates. The contract makes up nearly half of KBEM's operating budget.

Minneapolis, Minn. — Metro area traffic updates are a major part of KBEM's schedule throughout the day. MnDOT pays the station $400,000.

In return, KBEM employees air traffic reports at least every ten minutes from the Regional Traffic Management Center. Major traffic problems take precedence over the station's usual jazz format.

"There's not just a fat checkbook somewhere where we can say we'll just move money from over here. We don't have that luxury" - Sarah Snapp, Minneapolis School District Communications Director

But MnDOT notified KBEM it's cancelling the contract starting in March. Nick Thompson, Traffic Operations Manager at the RTMC, said there are many more sources for the same information than when MnDOT and KBEM first started the agreement.

"Over those 15 years there's been a lot more services added that is available to the public from other radio stations, TV stations, our 511 phone service and Internet has really expanded options for travelling information," Thompson said.

He said the money will go back into the department's fund that pays for everything from snowplowing to the Highway Helper.

"There's no dedicated source that specifically this $400,000 is going towards other than the priorities of the department within the operating budget," he said.

KBEM is owned by the Minneapolis School District. In addition to providing a place for jazz on the radio dial it's an educational outlet for some 200 students of all ages. Older students serve as DJs during the day. District Communications Director Sarah Snapp called the news a crippling blow for the radio station.

"We'll have to really change what happens at the radio station or find a different source of funding because it's such a huge percent---almost half of the operating budget," she said. "There's not just a fat checkbook somewhere where we can say we'll just move money from over here. We don't have that luxury."

The rest of the budget comes from underwriting, listener support, the school district and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The station has to maintain at least five of the current eight full time staff members to keep the CPB money. Snapp said that will be hard to do with such a dramatic loss of revenue.

"We are reviewing our options as a school district so we can develop a plan to maintain the integrity of KBEM both as a community resource and an educational resource and we have not yet figured out what that plan will be," Snapp said. She said staff will move quickly to make recommendations to the school board.

KBEM is a member of a loose-knit network of 12 non-commercial stations that belong to the Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations or AMPERS. Minnesota Public Radio is not a member of the group. Minneapolis station KFAI's director Janis Lane-Ewart, AMPERS' president, said the heads of each station will meet next month and discuss possible solutions.

"I think it's an opportune time to recognize why we are a network and what it is we've not thought of to think of what it is we can do to not lose another station," Lane-Ewart said. She said one thing the organization can do is emphasize to the school board the station's cultural and educational importance.

"Remind them of how valuable the instructional learning program is to KBEM, the service that it provides to its listenership that is unique in the Twin Cities, and to help them understand what benefits and what value the station is to them and how they could solve those issues in another way," she said.

The school board is scheduled to take up the issue at the next meeting January 11th.

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