Story behind the story on KCPW financial trouble?

[CAwasinNJ]

There was a story that apparently premiered last night (7/1) on KUTV about financial problems at KCPW (88.3/105.3).

www.kutv.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_12310.shtml

It says they need $42,000 to pay for their news feeds. Clearly not good. But here's where it gets interesting. The KCPW website (http://kcpw.org/) confirms that number, and less than 24 hours after that story aired they've already hit that goal. I don't know how far along they were when the story actually aired, but my initial thought would be that it wasn't that far or that would have been included in the story. Am I wrong in being amazed that KCPW listeners would respond that quickly to a request for money, especially given the signal limitations and who can hear them? Also, how is that support base going to be affected by the threat to the 105.3 translator during the reshuffling of the upper part of the band, especially if they can't find a new frequency to move to?

[Terry]

Isn't 105.3 mostly just adding Davis County to their coverage? 88.3 seems to cover Salt Lake County pretty well. Would the loss of Davis County donors kill them? I don't know.

[CAwasinNJ]

Yes, 88.3 covers Salt Lake County pretty well, and K287AE/105.3 covers Salt Lake and Davis Counties. Losing the translator certainly wouldn't help them, but I don't know how much it would hurt them either. They have the donor lists and that will tell a lot. Remember too that they didn't used to have Davis County at all. The translator used to be down near Murray and had to move north when 105.1 Manti boosted power. They lost coverage in the southern part of the valley but gained in the north.

[amanuensis]

I sure wish they had not sold 1010 AM. I really liked being able to continue listening once my car got south of the Point of the Mountain. They should have sold the FM instead.

[CAwasinNJ]

Keep in mind that even as a non-comm, 1010 sold for $900,000 in 2009. That was a loss from the $1.2 million they paid for it (out of bankruptcy) in 2003. Do you think they could get have gotten that much for one of the FM's that would cover at most 2 counties? I don't know, but I'm pessimistic. Keep in mind that they do run on a limited budget. This latest hiccup shows that it's an ongoing concern. There are other factors as well, such as people knowing and tuning in to them on AM. They've always been on FM and listeners look to find them there. Also don't forget that 1010 had already dumped the simulcast of 88.3/105.3 by the time it was sold and was simulcasting KPCW. I think when KCPW became Wasatch Public Media, 1010 remained with Park City Wireless.

In the end, I don't think that was an option.