In an editorial right before the Dallas City Council meets to decide on the future of city-owned classical station WRR, the Dallas Morning News is urging the city to approve a partnership with non-profit public radio station KERA.
Another option for the city council is to sell the station. Estimates have the signal worth between $10 million and $15 million. The city loses money operating the classical station. So far it has a net deficit of $5.6 million. In a city like Dallas, there would be a line of possible buyers hoping to add another signal to bulk up its cluster. And, it’s highly unlikely the format would remain classical.
The editorial page of the paper states: ” While the KERA option would yield fewer dollars for Dallas, at least in the short term, the city sometimes accepts less revenue for the sake of learning, history and culture. Libraries do not make money, but their educational value makes them a city staple. The city should regard its classical music station similarly.
Read the editorial in The Dallas Morning News HERE.
