Dear Colleagues, PLU and the University of Washington will today announce their intent to consolidate the public radio resources of the greater Puget Sound region. Although a formal agreement has not been finalized, PLU is expecting to sell its broadcasting rights and facilities associated with KPLU to KUOW, pending a vote of the UW Board of Regents this afternoon. This will form a larger unified radio, streaming and online destination which will provide greater resources, including two stations: one for National Public Radio and Northwest news at KUOW 94.9 FM, and one for fulltime jazz music at 88.5 FM. We believe it makes sense for these two stations – that have long shared a common mission and a common region – to come together for the good of the community and the listening public. KPLU’s jazz listeners will have a full-time jazz station and its news listeners will still have the NPR programming they love, better signal reach across the greater Puget Sound region on KUOW, and more resources for local news programming. The Seattle/Tacoma market is one of the few metropolitan areas that continue to have competing public radio stations, and KPLU is one of only a remaining few public radio stations nationwide that maintain a split format between news and music. Bringing the resources of these two stations together will enable listeners to have dedicated stations, which is a structure that is being adopted across the public broadcasting landscape nationwide. With public broadcasters facing ever-leaner budgets, it also makes sense for the two stations to pursue a shared vision for developing and funding independently produced content about the issues that matter to our region. Bringing these two stations together formalizes a collaboration that the two stations have shared for many years through the Northwest News Network, and through other collaborative fundraising and community events. It also continues a long tradition of sharing between PLU and UW, from a steady stream of PLU undergraduates who go on to attend the UW’s graduate and professional programs – notably the Medical School – and, to Lutes who teach and work at UW, and UW graduates who teach and work at PLU. In addition to the financial terms outlined in the news release, we will also retain The Neeb Center and intend to evaluate its use as an academic center. The proceeds of this sale will go to the university’s endowment, which currently stands at more than $85 million. We are aiming to finalize a definitive agreement by the end of December, and then it must go before the Federal Communications Commission for approval prior to the actual closing of the transaction. We are expecting the FCC review may take up to six months, perhaps longer. During that time, KPLU will continue to operate independently, and we do not anticipate any employee layoffs. Meanwhile, KUOW management has assured us that they will give careful consideration to all KPLU applicants. KPLU has been a valued asset of PLU for nearly 50 years, and we look forward to continuing cherished traditions, such as the Jazz Under the Stars summer concert series and the annual Christmas Jam. I feel confident that the high quality and comprehensive programming for which KPLU has become known will continue to serve our community. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with additional questions. Sincerely, Thomas W. Krise, Ph.D. President and Professor of English