Protest sale of high-quality station KPLU to KUOW

Way back in 1993, Tacoma’s movers and shakers raised their voices in a collective yelp when the University of Puget Sound sold its downtown law school to Seattle University, which subsequently moved it.

Susan Pierce, who was UPS president then, immediately earned virtual pariah status for the sale, which was negotiated in secret and only revealed to the then law school dean the same day it was publicly announced.

“Anytime a major institution like that is leaving, it has to be a major disappointment,” Karl Anderson, then president of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, said at the time.

Now, 22 years later, another anchor of Pierce County’s higher education community has announced a similar, but far more devastating betrayal of the community it purports to serve. It’s time for leaders of the Pierce County community to stand up and protest before Pacific Lutheran University goes through with its plan to sell the license of radio station KPLU to KUOW.

Why is this so important to Pierce County? Because the planned consolidation will actually limit, not expand radio programming for much of our region.

KPLU delivers a strong FM signal at 88.5, but those of us who live in South Pierce County only get static when we try to tune in KUOW. So from my point of view, KUOW’s plan to separate news from jazz is just splitting the KPLU baby.

Some people cried when they found out KPLU would be sold. I swore. KPLU’s special mix of jazz, news and public affairs programming has been my lifeline for decades. I’m a 7-day-a-week listener. Frankly, there’s not program or jazz host on KPLU’s air that doesn’t get my ear. And, trust me, there are many others out there like me.

Far from being a liability to its university host, KPLU boasts a growing audience of donor supporters and is now the 12th largest public radio station in the United States.

The PLU regents must have had blinders on when they decided to jettison a treasure that carries the good name of the university far beyond its humble Parkland campus. If you are as angry as I am about this move, please join me in protesting the sale. If you know a PLU regent, contact him or her. Otherwise, write Gary Severson, Chairman, PLU Board of Regents, Hauge Administration, Room 116, Tacoma, WA 98447.

PLU’s reputation has already been sullied. But the regents still have time to make things right. Let’s persuade them to do so.

This story was originally published December 4, 2015 at 3:06 AM with the headline "Protest sale of high-quality station KPLU to KUOW."