Saying the PBS business model is broken, public broadcaster WMFE today announced that it is selling its Orlando television station, Channel 24, to concentrate on radio.
According to a story by The TV Guy Hal Boedeker at The Orlando Sentinel, Jose Fajardo, president and CEO of WMFE, said he will be able to confirm the buyer and price when the information becomes public through the FCC filings.
"We've been talking about it the last eight to nine months," Fajardo said. "We've looking at every single alternative."
Stephen McKenney Steck, who served 38 years as CEO at WMFE, said he was discouraged by the sale.
The television side had suffered dramatic declines in corporate and viewer support during the economic downturn, Fajardo said, while the radio side flourished with a new talk and news format.
A possible increase in PBS dues – WMFE pays $1 million a year – was another factor. "They are still working on the formula, but the first rollout was going to have an increase of 37 percent," Fajardo said. "The decision that made the most sense is to sell TV and focus on radio."
WMFE said that Central Florida viewers could find PBS programs on WDSC in Daytona and WBCC in Cocoa. Fajardo said WMFE would work with PBS to ensure a smooth transition.
Was he happy with the money he got? "The evaluation was going down, down, down," Fajardo said. "Based on the current evaluation, we're in the range where we need to be. We got a fair deal."
The proceeds will go into an endowment, and WMFE will focus on 90.7 FM. "Our goal is to have 90.7 a robust local-news radio station serving Central Florida," he said.
With the sale's announcement, WMFE dropped five of it 37-member staff, and more staff departures are coming.
WMFE will stay in its building and will sublease the master control to the new buyer. WMFE will continue to broadcast the PBS lineup for 60 to 90 days.
Read more.
Tom's Take: One has got to wonder if there are other PBS stations in equally dire straits.
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