KUSF Staff Files Petition to Block Sale of Radio Station

By Erin Sherbert Thu., Mar. 3 2011 at 7:30 AM

Categories: Media

KUSF needs the FCC to listen

We had almost gotten used to the idea that KUSF would not longer be the indie college radio station we had known. But the station's staff reminded us this week when they filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission, officially asking it to block the sale of 90.3 FM.

Last month, staffers at KUSF asked listeners to write into the FCC to oppose the sale and city supervisors came out against the University of San Francisco's plan to sell 90.3 FM to a Southern California station.

But all of that will do absolutely nothing to stop the sale, as we have reported before; the fate of the radio station now lies in the hands of the FCC.

The petition filed on Monday argues that the sale is not in the public interest and that the Classical Public Radio Network, which would buy the broadcast license, is not a qualified non-profit that would offer noncommercial and educational programs.

USF abruptly pulled the plug on the station in January after it decided to sell the station for $3.75 million to a classical radio station. Since then, KUSF has been an online only station that's attracted dozens, not the thousands of listeners the university had promised.

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