The University of Missouri-St. Louis announced Monday that the license and governance of St. Louis Public Radio will transition to the Friends of KWMU Inc.
The radio station will keep its advisory board. The transition is expected to take up to three years, as the university and the station’s board negotiate details of the separation.
The university and St. Louis Public Radio have been partners since the station’s creation in 1972. St. Louis Public Radio is the local affiliate of National Public Radio.
“This is a transformative moment for St. Louis Public Radio,” said UMSL Chancellor Kristin Sobolik. “The move to independence allows STLPR to chart its own course while staying true to its mission of providing high-quality journalism and community service.
“We believe this transition will empower the station to remain a vital resource of unbiased news for our region and beyond. UMSL is fully supportive of this direction, which is aligned with the UM System, and we will continue to work closely with the station to ensure a smooth and successful transition.”
A similar separation process will be undertaken between the University of Missouri-Kansas City and its public radio station, KCUR.
The UM System Board of Curators, which currently holds the license for STLPR, backs the change. “The curators are supportive of the recommendations from our chancellors at UMKC and UMSL,” said board Chair Todd Graves. “Together, we are confident that this transition will position stations in both communities for success in the years ahead.”
During the transition period, UMSL will continue to provide support in areas such as finance, human resources and technology. STLPR will continue to operate as usual, with no anticipated changes to programming or staffing.
St. Louis Public Radio already is responsible for raising its own money to operate the station. Almost 93% of that money comes from donors.
Tina Pamintuan, CEO of St. Louis Public Radio, said the decision would position the station for its next chapter. By operating under its own governing board, she said, STLPR will be better able to innovate, expand its reach and strengthen its financial sustainability while maintaining its commitment to informing, educating and engaging its listeners.
“A transition to independence is a bold move that reflects the strength of St. Louis Public Radio and its commitment to serving the community,” Pamintuan said.
“It also reflects the unwavering support of our donors and friends, whose contributions have made STLPR what it is today. As an organization, the culture we have built over the last three years positions us to succeed in this moment thanks to the extraordinary strength of our staff, operations and strategic plan.”
The station’s board will play a critical role. Board President Andrea Cannon said: “For 47 years, the Friends board has provided the station with unwavering support and this transition represents a natural evolution. We recognize the importance of local journalism and the talent that STLPR’s staff bring to telling the stories of our region. We are dedicated to positioning STLPR for long-term success.”
The most recent financial statement reported that almost 93% of the station’s income came from gifts and sponsorships from individuals and organizations. The federal Corporation for Public Broadcasting provided 6% of the station’s income, with the remainder coming from private grants.
50-plus years of St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Public Radio — 90.7 FM, with the call letters KWMU — began broadcasting in 1972 as a music station with news breaks. NPR programs Morning Edition and All Things Considered were later added. The station’s founder was Don Driemeier, former dean of the school’s College of Business Administration and later UMSL’s interim chancellor.
St. Louis Public Radio currently has a professional staff of more than 70 employees and has received dozens of awards for its regional news coverage and podcasts.
The station’s broadcast reach spans urban, suburban and rural areas in Missouri and Illinois. In recent years, St. Louis Public Radio has acquired radio facilities in Rolla (KMST, 88.5 FM) and Quincy, Ill. (WQUB, 90.3 FM).
St. Louis Public Radio began as a music station with news breaks, later adding NPR programs "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered." In the 1990s, the station switched to a news-talk format with expanded local coverage, including the weekday program St. Louis on the Air, with music and entertainment programming on weekends.
In late 2013, the station merged with a local online news outlet – the St. Louis Beacon, whose staff was largely made up of journalists who previously had worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Disclosure: This story was reported and edited by freelance journalists Jo Mannies and Traci Tong, who are working independently. They are not employees of the University of Missouri System or St. Louis Public Radio. Mannies retired as a reporter for STLPR in 2019. When station leaders share information with employees in off-the-record meetings, the journalists working on the story do not attend. Under STLPR’s protocol for reporting on itself, no station leader or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.
