In what appears to be a growing trend among institutions of higher learning seeking an immediate cash infusion, an Indiana university is contemplating the sale of its Class B1 noncommercial FM.
As of today, a “potential buyer” is talking. But, that seems to be the only thing certain for this facility that dates to 1950 — well before FM radio became widely used.
Up for sale is WUEV-FM 91.5 in Evansville, Ind., a 6,100-watt station covering all of the city but not nearby Owensboro, Ky., which is part of this market, ranked No. 163 by Nielsen Audio.
From 3am-6pm weekdays, a “Jazz Flight” is taken by WUEV, featuring a wide variety of jazz music. From 6pm-9pm each night a Top 40 format is put into place. Sundays through Wednesdays between 9pm-3am is an alternative and indie music show. There’s even a “G-rated” Saturday morning program geared for children.
All of this may no longer be heard on 91.5 MHz in the near future.
In an interview with the Gannett-owned Courier & Press of Evansville, outgoing University of Evansville President Tom Kazee said, “We’re talking with a potential buyer, but we have made no commitments. At this point I really can’t say much more. But, we have not made a decision. I’ve been talking to some alums about their hopes for what we might be able to do with the station. It’s really under the category of, ‘Stay Tuned.'”
Kazee added that he would be “very surprised” if a final decision is made before Kazee’s final day at work, on May 31, or when new President Christopher Pietruszkiewicz comes on board in July.
Meanwhile, taking a similar page from other universities that have opted to say goodbye to their FMs, WUEV could very much continue as an internet-only operation.
“What’s in play here is the license,” Kazee said. “We’re basically trying to decide what the future of WUEV should be. We have the option of selling that license. We also have some other options we’re looking at right now.”
Interestingly, WUEV is a streaming pioneer and is the first station in Indiana to offer its over-the-air signal via a web stream, going online in 1996.
News of WUEV’s sale upset several alumni who spoke with WFIE-14 in Evansville.
“I don’t believe that the university has done its true due diligence either on looking at what WUEV is or can be,” said Dete Meserve, a television producer and author who is known across the UofE campus.
“It was definitely an important part of my college experience,” added alumnus Joe Ellsworth. “It added to the richness of what we do. And experiential education I think is really valuable and being able to work in a laboratory like the radio station was a great supplement to all the things you were learning in class as well.”
But, the story did not address the possible continuation of what WUEV presently does — just as an internet-only radio station.
That was a plan initially conceived by the university in 2006, when an undisclosed party offered to purchase WUEV. Alumni were engaged by the unsolicited offer, and former university President Stephen Jennings in February 2006 turned it down. This, he explained, would give the school time to evaluate the station’s viability and options to consider.
Now, it seems, those options are under high consideration.
