Public Radio Funds Will Be Tied To Ratings

Public radio stations will have to show that listeners are tuning in or that a large chunk of their funds comes from the community before they get government grants under rules approved Monday.

Tying government funding to station performance, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting said the nation’s 600 public radio stations will be required to have at least 12 percent of the listening audience in their coverage areas or get at least 18 percent of their funding from nongovernment sources, such subscriber pledges and corporate donations.

Spokane’s public radio station, KPBX, should easily meet the second standard. Only about 16 percent of its budget comes from federal funds with the rest coming from local donations.

One of the two new standards must be met by 1998 or stations will begin losing federal monies, said CPB, which distributes federal money to 1,000 radio and television stations .

About one out of every 6 stations, or about 70 public radio stations, don’t meet either standard today, said Rick Madden, director of CPB’s radio program fund.

He expects most will beef up performance to meet the new rules by the time they go into effect.