PULLMAN Northwest Public Radio, a statewide NPR network owned by WSU, will become part of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication on Feb. 1, the university announced today.
This move is coming at a critical time for media and for the college,” said Lawrence Pintak, dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. “As a long-time broadcast journalist and listener, I have deep respect for public radio and believe that we can help each other in our constant quest to be relevant, world class institutions.”
Under the move, reporting responsibility shifts from the university’s Information Technology department to the Murrow College, but the network will remain a professionally operated, autonomous unit. “Northwest Public Radio will continue to provide the programs listeners depend on. We will also look for ways to complement each other in terms of programming and academic learning,” Pintak said.
“This is a natural fit for us,” said station manager, Kerry Swanson. “Our mission of providing high quality news and information to our communities goes perfectly with the Murrow tradition of truth, honesty and public service.”
“Northwest Public Radio was administered very successfully for years under Extended Academic Services and then Information Technology,” Swanson added. “In fact, the network was built in conjunction with other WSU services and involved cutting edge distance learning programs as part of the classroom, television and radio networks. Times have changed and our technology has gone in separate directions. Distance learning has moved online, and our operation involves unique and specialized technologies.”
Budgets and staff will transition to the college in February. Public television stations KWSU and KTNW were moved from Information Technology to the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication in September of 2009.
Northwest Public Radio is a nonprofit, listener-supported public radio service heard on 13 stations across Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Southern British Columbia, and online at www.nwpr.org. NWPR’s mission is to inform, enrich and inspire our audience through programs and services that share ideas, encourage thought, create community and increase appreciation of the arts. Northwest Public Radio is a community service of WSU.