WIU eliminating funding for WIUM/WIUW (our local public radio station)

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Tere North
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ST_Lawson wrote: Sat Aug 18, 2018 8:08 pm I also agree with opening up the Rec center for anyone to be able to join. If they can bring in some additional revenue sources to help keep buildings open and people hired so that things can keep running during what I hope we will one day refer to as "the lean years", then I'm ok with that. I'm sure there's more to it than just saying "anyone can join now", but I don't see any huge downsides right now.
I suspect it may have external ramifications, such as impacting YMCA. So yes, it could be good for WIU, but bad for Macomb.
wiu712
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Snap-Fitness would also be affected.

But competition for members would make the YMCA and Snap-Fitness look for ways to improve their services in order to keep their current membership and encourage new members to join.
LocalYokelFan
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Tere North wrote: Sun Aug 19, 2018 11:24 am
ST_Lawson wrote: Sat Aug 18, 2018 8:08 pm I also agree with opening up the Rec center for anyone to be able to join. If they can bring in some additional revenue sources to help keep buildings open and people hired so that things can keep running during what I hope we will one day refer to as "the lean years", then I'm ok with that. I'm sure there's more to it than just saying "anyone can join now", but I don't see any huge downsides right now.
I suspect it may have external ramifications, such as impacting YMCA. So yes, it could be good for WIU, but bad for Macomb.
It would be extremely shortsighted to open the rec center for all to join. The YMCA provides so many programs and support for the lower income, working families in this community that having the University compete for affluent gym / sports club members would hurt this community. This should be fought tooth-and-nail against with the BoT and President Thomas and his leadership.
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ST_Lawson
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LocalYokelFan wrote: Sun Aug 19, 2018 1:04 pm
Tere North wrote: Sun Aug 19, 2018 11:24 am
ST_Lawson wrote: Sat Aug 18, 2018 8:08 pm I also agree with opening up the Rec center for anyone to be able to join. If they can bring in some additional revenue sources to help keep buildings open and people hired so that things can keep running during what I hope we will one day refer to as "the lean years", then I'm ok with that. I'm sure there's more to it than just saying "anyone can join now", but I don't see any huge downsides right now.
I suspect it may have external ramifications, such as impacting YMCA. So yes, it could be good for WIU, but bad for Macomb.
It would be extremely shortsighted to open the rec center for all to join. The YMCA provides so many programs and support for the lower income, working families in this community that having the University compete for affluent gym / sports club members would hurt this community. This should be fought tooth-and-nail against with the BoT and President Thomas and his leadership.
Fair enough. LIke I said, I'm sure there's more to it than just opening things up. I'm not really knowledgeable enough of that situation to have a valid opinion of it.
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sealhall74
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WIU students pay $28 and change per credit hour for some fee called the Bond Revenue fee which supports payment of principal and interest on bonds issued to construct student activity facilities. Exactly what facilities are they referring to here? Is Campus Rec Center one of them?
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wiu712
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I think that the Bond Revenue Fee funds the operation of the University Union, Hanson Field, Western Hall, and the Rec Center.
wiu712
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Western pulls Tri-State Public Radio Funding.

From today's Western Courier:
https://westerncourier.com/41399/news/w ... e-funding/
wiu712
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A Letter from The Staff and Friends Advisory Board of Tri States Public Radio.
http://www.tspr.org/letter-staff-and-fr ... blic-radio
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ST_Lawson
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The university's response:


Problem is, a HUGE part of the benefit of having TSPR is the local reporting capability. Yes, the station would probably still exist in some form, but many of the staff would be laid off and the ability of the station to do any kind of investigation would drop to practically nil. What you would see happen is essentially the station would rebroadcast the national feeds and maybe occasionally just repeat university press releases, but if you wanted any actual investigation into stories like the Crisis of Confidence series (http://www.tspr.org/topic/wiu-crisis-confidence) then that essentially won't happen in the future. I'm sure the administration itself won't mind that, but we'd be losing one of the "checks" against misleading information being put out by the university.
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wiu712
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In today's Press Release from President Thomas about the funding-cut from Tri-States Public Radio, he says: "We must look at all areas in terms of budget. The University cannot be everything to everyone, particularly in these challenging budgetary times. Quite simply, the University cannot continue to operate as it has in the past."

The BIG elephant in the room is Athletics. The funding necessary to run Athletics far exceeds the $453,000 that WIUM receives.
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