More than 170 protest WIU public radio cuts - Patrick Stout, McDonough County Voice

Comments against a Western Illinois University plan to eliminate state funding for the public radio station occupied the entire public comment portion of the WIU Board of Trustees meeting on Friday. At the segment’s end, someone shouted, “Stand up for Tri-States Public Radio!” About 80 percent of the 220 people in the audience stood for three minutes. While not immediately backing down on the defunding decision, President Jack Thomas announced that he has asked Vice-President Brad Bainter, Dean Billy Clow, and Public Radio Station Manager Jonathan Ahl to begin ongoing discussions on how to help the radio station become self-supporting next semester.The development director from the WIU Quad-Cities campus has also volunteered to help. Thomas said WIU has received a 27 percent cut in state funding. He said the $14.9 million budget in 2015 shrunk by ten percent in 2017 and by eight percent this year. “Difficult decisions, unpopular decisions, have to be made,” Thomas said. “When resources are this scarce, we must make sacrifices.“ http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/news/20180825/more-than-170-protest-wiu-public-radio-cuts