Facing a significant budget shortfall due to state funding reductions, the Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) District Board of Education will consider a proposal to transfer the operation of Portland’s only all-jazz station, KMHD (89.1 FM), to Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) effective July 1. Under the proposal, MHCC would continue to own the station, while OPB would take over programming, operational and fundraising responsibilities.

MHCC President John J. “Ski” Sygielski said the board of education will give serious consideration at its April 8 meeting to this proposed partnership with OPB. A decision is expected at the May 13 board meeting.

“This partnership would give KMHD the best opportunity to thrive in the future,” Sygielski said.

“OPB’s intention is to continue to operate KMHD as a jazz station. With a current audience of about 100,000 listeners, we believe that the station can attract an even wider audience through increased promotion and higher visibility to OPB’s 1.5 million viewers and listeners,” said OPB’s president and CEO, Steve Bass. "No changes in programming or on-air hosts are planned before July 1."
Yeah, but what about after?

"MHCC would continue to own the station, while OPB would take over programming, operational and fundraising responsibilities."

How is that a "partnership"? Sounds pretty one sided to me.

"The proposal calls for OPB to originate programming for KMHD from OPB's studios on S.W. Macadam Ave."

The Oregonian with more on this:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/popmusic/2009/03/mt_hood_proposes_partnership_w.html

It will be interesting to see how the consequences of this move play out. Will Mount Hood Community College be able to use KMHD as a resource at all, after the transfer occurs?

For some bizarre reason or other, something about this just screams "OPB Music" at me...........

Golden Hours instead of Chinese on 89.1/92??
(Naaaaahhh. Now that I think about it, that probably wouldn't fly with OPB. ;o)

I can hear Ralph Rogers turning in his grave.

On the optimistic side OPB could possibly distribute KMHD's signal along their statewide network of FM stations and translators.

Goodbye radio program @MHCC. Tom Costello would not approve

I was always under the impression that KMHD and the Radio Broadcasting Program (which now falls under the "Integrated Media" instructional department) were separate from each other, and that KDOX/X58/KMHC/The Quarry (whatever it was called, and whatever it's called next week) is technically a student "club," although membership requirements state that they must be members of the RB program and the RB Program Director is the de facto staff adviser.

"Goodbye radio program @MHCC. Tom Costello would not approve"

You got that right.