A Call to Action
Like me, you are one of the thousands of listeners, individual contributors, business supporters, challenge grant donors, volunteers or community-based volunteers who have for the past 15 years created a stake in KCPW's future. As such, we hope you'll choose to join our effort to protect KCPW's place in the community.
KCPW's future is uncertain. On Super Bowl Sunday, February 3, 2008, KCPW's parent company, Community Wireless of Park City, posted a press release on KCPW's website announcing its intention to divest itself of KCPW. As General Manager of KCPW, I was given the opportunity to acquire sufficient assets of KCPW to keep it on the air with the same local news, National Public Radio affiliation, as well as its current Salt Lake staff and location at Library Square. I have been involved with KCPW for years as a volunteer, donor, consultant, and for the past seven months, as General Manger. Effective March 1, I am no longer officially associated with KCPW, so I can give full attention, and without conflict, to concentrate on the purchase of the station.
Community Wireless has given me a very short window of time (March 15) in which to present an offer to acquire the assets of the station. Although Community Wireless has given me a stated preference to acquire the station, they are entertaining other offers from non-profits, giving expressed priority to those who will continue to run the current news/information format.
Since February 3, I have been very busy doing extensive due diligence, including review of pertinent financial statements and loan documents for the 1010AM loan bonds, retaining competent legal counsel, accounting and public relations firms. I have filed articles of incorporation with the State of Utah creating Wasatch Public Media, a Utah non-profit corporation. I am working with Public Radio Capital ("PRC"), a Denver, Colorado based non-profit that works solely with other non-profits in the acquisition of public radio stations. PRC assisted Community Wireless in obtaining the bonds to buy 1010AM and will be assisting Wasatch Public Media to obtain traditional financing for the purchase of KCPW.
Although Community Wireless has stated their preference for our purchase of KCPW, at this point, we have nothing in writing that allows that to occur.
We need to show Community Wireless NOW that there are others who support Wasatch Public Media's purchase of KCPW.
If you support keeping KCPW on the air in its current format as an independent, local news service, but locally owned and managed by Wasatch Public Media, please demonstrate your support by printing, signing and dating the letter that appears below.
Thank you for giving your attention to this important matter.
Warm regards,
Ed Sweeney
Wasatch Public Media
Curriculum Vitae of Ed Sweeney