Cincinnati Public Radio to operate WMUB in Oxford

Miami University of Ohio plans to turn over operations of WMUB, an NPR affiliate that has broadcast from its campus for 58 years, to Cincinnati Public Radio. The management agreement is being facilitated by Public Radio Capital and comes less than two years after a university study committee "strongly" recommended that the station pursue partnerships with other news organizations or public stations in Dayton. The university annually contributes $500,000 of the WMUB's operating budget and provides another $300,000 in indirect subsidies. "[T]he financial obligation of WMUB can no longer be borne by the university with the economic challenges we face," said Miami President David Hodge. The Dayton Business Journal reports that the university faces a $22 million budget shortfall and has already cut $16 million from its 2010 budget. WMUB's staff of seven full-time and three part-time employees will lose their jobs.