Sutton questions CPB analysis of stations' financial health

Revenue shortfalls and reliance on subsidies aren't a new trend for public radio stations, writes pubradio marketing consultant John Sutton. He questions the research behind CPB's recent study on the financial troubles of pubcasting outlets, and says that CPB could have taken steps to address this problem years ago. "Asking the government to help financially strapped stations this year might be the only way to keep those stations from going dark or losing their local identity, as is happening to WMUB in Ohio," Sutton writes. "But becoming more reliant on subsidies is not a long-term solution."