Announcement coming soon on Alaska pubcasting merger

Alaska public broadcasting stations could merge as soon as next month, according to today's (Feb. 28) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. The stations, including KUAC in Fairbanks, KTOO in Juneau, KYUK in Bethel and Alaska Public Telecommunications in Anchorage, have been in talks for two years. Those discussions were sparked by mounting financial problems that prompted layoffs and reductions in local programming starting in 2009. A committee has been hearing input from residents in communities that would be affected. General managers are not involved in discussions, "since their jobs or those of their employees could be affected," the paper says. CPB supplied an $88,000 consulting grant. The proposed model could be unveiled in early March.