IPR to get boost in funding after ‘public dust-up’

Iowa Public Radio will get a $236,200 boost in funding from the Board of Regents in the upcoming budget year after a 'disruptive” change in the system's leadership hampered its ability to fundraise.

The Board of Regents approved the public radio request for a boost in support during its monthly meeting Thursday after the system's Board of Directors Chair Mary Kramer said the current plan to decrease funding in the 2015 budget year is not sustainable.

'We have been through a tough period,” Kramer said, calling the change in leadership 'a public dust-up that took a heavy toll.”

Iowa Public Radio – established by the Board of Regents in 2004 to oversee public radio operations licensed to Iowa's public universities – approved its 2012-2016 strategic plan in 2011, including a schedule to decrease regent funding and increase private support annually.

The goal is to make the public radio system financially independent by the 2017 budget year, in large part, by increasing private support.  But, according to regent documents, Iowa Public Radio 'had an extended period with interim leadership, which resulted in interrupting the plan to increase funding from large donors.”

That's why public radio officials want regents to reinstate the level of support they provided in the 2013 budget year of $944,800 for the upcoming budget year, when funding was supposed to drop to $708,600.

In the current budget year, the public radio system is receiving $826,700 in regent funding. An increase next year 'will allow IPR's new executive director and board of directors to launch a large donor effort and to update the strategic plan,” according to regent documents.

The public radio board in February 2013 voted to fire Mary Grace Herrington, who had been the system's chief executive officer since 2009. Following her termination, media outlets reported some of the reasons she was let go – including workplace environment issues and Herrington's management style.

Herrington since has reached a $197,000 settlement with Iowa Public Radio after the board publicly discussed some aspects of the 'personnel matter.” The settlement was for 'emotional distress and other compensatory damages.”

After months of searching, the public radio board in January named Myrna Johnson to be its new executive director. Johnson, who has more than 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector, spoke at Thursday's regents meeting about her passions for Iowa and public radio and the goals she has for the system.

'Our corporate supporters have stayed with us,” Johnson said Thursday. 'But the last year and a half have left us without fundraising leadership, so we do need some time to get that up and running.”

Johnson said the goal is to review the system's strategic plan and provide a revised university support funding plan to the regents at a later date. The additional money for the upcoming budget year will allow the system to develop a 'sustainable model” that will meet future financial goals.

'Helping us at this juncture will help us build something strong for the future,” Johnson said.

Regent Robert Downer said on Thursday that he supports the funding boost and thinks Iowa Public Radio has done a 'great job” and provides benefit for the entire state and its universities. Downer said, however, that he would like to see an increased presence in western Iowa, and public radio officials agreed and said that will be part of their discussions about future goals.