Todd Mundt

Since I noted, in passing, the difficulties at KWMU a few weeks ago, I want to follow up on the news of Patty Wente’s termination yesterday.

I think there are a couple of things worth noting: as of this morning at least, if you check out the comments on the Riverfront Times blog, they are generally quite positive about KWMU - a prevailing theme: this is the time for us to be supportive of our public radio station, with our words and our dollars.

It reminds me of something we saw in Michigan in 2006: listeners wanted us to get the house in order and then continue to serve them at the level they’d come to expect. They supported Michigan Radio with record-setting fundraising throughout the period of difficulty. This speaks to the tremendous loyalty of our listeners and to the trust they have in us.

Second, no matter how positively some or all employees of KWMU view this change, the change itself will be turbulent and difficult. The interim manager and the next permanent manager have to be aware of this, and help staff through the catharsis and then the transition.