AMES, Iowa — For classical music connoisseurs like Anita Beal of Ames, the voices of public radio in Iowa have always had faces, too.
But news announced earlier this month of nine Iowa Public Radio employees who were bought out, laid off or reassigned in a move to cut costs and improve efficiency, makes Beal wonder if the face of public radio will be lost in the emerging mosaic of national and global programming.
The station, like many Iowa businesses, is going through major changes as it faces shifting economic conditions.
The accessibility of Iowa State University's WOI hosts, on the air and in the community, has augmented Beal's enjoyment of her favorite programs through the years, she said.
Karen Bryan, the “intelligent and friendly voice on WOI's Music Shop and Stage and Screen,” is one of the local faces and familiar voices that will be fading away. She opted for early retirement and will return to her family's turf in Utah.
Although she's unsure of what life holds in store, Bryan said she's more concerned about Iowa Public Radio listeners than she is her own future.
“I sometimes wonder if the new people on board understand what it takes to be an excellent professional host,” she said.
Iowa Public Radio CEO Mary Grace Herrington said staff layoffs are the most painful aspect of aligning and strengthening the organization.
“This has been a difficult but a necessary decision by our leadership team,” she said. “Losing talented staff is never easy, and the individuals involved will be missed. However, as with most organizational mergers, we needed to eliminate redundancies.
“We also must live up to our commitments to the (Iowa) Board of Regents to reduce Iowa Public Radio's dependence on the state's universities for operational support, especially in light of the financial constraints on the institutions.”
Herrington said she wants to reassure listeners that the classical music is integral to the formula for success.
“Classical programming has one of our most loyal audiences,” Herrington said, pointing out the organization's three-pronged approach, which also includes alternative music, and news and talk content.
Arts and Culture reporter and producer John Pemble said he's aiming for programs that make listeners “feel drawn in, and not distanced.”
“It could be as simple as knowing the subtext of a place in Iowa, and pronouncing its name right,” he said.
Herrington, who joined Iowa Public Radio a little more than six months ago, said that's one of the challenges she relishes as she looks to the future and rolls out a marketing campaign later this fall.
Radio stations at Iowa's regent universities were merged more than four years ago.
“It's time to bring our listeners on board with that,” Herrington said.
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