UMSL moves forward with changes to KWMU, including possibly moving it to the Grand Center
UMSL Chancellor Thomas George, who met with the Post-Dispatch editorial board on Tuesday, said the university will probably decide in another month or so whether it will build KWMU’s new headquarters on campus or in the Grand Center.
He said folks from the Grand Center, the arts and entertainment district in midtown St. Louis, first approached the university about joining the neighborhood. KWMU, the NPR affiliate that is part of UMSL, is in the midst of a $12 million fundraising campaign so it can build some new digs.
George said that if KWMU moved to the Grand Center, it would likely be in a lot next to KETC.
In the meantime, UMSL is continuing its search for a new KWMU general manager after it fired Patty Wente in June. UMSL fired her after a “review of financial and management issues raised by current and past employees and outside auditors.” Wente denied any wrongdoing.
Some donors to the $12 million campaign were so upset by Wente’s firing that they withdrew their pledges. UMSL spokesman Bob Samples said that only two individuals have said that they are withdrawing their commitments. He added that $4.5 million has been raised thus far.
Wente’s firing came after an audit last year found the station needed more oversight and highlighted some practices such as an unidentified employee using a credit card for personal expenses. The employee later paid off the charges.
That audit helped trigger a larger review of financial and management issues by the University of Missouri system. The university has declined open records requests from the Post-Dispatch asking for the findings of the review. The university has said that the review was verbal in nature. But anyway, it said that the findings were protected from disclosure in part because it related to personnel ratings or records.
Besides Wente’s firing, Samples said the other major change at the station in recent months is that all of KWMU’s money is going directly into an UMSL account. Before, much of the station’s business was being controlled out of an account held by the Friends of KWMU, he said.
Kavita Kumar covers higher education for the Post-Dispatch. 
It’s interesting Ms. Wente still claims to have done nothing wrong and that your article refers to “an unidentified employee” that used the credit card for personal use.. Does she think people can’t put two and two together? This is why she was fired along with a LONG list of other improprieties.
When I read the headline on this, I was like “Noooooooo”. But, it does make some sense to be next to KETC.
I guess one thing to think about is that UMSL is directly on a Metrolink line, making it easy for employee and programming guests to come to the facility. Will it be easier if directly in the city?
I think it would be easier for those Friday “Arts” broadcast since a lot of the shows being touted are in that area.
Also, will people still realize KWMU is affiliated with UMSL when they are closer to SLU and WashU? And, if a lack of oversight has been an issue in the past, does moving them further away help that situation?
A move to Grand Center would be a brilliant decision on KWMU’s part. I hope they make it happen - the station would be a perfect fit, and it would be a win-win for both KWMU and GC.