Message from the General Manager

The Online 1999-2001 Biennial Report that you see before you is an attempt to keep an earlier promise to Indiana Public Radio's members and supporters. The previous general manager, Stewart Vanderwilt, promised that Indiana Public Radio would annually provide a broad financial report about the radio station. That promise has been altered by circumstance.

WBST has been a success almost from its inception. The thing about success is that it inevitably leads to a new idea, how to make something successful even more successful. An idea always looks good on paper. And the idea that looks good on paper should work when it's implemented, but that's not always the case. In 1997 the idea was to expand WBST, creating Indiana Public Radio by adding four transmitters in new communities. It was believed that the new communities would respond as favorably to their new stations as Delaware County had to WBST. When this idea was implemented, IPR had the financial reserves to cover the multiple transmitter costs and absorb the added expense; on paper, it looked as if new membership would soon establish itself in those new communities, thus recouping the initial investment.

The original plan overlooked one simple fact: WBST had taken 40 years to build its audience. After the station added the new transmitters, listeners in the new communities were expected to: 1) discover the station, 2) listen frequently, and 3) financially contribute in equal proportions within three years (by the year 2000) - in roughly 13 percent of the time it had taken WBST to build its audience in Delaware County. Those expectations turned out to be overly optimistic. While I still believe in the original concept - the idea that expansion is a good thing that can lead to many improvements - by now it's clear that the expectations about growth in membership will not be met, at least not on the original timetable.

Rather than fantastic financial growth, the past two years at IPR have been about retrenching and reallocating resources. The financial reserves are now gone. Several staff positions have not been filled. So, we did not attempt an annual report last year, but we want to recognize the people who carry the station financially, especially during tough times.

Even so, this is a time of optimism. People are listening to the station in record numbers for record lengths of time. We have had back-to-back record-setting pledge drives since I arrived eighteen months ago. We say on the air that contributing to Indiana Public Radio is like making an investment in what you hear. The symbiotic relationship between listener support and station service has never been more poignant than it is right now. World events continue to provide you with an aural demonstration of the need to "put your money where your ears are." We promised to provide you with an accounting of what we do so you can truly know what you are investing in. This report is an attempt to keep that promise, while using our resources wisely. We save printing and mailing costs with an online report, but we will provide a printed copy to anyone who asks. You will find that this report compresses the highlights of the two fiscal years - 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 - into one narrative, while contributors' names and the financial data are separated into two sections, one for each fiscal year.

Thanks for continuing to listen and support Indiana Public Radio. I hope I will have even more people to thank next year.

Anthony Hunt, General Manager

Message from Kevin Klose, President of NPR

National Public Radio turned 30 years young in February 2000. What a great birthday! Together with our member stations we marked:
· Three decades of public service to the nation,
· Three decades of award-winning news and cultural programming,
· Three decades of increasing loyalty among 16 million weekly listeners.

Over the years, NPR has transformed radio into the most intimate, accessible, and engaging mass medium ever created. We offer an incomparable global forum for broad news coverage, analysis, cultural expression, and - most uniquely - storytelling.

NPR's Morning Edition experienced nearly 19% audience growth this year, reaching 10.7 million weekly listeners. It is the nation's third most-listened-to talk radio show. And our signature evening newsmagazine, All Things Considered, continued to captivate millions of listeners with wide and deep news coverage and remarkable, often unusual, stories told through voices - revealing radio's unrivaled power of sound.

This year, we received one of the nation's highest honors. President Bill Clinton recognized the distinction of our work when he presented NPR with a National Medal of Arts for 30 years of outstanding cultural programming. This marked the first time in history a broadcast organization received the Medal.

Our work is dedicated to the millions who listen every day and pledge their support to the 650 independent public radio stations that broadcast NPR programming. We have the most extraordinary audiences in America: well educated, family- and community-oriented, thoughtful contributors to society, in a word - leaders. They are all active members of every American community. When these listeners tune in, they connect the values of NPR's public service with their own values. They connect the news of our nation to the workings of their own communities.

Today, just as our founders envisioned 30 years ago, NPR serves the public through the highest-quality radio programming. Our devotion to public service and to the craft of radio production has given birth to a Second Golden Age of radio. Together with Indiana Public Radio and our other member stations, we at NPR use sound to strengthen the bridges that bring individuals, information, and ideas together - the act of communication that enhances our daily lives.

Very best regards,

Kevin Klose, President of NPR

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