KKJZ, the classical jazz station housed at Cal State Long Beach, will have new management to operate the station as the CSULB Foundation board unanimously voted for a Los Angeles classical music station to run the jazz station.
Pacific Public Radio (PPR), which currently operates KKJZ and was one of the bidders for the station, has been turned down because Mt. Wilson FM Broadcasters, the owner of the classical jazz station KMZT-FM (105.1), and KKGO-AM (1260/540), a pop station, were chosen to begin negotiations for a management contract.
In Mt. Wilson’s proposal to the Foundation board, it stated that it will keep the classical jazz format and open up more internship, job and scholarship opportunities for students, according to Joseph Latter, interim chair of PPR and the Foundation’s assistant treasurer.
“What stood out about Mt. Wilson was its financial stability,” said Toni Beron, assistant vice president of public affairs and publications. “They proposed to offer numerous internships and scholarships and jobs, as well as an absolute commitment to maintaining a jazz format.”
The Foundation board will create a contract with Mt. Wilson to make sure it will continue to play the classical jazz format, Latter said.
Dedication to jazz, along with financial stability, retention of staff, operator experience, involvement with CSULB and programming plans were the main criteria “to evaluate the proposals received,” Latter said. Underwriting, fundraising, marketing and promotion, equipment and music library, revenue sharing and transition plans were other criteria used to choose the bidder.
The new operator also promised to retain “as many employees as possible” from KKJZ, Beron said. Beron also said university officials wanted to see KKJZ become more of an “asset and a resource for the university.”
If negotiations go well, the new operator could take over in about three months.
