To our valued members and listeners,
I am writing to provide an update regarding CapRadio’s 90.9 broadcast tower, which powers our service to the Sacramento region. As many of you are aware, there is an ongoing dispute about rightful ownership of our tower after KVIE — Sacramento’s public television station — incorrectly assumed it had taken ownership of our radio tower as part of a land donation.
Over the last six months, CapRadio management and board of directors have made considerable efforts to engage with KVIE and come to an amicable resolution about the tower’s ownership so we can put this behind us and work together to better serve the region as two valued public media institutions.
However, I’m disheartened to share that those efforts proved futile after KVIE ended conversations and good-faith discussions, choosing instead to file a lawsuit in October against CapRadio. We are disappointed that this has become a legal issue, especially since we can point to indisputable proof of ownership of the tower, which CapRadio has owned, operated and properly maintained for over 40 years. CapRadio had no choice but to file a counter-claim against KVIE on Oct. 24 to protect our news radio broadcasting capabilities and dispel misinformation surrounding KVIE’s false claims of ownership.
CapRadio continues to improve and expand our essential local public service journalism, acting as an invaluable source of news and information for the community. The value and impact of this service to the community is undeniable as we’ve seen our weekly news listening audience grow by 91% from a year ago. Now more than ever, we must ensure that our region has access to credible information provided by an independent local newsroom with editorial integrity.
Despite this dispute, we remain unwavering in our commitment to build a better future for local public media and increase critical services to communities as we deliver on our public service mission. We believe that the future of public media requires collaboration and partnerships as we focus on serving local communities better. We are committed to this.
Thank you for your ongoing support. We will update you in the future as soon as we are able.
Frank Maranzino
CapRadio Interim President and General Manager
