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Pacific Lutheran agrees to sell KPLU to community group

Published 2:30 pm Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Pacific Lutheran agrees to sell KPLU to community group
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Pacific Lutheran agrees to sell KPLU to community group
KPLU general manager Joey Cohn (right) and Stephen Tan (left), chairman of Friends of 88.5 FM, address media and supporters May 26 after announcing that the Save KPLU campaign had hit its fundraising goal. Pacific Lutheran University has agreed to sell the station to the group. (Justin Steyer / KPLU)

Associated Press

TACOMA — Pacific Lutheran University has agreed to sell its public radio station, KPLU-FM, to a community group that raised $7 million in an effort to preserve the local National Public Radio affiliate.

The fundraising drive began after a deal was announced last fall to sell the station’s broadcasting rights and facilities to KUOW, the NPR affiliate at the University of Washington. Amid a public outcry, the universities agreed to give Friends of 88.5 six months to match the sale price.

The “Save KPLU” effort raised $7 million from 18,000 donors by the end of May, and additional contributions have helped build a reserve fund. All of KPLU’s employees, including its 14-member local news team, will be retained.

Pacific Lutheran President Thomas Krise says he’s impressed with the fundraising effort, and he thanked the University of Washington for stepping aside gracefully.

The deal requires federal approval.

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