February 5, 2004

EDITORIAL

A new day at WYSO

The resignation of WYSO General Manager Steve Spencer is good news for listeners, Antioch University and the station itself. In recent years, it became clear that much was not working at WYSO, starting with Mr. Spencer’s decision-making processes and his leadership skills. Add to these problems the station’s mounting budget deficit, its many alienated and unhappy listeners and the conflict within the station that Mr. Spencer reportedly had caused, and you get a recipe for creating a dysfunctional organization.

Mr. Spencer’s decision to resign last Friday gives Antioch and WYSO an opportunity to reconnect with many listeners and volunteers who have felt ignored or troubled by Mr. Spencer’s autocratic management style. As several people who have been critical of the station and Mr. Spencer said, his resignation is a good first step to rectifying the management of the station.

Re-energizing WYSO will not be easy. Antioch must dig WYSO out of debt, win back many once loyal listeners who stopped financially supporting the station and make employees feel that they are part of a team. The public, volunteers and WYSO employees must be convinced that their voices count at the public radio station.

Antioch University Chancellor Jim Craiglow may have caused more than a few eyebrows to raise with his statement last Friday that “former employees who have tried to damage the station” would not be asked to return. This seems like spiteful rhetoric meant to punish former WYSO staffers who in recent months spoke out about the problems at the station. Instead of being chastised, these former employees could be considered as whistle-blowers.

Critics, however, should be heartened by some of the positive points made by Antioch, including the university’s insistence that it would stabilize the station’s management and create a collaborative workplace for staff and volunteers. Antioch has also said that listeners and volunteers may provide input on programming and help meet the needs of the station’s listeners.

These were the very things that WYSO had strayed from recently, as Mr. Spencer made changes at the station, sparking a long-running conflict between station management and some listeners. Antioch’s plans to stabilize WYSO are more likely to be successful if it includes the public in its efforts to rebuild the station, and gives listeners a role in selecting a new general manager.

At the same time, WYSO’s audience should not expect the station to revert to its format from two years ago, when Mr. Spencer cut many of WYSO’s volunteer-hosted programs in an effort to boost ratings and help cover gaps in funding. The fact is WYSO will continue to evolve, just as most successful organizations do.

The key is WYSO must do a better job of involving the public and volunteers in the station’s operations. This does not mean that listeners should be participate in daily management decisions, but as a public radio station, WYSO must factor the public into decisions that affect its mission and direction. Mr. Spencer seemed to be lacking such a vision. Antioch now has an opportunity to select a new station manager who understands and embraces the delicacies of public involvement at WYSO.

—Robert Mihalek