Quick Takes

Kling still on track to raise $5 million for pubradio reporters

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After Bill Kling retires on July 1 from atop Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media in St. Paul, he “plans to take his show on the road and use his influence to build up public radio stations across America,” according to the City Pages in Minneapolis.Kling reiterated to the paper his plans to raise $5 million a year for five years, to be used by four public radio stations (Chicago’s WBEZ, New York’s WYNC, and KPCC in southern California) to hire more reporters (Current, Oct. 18, 2010). Another $5 million per year will be donated to the greater public radio system. “Ultimately, Kling hopes to take on all the top public radio markets in the country,” the paper notes.”You can have all the blogs, all the Huffington Posts, and Twitter feeds, and any other way of distributing content,” Kling says.

Quick Takes

WTVI’s survivial in danger if it keeps “bleeding money,” its president says

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WTVI, the PBS affiliate in Charlotte, N.C., is asking Mecklenburg County commissioners to restore a total of $1 million in funding that was cut in recent years, reports WFAE-FM. There’s no operating money for WTVI in the county budget, but the station gets help paying for equipment and studio space as well as about $100,000 to televise commission meetings. WTVI President Elsie Garner says the station won’t go dark immediately if the county refuses her funding request, at least “not in one year. But if you keep bleeding money, after awhile, yeah that’s the logical thing.”Garner denied to Current any rumors that WTVI may be considering dropping from PBS membership. “Our board is still committed to the PBS brand,” she says.

Quick Takes

Newscaster Ann Taylor leaving NPR on June 30 after 21 years

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Ann Taylor, the bottom-of-the-hour news voice on NPR’s All Things Considered, is leaving after 21 years with the network. In a memo to staff, Managing Editor David Sweeney and Robert Garcia, newscast executive producer, say Taylor has anchored the spots “with great clarity of writing and authority of delivery.” The memo says Taylor wants to stop commuting weekly to Washington from New York, and her last day will be June 30. “Ann is one of the most gracious professionals both of us have had the honor of working with,” it says. “She’s unflappable on the air and is one of the most hard-working and adaptable broadcasters.