The Iowa Board of Regents agreed Oct. 23 to continue funding Iowa Public Radio at current levels through the end of fiscal year 2016, reversing a plan to zero out funding by that time.
IPR’s 2012 strategic plan called for zeroing out the board of regents’ support by the end of fiscal year 2016. The station saw shortfalls in major giving revenue and lacked an executive director for a year until Myrna Johnson joined the network in January. Citing those factors, IPR asked for board funding to remain at 12.5 percent of its operating budget.
“This revised plan is focused on sustainability rather than financial independence,” said Johnson said. “The five-year plan to zero out funding might have been a little too ambitious.”
The board’s decision only covers the time span of the strategic plan, fiscal years 2012-16. IPR will need to secure funding on an annual basis until the plan ends and will then develop another strategic plan with a new funding timeline.