Howard University May Auction Off Its Public Television Station
Filed in HBCUs on October 30, 2015
Howard University in Washington, D.C., has been operating a public television station for the past 35 years. Now the university is considering auctioning off the wavelength of WHUT-TV in order to improve its financial position.
Howard University reported a loss of $44 million for fiscal 2014 and would receive what it calls “significant income” from the sale of the wavelength. Reports have stated that the university could receive tens of millions of dollars from the proposed auction.
Howard University Television went on the air November 17, 1980. The station’s signal reaches over 2 million households in the greater Washington metropolitan area. WHUT airs more than 3,500 hours of public affairs and educational programming each year. The station has won 13 Emmy Awards.
In an email to the university community, Wayne A.I. Frederick, president of Howard University, stated that “Howard University must consider the significant financial opportunity presented with the auction. At the same time, we will consider the value that WHUT adds to the experiential learning opportunities for students and faculty and the public service opportunities we provide through WHUT to its loyal viewers.”
A decision on whether the university will seek to sell the station is expected in December.
HBCUs already a confronted with internal threats in their accelerated rate of hiring non-native born Blacks in upper echelon administrative positions and now this. This would easily qualify as the quasi-privatization and neocolonialism of an HBCU in 2015. Who really benefit from this nefarious deal? Seriously! For all of the dissenting neoliberals, please spare me with the cost benefit analysis forecasting. Shame! Shame! Howard University Board of Trustees and Administrators who support this business buffoonery. Now you see why Howard University students have been protesting incessantly against the Administration.