Despite slump, WHRO is staying steady - for now

NORFOLK

When National Public Radio said last week that it would cut 64 jobs - or 7 percent of its work force - no heads rolled at WHRO.

The local public broadcasting company, contrary to public impression, is not controlled by NPR. "They are a source of programming for us; they do not make decisions for us," said Bert Schmidt, WHRO's president and chief executive officer.

WHRO, which employs the equivalent of about 100 full-time employees, has not cut positions and doesn't foresee doing so next year, he said.

"We have been fortunate so far," said Schmidt, who has led WHRO for a year and a half.

The company - which includes WHRO-TV (Channel 15), WHRV-FM (89.5) and WHRO-FM (90.3) - ended its last fiscal year in June with a $500,000 surplus on a $15 million

budget, he said. Through November, he said, it exceeded budget projections.

But donations from individuals - which bring in about $3 million a year - are down about 9 percent, said Virginia Thumm, WHRO's chief development officer. Schmidt worries about results for December, when many sizable gifts usually arrive.

"The next two weeks will be important," Schmidt said. "We are OK right now. But in two weeks, it may be different."

The state cut funding for WHRO by about $60,000 in the fall. In his budget address Wednesday, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine did not propose additional cuts for this fiscal year but sought to double WHRO's reduction in 2009-10.

Schmidt said he wasn't fazed: "We're conservative in our fiscal planning. We plan for cuts."

In terms of popularity, viewership is down for WHRO-TV, but that's true throughout the TV industry, he said.

The station averaged 312,000 viewers per week during November, said Linda Delgado, director of television programming.

WHRV-FM, which broadcasts news, jazz and alternative music, has experienced ratings growth this year. For the first three quarters of the year, its average share - the percentage of local radio listeners who tune in to the station - was 3.3, compared with 2.9 last year, said Heather Mazzoni, the programming director.

The classical radio station, WHRO-FM, has held steady at about 2.8 percent, said Dwight Davis, the programming director. The Walrus Research firm this week issued a report listing WHRO among six classical stations whose ratings are significantly better than what would be expected.

Schmidt, 46, a former tax attorney who led the Harrisonburg public TV station, started at WHRO in May 2007. He has won praise for increasing local programming and maintaining a vibrant work atmosphere.

Since Schmidt took over, WHRO-TV has launched local programs including "What Matters," a public affairs show, and "Fil Am TV," which spotlights Filipino-American personalities and events. "Another View," which will focus on issues of interest to blacks, is scheduled to premiere in February.

Cathy Lewis, the host of "What Matters" and the weekday radio show "HearSay With Cathy Lewis," said Schmidt inspires creativity without getting heavy-handed.

"I feel very confident about Bert's leadership," she said. "He's very good about keeping his hands off things that don't require his input. He gets a lot out of people with that."

Board member G. William Whitehurst, a former U.S. congressman who teaches at Old Dominion University, said: "He's down to earth; he's forthcoming. What you see is what you get. I haven't heard a negative thing about him - I think that's the most revealing thing."

The company is independent of both NPR and the Public Broadcasting Service, Schmidt said. In an arrangement that he said is unique in public broadcasting, WHRO is owned by 18 local school systems.

"Education," Schmidt said, "is in our DNA here."

The programs include dozens of online high school courses.

The educational mission also helps the bottom line. The annual report for 2007 said education "service fees" provided 26 percent of company revenue.

Unlike most media outlets, WHRO does not rely on advertising for revenue.

Thirty-nine percent of its money comes from "community support," including corporate and individual gifts. WHRO has about 22,000 individual or family members who donate at least $48 per year.

An additional 13 percent comes from government grants, which Schmidt said are divided equally between state and federal funding. So far, he said, the federal government has not reduced its support.

The remainder of its money - 22 percent - comes from a variety of sources, including rental of office and tower space at its headquarters on Hampton Boulevard.

Jack Ezzell, vice chairman of WHRO's board and chief executive officer of Zel Technologies in Hampton, called Schmidt "a visionary executive with a strong background in public broadcasting and an excellent grasp of digital matters."

For Schmidt, the interest in technology comes naturally. "I have four DVRs; it's a personal sickness I have," he joked. But it's also crucial, he said, for the future.

For instance, all of WHRO's local programs are podcast, he said. "We have to make sure we're available to people in any way they want."

WHRO also has four HD radio stations, three more TV stations - including one for children - and a radio reading service for the blind.

Lewis said she's confident WHRO will withstand the economic clampdown.

"I think when people are thinking through how they're going to give their dollars, they will think about the things they use every day," she said.

"Even in the midst of these times, they will see that we are delivering a lot for their membership dollars."

Philip Walzer, (757) 222-3864, phil.walzer@pilotonline.com