Budgeting to Sustain our Commitments
Mar 26, 2024
Much is written about March as a signal of seasonal transition—strong winds, longer daylight, and spring flowers. At MPR it’s also when we examine the state of our budget: how we’ve deployed the funds we have on hand and what plans we want to bring forward for a new fiscal year that begins in July. We assess the ways we’ve applied the generosity of our members and donors to produce the programs you count on every day.
Our purpose is to serve the public. You, our members, continue to be the largest source of funding for our work. We, in turn, work to continue to earn your trust by managing our money with care. As we anticipate the 2024-25 fiscal year, our focus will sharpen on even greater alignment between our values with our actions. That means getting even better at understanding and meeting the needs and expectations of our communities.
MPR is part of the American Public Media Group (APMG), which is second only to NPR in listenership and robust content. As a Minnesota-based organization that serves the nation, we are striving to create a connected America fueled by trust and understanding. But we can only achieve that vision with your support.
All across APMG, we’re being intentional about reflecting who we are as a people. We’ve made significant investments to shift who has the mic, and who’s telling the stories—making public media accessible and relevant for a wider swath of our community. After all, we can only call ourselves public media when we include everyone. I spoke about this work with healthcare leader Pleasant Radford on his Heart of Equity podcast, which was recently released. Here are a few examples of our progress.
Both of our music services are making strides. YourClassical is the largest classical music distributor in the nation. The classical music we hear every day in St. Paul is heard and celebrated all across the United States. Today more than 35% of the music you hear on air is made by women and/or people of color, essentially over-indexing the canon you would typically hear. We’re intentional and unapologetic about recording music by women and people of color who’ve traditionally been overlooked. We’re increasingly putting the spotlight on those talented composers whose music was not previously recorded in a sophisticated and high-quality way to be aired and shared. And we’re lifting up contemporary performers, conductors, and composers from a wider range of backgrounds.
In partnership with KMOJ Radio, The Current launched a Black music stream called Carbon Sound almost two years ago. It’s good for our region to have another source of Black music and culture take rise. While Carbon Sound isn’t yet a household name, its presence matters. The Current turns 20 years old next January and it has changed what it means to live here in phenomenal ways. Carbon Sound promises to have a similar effect. To celebrate whose music matters. Whose stories matter. Whose lives matter. With your support, we’ll continue to find ways to fuel the growth of this work.
Through The Current we strengthen our sense of community, drive economic activity to venues and, ultimately, paychecks to musicians. We’re also changing what public media will be for the next generation. Stay tuned for news on the 20th Anniversary celebrations to come. We’re excited about the many ways we partner with and serve organizations and people across the region.
Across our channels and streams, we plan to generate programs that showcase more local music, news, and performance art. We are always working to foster a sense of community and belonging, uniting Minnesotans across geography, cultures, and interests.
As we look to budget ahead, we will invest in our ability to widen our circle and create engagement across a wider spectrum of listeners. It will be where the magic happens. We will count on you to keep showing up, signaling what matters to you as our loyal and expanding group of members and listeners.
Thank you, as always, for being part of our important work.
Duchesne Drew
President, Minnesota Public Radio
About Duchesne Drew
Duchesne Drew is Senior Vice President of American Public Media Group and President of Minnesota Public Radio. In this role, he leads the teams that produce MPR News, The Current, APM Reports and Marketplace. Additionally, he oversees YourClassical MPR as a part of Minnesota Public Radio.