All Classical 89.9 KBPS, a nonprofit classical music station that serves metro Portland and Hood River, OR, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Portland-based Meyer Memorial Trust to help the station complete its purchase of the FCC license issued to Portland Public Schools.
The grant helps KBPS fulfill the contractual commitment it made in 2003 to purchase the school district’s federal broadcasting license for $5.5 million.
The license allows KBPS to operate as an autonomous nonprofit radio station independent of the district.
So far the station has raised $4 million to purchase the license and plans to complete the purchase in 2008.
Fred G. Meyer, the late founder of the Fred Meyer retail chain, created the Meyer Memorial Trust, a private, independent foundation. It has made 5,201 awards totaling almost $403.5 million since it was founded in 1982.
The grant awarded to KBPS is the second-largest gift the station has received during its campaign. Last year, the station was given $750,00 in the form of two grants from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation.
The mission of KBPS is to deliver classical music and fine arts information to listeners in northwest Oregon, southwest Washington and the rest of the world via its Web site at www.allclassical.org.
The station also receives financial support from local businesses and arts organizations that underwrite programming through on-air sponsorship. A small portion of KBPS’ annual budget comes from foundations, grants and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
