Bill Kling
Encyclopedia
William Hugh Kling is an American
businessman who created Minnesota Public Radio
(MPR). Kling is a millionaire
, partly due to participating in an incentive plan related to the companies of the Greenspring Company
, an MPR-affiliated for-profit corporation.
and an MA from the Graduate School of Communications at Boston University
. In 1964, Kling was asked by Saint John's University (where he had just earned his baccalaureate in economics) to attend graduate school in communications and return to build a radio station.
.
Kling serves as President and CEO of American Public Media Group (APMG). APMG is the nonprofit parent support organization of Minnesota Public Radio
(MPR), Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), and American Public Media
(APM) and is the sole shareholder of the for-profit Greenspring Company. Kling also serves as CEO of MPR|APM and of Greenspring Company and Vice Chair of SCPR.
As president of MPR|APM, Kling is responsible for MPR’s three regional networks of thirty-eight public radio stations (serving 5 million people in the Minnesota region) and its national program production centers in Saint Paul and Los Angeles. American Public Media is the second largest national producer of public radio programming, following National Public Radio (NPR) in Washington. Southern California Public Radio, which Kling serves as Vice Chair, operates radio stations KPCC (Pasadena) and KUOR (Redlands) under public service operating agreements with their respective licensees. SCPR serves a population of 14 million people in the Los Angeles area. Greenspring, which Kling serves as president, is the parent company for Greenspring Media Group, a diversified regional and national magazine publishing and event management company. In 1998, Greenspring sold another subsidiary, Rivertown Trading Company, to the Target Corporation for $124 million.
Kling's tactics have come under fire as being predatory. MPR, for example, long sought to purchase rival classical-programming public radio station WCAL. It succeeded in 2004, eliminating a competitor for donor funds and switching the station's format to alternative rock. http://citypages.com/databank/28/1384/article15535.asp
On Sept. 10, 2010, Kling announced that he was retiring as president of APMG and MPR as of June 2011. He intends to lead a national fundraising effort to improve public media newsgathering. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/09/09/kling/
The Minneapolis StarTribune, in an article on Kling's planned departure noted that he received $654,338 from APM in fiscal year 2009 -- "a tidy sum by nonprofit radio standards, and one that puts him on par with the chief executives of major Minnesota companies. Arctic Cat's CEO, for instance, made $566,157 last year."[2
From 1989-2005, Kling served as a director of St Paul Travelers Inc, a publicly held company. He is also a director of the privately held Wenger Corporation, which designs and builds music related equipment and systems and is located in Owatonna, Minnesota.
Kling serves as a director of seven fund boards of the Los Angeles based American Funds mutual fund family, all of which are managed by the Capital Group. These include The New Economy Fund, Smallcap World Fund, AMCAP, American Balanced Fund, The New Perspective Fund, The Euro Pacific Growth Fund and the New World Fund. He is non-executive chair of The New Economy Fund and The Smallcap World Fund.
Kling is a member and chair of the Board of Trustees of the Fitzgerald Theater
in Saint Paul, which is owned by MPR. He is a Regent of St John’s University. He is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the JL Foundation in Los Angeles. He was an incorporator and founding Director of National Public Radio and the founding Chair and President of Public Radio International
, which was formed as a subsidiary of MPR in 1983 and later spun off to independence within months of its founding.
In 2004, he was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcaster's Hall of Fame
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman who created Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio , is the flagship National Public Radio member network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, Classical Music and The Current, MPR operates a 42-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest serving over 8 million people...
(MPR). Kling is a millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
, partly due to participating in an incentive plan related to the companies of the Greenspring Company
Greenspring Company
The Greenspring Company is the for-profit subsidiary of the non-profit American Public Media Group, and the parent company of the for-profit organization Greenspring Media Group, publishers of Minnesota Monthly and other publications...
, an MPR-affiliated for-profit corporation.
Education
Kling holds a BA in Economics from Saint John’s UniversityCollege of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
The College of Saint Benedict , for women, and Saint John's University , for men, are partnered liberal arts colleges respectively located in St. Joseph and Collegeville, Minnesota, USA. Students attend classes and activities together, and have access to the resources of both campuses...
and an MA from the Graduate School of Communications at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
. In 1964, Kling was asked by Saint John's University (where he had just earned his baccalaureate in economics) to attend graduate school in communications and return to build a radio station.
Career
The station, KSJR FM, went on the air in January, 1967, and was later spun off into a separate nonprofit community corporation, of which Kling was the founding president. Over the years, he helped lead the station to grow into a statewide network that now features a nationwide distribution arm and has an associated radio station in Pasadena, CaliforniaPasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
.
Kling serves as President and CEO of American Public Media Group (APMG). APMG is the nonprofit parent support organization of Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio , is the flagship National Public Radio member network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, Classical Music and The Current, MPR operates a 42-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest serving over 8 million people...
(MPR), Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), and American Public Media
American Public Media
American Public Media is the second largest producer of public radio programs in the United States of America after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and operates radio stations in Minnesota, California, and Florida. Its station brands are Minnesota Public Radio,...
(APM) and is the sole shareholder of the for-profit Greenspring Company. Kling also serves as CEO of MPR|APM and of Greenspring Company and Vice Chair of SCPR.
As president of MPR|APM, Kling is responsible for MPR’s three regional networks of thirty-eight public radio stations (serving 5 million people in the Minnesota region) and its national program production centers in Saint Paul and Los Angeles. American Public Media is the second largest national producer of public radio programming, following National Public Radio (NPR) in Washington. Southern California Public Radio, which Kling serves as Vice Chair, operates radio stations KPCC (Pasadena) and KUOR (Redlands) under public service operating agreements with their respective licensees. SCPR serves a population of 14 million people in the Los Angeles area. Greenspring, which Kling serves as president, is the parent company for Greenspring Media Group, a diversified regional and national magazine publishing and event management company. In 1998, Greenspring sold another subsidiary, Rivertown Trading Company, to the Target Corporation for $124 million.
Kling's tactics have come under fire as being predatory. MPR, for example, long sought to purchase rival classical-programming public radio station WCAL. It succeeded in 2004, eliminating a competitor for donor funds and switching the station's format to alternative rock. http://citypages.com/databank/28/1384/article15535.asp
On Sept. 10, 2010, Kling announced that he was retiring as president of APMG and MPR as of June 2011. He intends to lead a national fundraising effort to improve public media newsgathering. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/09/09/kling/
The Minneapolis StarTribune, in an article on Kling's planned departure noted that he received $654,338 from APM in fiscal year 2009 -- "a tidy sum by nonprofit radio standards, and one that puts him on par with the chief executives of major Minnesota companies. Arctic Cat's CEO, for instance, made $566,157 last year."[2
Other business ventures
Kling is also co-founder, director and Chairman of Gather Inc., a web-based, user-driven media venture operating in Boston.From 1989-2005, Kling served as a director of St Paul Travelers Inc, a publicly held company. He is also a director of the privately held Wenger Corporation, which designs and builds music related equipment and systems and is located in Owatonna, Minnesota.
Kling serves as a director of seven fund boards of the Los Angeles based American Funds mutual fund family, all of which are managed by the Capital Group. These include The New Economy Fund, Smallcap World Fund, AMCAP, American Balanced Fund, The New Perspective Fund, The Euro Pacific Growth Fund and the New World Fund. He is non-executive chair of The New Economy Fund and The Smallcap World Fund.
Kling is a member and chair of the Board of Trustees of the Fitzgerald Theater
Fitzgerald Theater
The Fitzgerald Theater is the oldest existing stage venue in the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, and the home of American Public Media's A Prairie Home Companion. It was one of many theaters built by the Shubert Theatre Corporation, and was initially named the Sam S. Shubert Theater...
in Saint Paul, which is owned by MPR. He is a Regent of St John’s University. He is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the JL Foundation in Los Angeles. He was an incorporator and founding Director of National Public Radio and the founding Chair and President of Public Radio International
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
, which was formed as a subsidiary of MPR in 1983 and later spun off to independence within months of its founding.
In 2004, he was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcaster's Hall of Fame
Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
The Pavek Museum of Broadcasting is a museum in St. Louis Park, Minnesota which has one of the world's most significant collections of vintage radio and television equipment. It originated in the collection of Joe Pavek, who began squirreling away unique radios while he was an instructor at...
.