For over 10 years, Sarah Downs has been at NSPR, working through the initial transition of NSPR’s licensing from Chico State Enterprises to Capital Radio, then back to CSE. Now, quickly approaching the payroll transfer, she is being asked to reapply for her job.​

Employees at NSPR, CapRadio and CSE met Tuesday to discuss the future of NSPR. But fears and questions still remain prevalent for many at NSPR due to uncertainty about their jobs and the editorial control of programming.

An email from Provost Leslie Cornick, sent out to the campus community Thursday, shared the news from the Tuesday meeting. “As required by the transition of operations, CapRadio gave notice to all current NSPR employees … that they will be separated from employment … (CSE)  has posted new job opportunities, and all current employees have been encouraged to apply.”​

Chico State Enterprises, as part of its standard procedures, posted new job opportunities with “… some roles being adjusted to reflect operational needs.”

For months, employees at NSPR have voiced concerns about the lack of transparency on the future of their jobs. Downs, who is the studio operations technician, said she felt “cautiously optimistic” but remained nervous about her employment status following the Tuesday meeting.

All NSPR employees will be required to reapply, according to an NSPR staff member who spoke to The Orion on condition of anonymity. The staff member doesn’t expect NSPR to lose any positions, but didn’t share the same sentiment about current employees.

“We recognize the existing staff has a significant amount of experience and expertise that would make them highly qualified for their roles,” said Ashley Gebb, interim chief of staff for the office of the president.

As part of the transition process, CSE had to put the job postings for NSPR on Chico State’s employment opportunities website. Before this, CSE examined the operations and responsibilities of each position at NSPR and considered what the best job title and description would be. This is why the postings don’t reflect the current titles at NSPR, Gebb said.

Gebb explained that it was “not a literal match from job title to job title, but the roles are aligned.”

But for NSPR staff, reapplying for positions they are already doing isn’t something everyone is fond of, the NSPR staffer said. “It’s hard for staff, they show up every day and continue to do their jobs, and there’s just uncertainty.”

“It’s like we’re job hunters again, applying for jobs we’re already doing. It feels weird even though I know it needs to be done.” Downs said.

These frustrations are something that Gebb was aware of: “It’s unsettling … all we can affirm to the employees is what we know at this moment.”

For the anonymous NSPR staffer The Orion spoke to, something else from the email also stood out, “… programming will remain unchanged and we intend to preserve as much continuity as possible.”

The staffer explained that the email reaffirmed the university’s stance on NSPR, maintaining editorial control and an independent newsroom; however, when it came to programming, the university seems to already be making policy decisions by stating that programming will remain unchanged. That decision, according to the staffer, shouldn’t be made by Chico State.

​As NSPR transfers back to CSE, the university is considering ways to create more opportunities for students, according to the email. Something that Janell Bauer, department chair for journalism and public relations, thinks will create amazing opportunities for students.

“When NSPR was here before, there were opportunities for student internships and collaboration,” Bauer said.

However, as of now, there have been no conversations between NSPR, the journalism program and Chico State administration, according to Bauer.

“We always love the opportunity for students to get hands-on applied experience to develop content, to learn their craft, to have opportunities,” Bauer said.  

The transition will not just come with changes for employees at NSPR and the university: “all donations (to NSPR) will need to be reprocessed through the University Foundation at Chico State.” More information on how to donate will be made available in November, according to the email.

All donations made through the University Foundation will be allocated exclusively for NSPR operations, according to Gebb.​

The transition back to Chico State Enterprises follows CapRadio experiencing financial difficulties after its former general manager allegedly embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars. In June, CapRadio announced that it was giving NSPR’s license back to CSE after holding it for about 4 years.

Payroll for NSPR will transfer from CapRadio to CSE as soon as the employees are hired, “… they should be able to transition between employers without any gap in employment.” Gebb said. 

​“We are committed to continuing NSPR’s legacy of independent news and storytelling, and we thank our employees, listeners, and supporters for their understanding during this important transition.” The email stated.

“Today, I’m feeling a little better than yesterday, but at the end of the day, until I have a job offer, I’m not going to feel comfortable.” Downs said.

Correction 10/3: Corrected payroll transfer timeline

Chris Hutton can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected]