USF classical station well received by donors

WSMR-FM 89.1, a classical music radio station bought by the University of South Florida late last year, has completed its first fundraising campaign this month, reaching its goal of 1,000 founding members donating more than $117,000.

The Sarasota-based station is part of an overall change made by USF Public Media to its original outlets, WUSF-FM 89.7, which changed to an all-news format, and WUSF-TV, a PBS station. Both raised more than $623,000 during an April fund drive.

USF purchased the license of WSMR, previously a Christian music station, for nearly $1.3 million last summer. The station's studio was relocated to the Sarasota-Manatee campus and can now be heard throughout much of the Gulf Coast region.