PBS affiliate KMTP-TV, one of only two black-owned public broadcasting stations in the U.S., was expected to suspend broadcasting this week.
KMTP has been struggling financially since 1991, when it beat out KQED for the Minority Television Project.
The station, which needs $ 100,000 to stay in operation, may return to the airwaves in May when the Corporation for Public Broadcasting issues a grant, according to Otis McGee, the station's president.
He said the station will continue searching for funding and for ways to expand its membership base.
The only other black-owned public broadcasting station in the United States is operated by Howard University in D.C.
Sources told the San Francisco Examiner in Wednesday editions that general manager Gerri Lange recently submitted a letter of resignation. Lange declined to confirm details of the letter.
Lange became general manager in February 1992 when she replaced McGee.
KMTP began broadcasting in 1991 after the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency awarded the station $ 500,000. But the station only received half that amount because of inadequate bookkeeping. An audit showed some irregularities, but no wrongdoing, the newspaper said.
Also, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting pulled programming because the KMTP could pay only $ 50,000 of its $ 75,000 obligation.
Contact Variety Staff at
news@variety.com