The Cuyahoga Arts & Culture board approved more than $12.3 million in grants Wednesday, the first fruits of last year's increase of the county cigarette tax.
A large portion of the meeting, however, was given to public comment by 11 people who expressed displeasure with Ideastream Public Media, one of the grantees, and Cleveland State University changing the format of WCSB to jazz. Most asked the board to delay or rescind Ideastream’s grant until WCSB’s previous schedule is reinstated.
Former WCSB General Manager Alison Bomgardner questioned whether Ideastream’s educational mission is being fulfilled by the switch to jazz. She’s led the effort to continue the station as a student organization known as XCSB.
Amanda Light, a 2021 CSU graduate, asked that the board provide emergency funds for XCSB to re-establish a terrestrial radio presence.
Jerry Koenigsmark from Olmsted Falls suggested that even if the 89.3 frequency were to be flipped to its previous programming, Ideastream’s funds should still be delayed until “they have earned back the good favor they’ve lost in the community.”
CAC’s board did not delay or rescind funding for Ideastream.
“I hate that our community is in a position like this,” said CAC Board President Karolyn Isenhart. She encouraged all parties to “keep talking.”
Ideastream Chief Development and Marketing Officer Yvette Cook Darby said there “isn’t anything new to add to the conversation” about WCSB.
The 2026 grant awards comprise 308 operating support and project support grants to local nonprofits. Funding comes from the county cigarette tax, increased from 30 cents per pack to 70 cents after the passage of Issue 55 last year. The move came as revenue from the tax has been down by half since its inception in 2007. Yet Paulsen said that does not mean an automatic doubling of grants.
“We had a plan, and the board had a plan, last cycle to really push the dollars out the door to get them to the community while we had it - banking on a successful levy,” she said. “That said, now we're building back up. So, we don't have the dollars in the bank to double grants. That's just not a possibility. We'd love to be able to plan for this community so that we know CAC is that consistent, steady funder across the board. A little bit of savings now allows us to keep steady into the future.”
Three of the biggest grants went to Playhouse Square, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Museum of Art, up by an average of nearly 14%. Applicants were reviewed by a panel of arts experts from outside the region. Some of this year’s first-time recipients include the Northeast Ohio chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, as well the new BabelBox Theater, led by Latine artists. Paulsen said they’re looking forward to the program offerings from those groups and others, such as Women in Film & TV Ohio, launching the She Creates Shorts Film Festival.
See a full list of grant awardees below for general operating support and project support. First time grantees are indicated by an asterisk.
Ideastream Public Media receives funding from CAC and also contributed to the campaign supporting Issue 55. The Ideastream newsroom is editorially independent from Ideastream Public Media leadership. Executive management did not review or have input on this story.
