The winners and losers in the KTRU college radio deal

Rice University is selling the radio tower, FM frequency and FCC license currently used by student-run KTRU. The sale to the University of Houston for a reported $9.5 million has been approved by the UH Board of Regents 4-3 and will create station KUHC, a second NPR-branded station.

KUHC will be devoted to classical music and arts coverage, while UH's current KUHF will switch to a full-time news format.

Here's how the deal affects all the players — who wins and who loses.

Loser: Rice students

Though KTRU will still exist in an online format, that the decision and announcement happened entirely without input or recognition of the KTRU staff or student leaders does much to puncture the belief of Rice students that they have a say in university decisions that affect student life — a stark, painful reminder that "student-run" doesn't mean "student-owned."

The Rice board of trustees has essentially announced that they are unwilling to let students use a valuable asset as they see fit unless they meet a commercial metric of success. Should the Rice football team be worried?

The student and alumni dissatisfaction with the deal is epitomized in a tweet from Rice alum Todd Stadler: "Congrats @RiceUniversity on selling KTRU. The extra $$ can be used to print more slick brochures touting student involvement and other BS."

Winner: Newshounds

A 24-hour NPR news station means more World News, more Talk of the Nation, and new-to-the-market NPR-distributed programs including the Diane Rehm Show and America Abroad, with the in-depth, impartial analysis that has disappeared from virtually all other radio and television programming.

Loser: Local musicians

Sure, KTRU will still have a station on the Internet ... as does the Houston ISD. When it comes to getting your music heard, there's simply nothing like 50,000 watts to find a local following — you know, people who might actually show up to a show and create buzz.

KTRU played plenty (OK, too much) esoteric genre shows, but it was unparalleled in showcasing local Houston bands. As Jeff Balke said, "I'm against the KTRU sale in principal. I never liked the vast majority of the programming, but I don't want to see a true independent die."

Winner: Classical music buffs

A 24-hour station will be a boon to the local classical music groups, offering full-length broadcasts and live in-studio performances.

Winner and loser: University of Houston

It's a significant bragging point to be one of a handful of universities in the country with two fully-functioning stations. But though the announcement from chancellor Renu Khator promised the cost would not be recouped from tuition or state funds, there has also been no indication that either station, which will share a staff and a studio, will foster more involvement from UH students.

UH regent Nandita Berry, the vice-chair of the audit and compliance committee, expressed her reasoning for voting no: "We currently have a standalone radio station that bears the University's name and uses the University's resources, over which we have very little oversight and which has not had as its top priority the promotion of the University of Houston, its students or faculty. I'm told that the new station will be different, but I have trouble believing it."