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What public radio can learn from pro wrestling’s loyal fan base
When people tell me I didn’t come to “this industry” honestly — referring to my role as GM at a public radio station in Connecticut without prior public radio experience — I take a little exception. OK, I did spend many years in media without working in public radio, but spoiler alert: Public radio IS media. I’ve spent over 25 years in this media industry that I love with all my heart. While public media is indeed special, it’s perhaps not as unique as industry insiders might believe. Every media business has its distinct characteristics, but they share fundamental similarities that transcend their surface-level differences.
Blue Ridge Public Radio adapts to needs of region ravaged by Helene
After Hurricane Helene pummeled western North Carolina, Blue Ridge Public Radio became a vital source of emergency and recovery information. The station’s newsroom was tested as never before to deliver basic public safety information through live updates and news reporting. Initially, the news team was reporting on-air for 12 hours a day. Some staffers slept on the floor of the newsroom rather than return to homes that had no electricity or running water, said Laura Lee, news director.
OETA’s Polly Anderson to retire in March
Polly Anderson will retire as executive director of the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority on March 31. Anderson has been at the helm since 2017, according to her LinkedIn page. Her public broadcasting career spans nearly 30 years and includes CEO posts at WUCF in Orlando, Fla., and New Mexico PBS. In 2022 she received the National Advocacy Award from America’s Public Television Stations.
Comings and goings: Lehigh Valley Public Media appoints VP, GBH announces changes to ‘Morning Edition’ …
Stephen Budihas was named VP of operations for Lehigh Valley Public Media in Bethlehem, Pa. Budihas most recently worked as director of human resources for the organization. He will continue his responsibilities overseeing HR, facilities and technology, according to a news release. Before working in public media, Budihas worked for...
Michael Titterton, longtime leader of Hawai‘i Public Radio, dies at 76
Michael Titterton, who served as president and GM of Hawaiʻi Public Radio from 1999 to 2016, and who oversaw an expansion of HPR’s two stations across the Hawaiian Islands, died Oct. 4 at his home in Honolulu. He was 76. Titterton was known at the station and in...
Chicago Public Media awarded funding for AI experimentation
Chicago Public Media is among the news organizations receiving a share of $10 million from the Lenfest Institute for Journalism in partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft to support experimenting with AI. The funding will allow CPM and other news outlets to each hire an AI Fellow for two years “to...
The unlocked door: a manifesto by the new executive director of the Transom Story Lab
This commentary first appeared on Transom’s website and is republished here with permission. Intro from Jay Allison: We have a significant, happy announcement to make here at Transom. The redoubtable Sophie Crane is joining us as Executive Director and leading the next iteration of our organization: the Transom Story Lab. We’re thrilled. Sophie comes to us after many jobs in podcasting, public radio, teaching, and more. All of us here have worked with Sophie before and we know how efficiently she gets things done — with strength and resourcefulness and heart. She’s a force and we trust her. From my point of view, as we approach Transom’s 25th anniversary, this feels like a great time to share the leadership. Transom began in the mission of public radio and has stayed true to that. Everything around us has become more commercialized, but we know there’s still a vital role for stories outside the marketplace. Those of us drawn to public radio in the early days wanted to dedicate ourselves to principles beyond financial success. We were drawn to the social purpose, the commitment to art, the power of a group of talented people pulling together with the same goals. The new Transom Story Lab is designed to champion all of that for the next 25 years and beyond. And I know Sophie will help get us there. Sophie has written a lovely inspiring manifesto about why she’s taking on this job and what she intends to build here with us. It represents some hope and purpose in a difficult time and we can all use that. Check out this exciting vision and join in. As for me, Jennifer Jerrett, Sydney Lewis, Viki Merrick, Rob Rosenthal, and the rest of the Transom family, we’ll be right here, working hard to make this happen. More to come …
StoryCorps lays off nine employees
StoryCorps laid off nine employees Tuesday, CEO Sandra Clark told Current in an email. The layoffs were part of a “larger cost-saving plan to balance revenue with expenses and enter 2025 and beyond on stronger financial footing,” she said. Employees affected at the Brooklyn, N.Y.–based organization were “across departments, levels, and classifications,” Clark said.
Former Sesame Workshop CFO Daryl Mintz named CPB CFO and treasurer
CPB has named former Sesame Workshop CFO Daryl Mintz as CFO and treasurer. He replaces William Tayman, who retired in April after taking on the position in 2006. Mintz started as assistant controller at Sesame Workshop in 1999 and became CFO in 2010. He left Sesame Workshop in 2022 and has since worked as chief financial and administrative officer of the Robin Hood Foundation and then chief financial and strategy officer for The Second City, according to a news release.
Ashley Alvarado will become CEO of Texas Public Radio
Ashley Alvarado will serve as the next president and CEO of Texas Public Radio, the station’s board of directors announced Monday. Joyce Slocum, who previously led the San Antonio station, died of cancer in March. Rebecca Caven, TPR’s VP of development and membership, served as the station’s interim president and CEO.
Justin Clapp to lead KRFC
Justin Clapp will be executive director of KRFC in Fort Collins, Colo. Clapp replaces Jen Parker, who moved to Iowa in July. He begins in the role Oct. 28. “KRFC personifies the region’s rich culture, incredible local music, and strong sense of community,” Clapp said in a press release. “I look forward to continuing KRFC’s tradition of amplifying the voices and music that make Northern Colorado special, and I’m excited to collaborate with our dedicated team to continue the impact we have on our region while providing a platform for our local musicians.”
Comings and goings: Rebecca Eaton to retire from ‘Masterpiece,’ St. Louis Public Radio announces newsroom changes …
Rebecca Eaton, EP at large for Masterpiece, will retire from the series produced by GBH in Boston in November. Eaton previously served as EP from 1985–2019. She told Current in 2020 that the role of EP at large allowed her to focus on collaborating with writers and producers. “During...
CPB provides $1.9M to bolster editorial oversight at NPR
CPB has awarded $1.9 million to NPR to support 11 new positions in its newsroom. NPR announced the plan to add the new positions earlier this year, creating a “Backstop” team to provide final review of news stories. The plan includes adding standards editors and content strategy analysts.
Press Forward grants will help stations boost journalism, improve sustainability
For KDLL in Kenai, Alaska, $100,000 in funding from Press Forward comes at an important time. The station is running a deficit in this fiscal year’s operational budget, with a little under $360,000 in projected revenue compared to just shy of $400,000 in expenses, said GM Jenny Neyman. “We’re...
Sophie Crane to lead Transom Story Lab
Sophie Crane will lead the Transom Story Lab as its executive director, the organization announced Tuesday. She will usher in a new era of Transom, which will split from parent organization Atlantic Public Media to become the independent nonprofit Transom Story Lab, according to Managing Editor Jennifer Jerrett. With the...
Wisconsin Public Media’s Heather Reese dies at 50
Heather L. Reese, executive director of Wisconsin Public Media since 2022, died Oct. 10. She had been undergoing cancer treatments for the last several months, but her death was sudden and unexpected. Reese was 50 years old. A respected leader in public broadcasting, Reese began her public media career in...
Nine pubcasters receive $100,000 Press Forward grants
Nine public media stations are each receiving $100,000 grants from Press Forward to help close persistent news coverage gaps in their communities. The grants, which provide general operating support, are part of a $20 million funding round for 205 news outlets from the nationwide initiative to strengthen local news. The...
Ralph Jennings, GM who guided WFUV’s growth as an NPR music station, dies at 86
Ralph Jennings, who led WFUV in Bronx, N.Y., as GM from 1985 to 2011, passed away on Oct. 9 at age 86. Across his tenure, Jennings was a defining force in WFUV’s transition from a college station into an impactful NPR member station at the top of its format in public radio. WFUV is licensed to Fordham University.
Tammy Robinson, former exec for WNET and WETA, dies at 77
Tammy Robinson, a former VP and director of programming for the WNET Group in New York, died Oct. 7. She was 77. WNET announced Robinson’s death in a Facebook post Oct. 9. Nancy Neubauer, former communications director for America’s Public Television Stations, told Current that Robinson had removed herself from dialysis before she died.
September CDP Index highlights sluggish summer for pubmedia donors, revenue
Whether the Bananarama or Taylor Swift song comes to mind, either way, if you found yourself humming “Cruel Summer” this year, you weren’t alone. The June through August 2024 period was, at best, sluggish for station fundraising across several key performance indicators compared to the same period in 2023.
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