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Press Forward director advises public media on priorities for funding local news
Leaders of Press Forward, the foundation-led initiative to restore health to the increasingly fragile ecosystem of local news, emphasized collaboration and scalable solutions in a Wednesday webinar exploring how public media can participate. Dale Anglin, inaugural director of the $500 million national initiative, encouraged stations to reach outside of their...
LAist cuts 28 positions with buyouts, layoffs
LAist has accepted 21 buyouts and is eliminating seven additional positions, according to a statement Friday from a spokesperson. The station offered the voluntary buyouts in May, with CCO Kristen Muller saying at the time the organization faced a budget shortfall over the next two years in the range of $4 million to $5 million.
Public media’s pivot to local news requires deep change, Wyncote Foundation report finds
Leaders of public media stations that have embraced covering local news say the move requires deep change, but no single approach will work for every market, a new report shows. Those were among the findings of a Wyncote Foundation report released Tuesday, based on interviews with leaders at more than...
Comings and goings: WJCT hires director of podcasting, WHYY adds staff …
WJCT Public Media in Jacksonville, Fla., hired Letisha Bereola as director of podcasting. Bereola most recently worked as founder, CEO and EP of Paradigm Media Group, a podcast development and production company. Before that, she was an anchor and reporter for commercial television companies Cox Media Group, Meredith Corporation and WCTV.
House Appropriations Committee takes next step in zeroing out pubmedia funding for FY27
The House Appropriations Committee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies has recommended zeroing out public media funding in its fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill. The proposed bill, made public Wednesday, seeks no funding for CPB effective FY2027. The corporation’s appropriation, currently $535 million, is forward-funded two...
NPR receives $5.5M grant to expand collaborative journalism efforts
NPR has received a $5.5 million grant to fund two regional newsrooms and a visual journalism pilot. The three-year grant is from Eric and Wendy Schmidt, NPR announced in a Wednesday press release. Eric Schmidt is a former CEO of Google. The philanthropists previously donated $4.7 million to NPR to support two other regional newsrooms.
Why boosting major giving may be key to pubmedia’s success
At a time when public media faces strong financial headwinds, experts are advising stations to focus on major giving as a potential bulwark against volatile trends in underwriting and membership income. That advice comes as recent gains in major-gift revenue appear to be slowing. According to a 2024 State of...
The importance of Employee Resource Groups and how to create one at your station
This article first appeared on the Greater Public blog and is republished here with permission. In today’s workplaces, marked by demographic shifts, multigenerational dynamics, remote work arrangements and heightened risks of burnout, employee resource groups (ERGs) serve as havens of belonging for staff who may otherwise experience isolation. ERGs are spaces where employees find reprieve from daily workplace aggressions and create a sense of community and belonging, leading to higher productivity, better performance and lower turnover.
Report looks at public media’s transformation into ‘frontline’ providers of local news
A new report released today explores public media’s potential to become a primary source for local news in communities across the U.S. Some stations are well on their way and others can’t find their way. This report serves up some insights that offer hope and possibilities. Everyone knows...
Pubcasters succeed in push for FCC to include nonbinary gender option on reporting form
A change at the FCC will allow broadcasters to accurately report their nonbinary employees’ identities in annual forms submitted to the commission. A coalition of 18 public broadcasters, led by the law firm Foster Garvey PC, asked the FCC in 2021 to include “nonbinary” as an option for gender on employment reports to the commission.
KUOW GM Caryn Mathes to retire next year
Caryn Mathes, GM of KUOW in Seattle, will retire next year, she said in a LinkedIn post. Mathes said she will stay in her current role through January 2025. “There’s joy in leadership and I have enjoyed my career immensely,” she wrote. “And while the work in media still excites and energizes me, I have accomplished what I was hired to do. I want a chance at a different type of life while I still have my health and my wits about me!”
Comings and goings: Janice Hui leaves ‘Frontline’ for ITVS, NETA appoints VP …
Janice Hui became COO of the Independent Television Service, which produces the PBS series Independent Lens. Hui most recently worked as managing director of Frontline, produced by GBH in Boston. Hui has held producer roles for CBS, CNN and the Associated Press Radio Network. She has also been managing director of the Investigative Reporting Program, a teaching institute at the University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
New York’s WNYC celebrates 100 years with on-air birthday party
The earliest identifiable WNYC recording features Charles Lindbergh and a station announcer, Tommy Cowan, in 1927. “It sort of sets the tone of WNYC covering … the exciting people and events of the day through a lot of these receptions and ticker-tape parades,” Director of Archives Andy Lanset told Current.
Sherrie Westin named CEO of Sesame Workshop
Sherrie Westin was appointed CEO of Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that oversees Sesame Street. Westin most recently worked as interim CEO. Her ascension to CEO completes the leadership transition that began when Steve Youngwood announced earlier this year that he would step down. In a news release, Sesame Workshop Board...
To bring audiences back, make shows that people will go crazy for
I still can’t believe we got away with it. No one would’ve blamed WAMU for taking the obvious path when preparing for the retirement of talk show legend Diane Rehm. It was a bittersweet transition that capped a staggering 37-year tenure. The succession plan could have gone for someone demographically and stylistically similar, to avoid upsetting her loyal audience of NPR listeners. Instead, they chose me: a tall Black man who was not yet 37 years old. A little-known guy overflowing with zeal about public media’s potential.
‘The Thistle & Shamrock’ will end Sept. 30 after 40-plus years
Fiona Ritchie’s weekly NPR show The Thistle & Shamrock will end Sept. 30 after more than 40 years. Ritchie revealed the show’s end in a note to listeners on NPR’s website Friday. The Thistle & Shamrock airs on 237 member stations, delving into new and traditional Celtic...
Comings and goings: NETA appoints COO, NPR hires deputy Washington editor …
Timothy Eernisse was named COO and VP of education and growth for the National Educational Telecommunications Association. Eernisse joined NETA in 2018 as VP of education. Before that, he worked for WGVU Public Media in Grand Rapids, Mich., rising to director of development and marketing. Eernisse is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
Vox.com co-founder Melissa Bell will lead Chicago Public Media
Former Vox Media publisher Melissa Bell will replace Matt Moog as CEO of Chicago Public Media. Bell, who co-founded Vox.com in 2014 and became publisher of parent company Vox Media in 2016, will take the helm at CPM Sept. 3. Moog announced in December that he would step down from his role.
House subcommittee proposes zeroing out pubmedia funding for FY27
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies recommended zeroing out public media funding in its fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill. Made public Thursday, the bill proposes no funding for CPB effective FY2027. The corporation’s appropriation, currently $535 million, is forward-funded two years in...
Public media’s fundraising outlook shows signs for hope amid challenges
A new report from Contributor Development Partnership shows stations had mixed results in fundraising last year, with radio stations in particular struggling to attract new donors. Published Wednesday, the report draws on CDP’s pool of station data to highlight public media’s financial position as it entered 2024. Though some stations face challenges, the report’s authors see cause for optimism in coming months. The full report can be read here. This introduction is republished here with the permission of the authors.
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