NETA takes conference fully virtual as CPB prepares closeout
The National Educational Telecommunications Association announced Tuesday that it will adopt a fully virtual format for its September conference.
“As we navigate the uncertainty ahead, NETA is making decisions through a station-centric lens,” wrote NETA President Eric Hyyppa in a newsletter. “After thoughtful consideration and extensive discussions with stations and partners, we have decided to transition the 2025 NETA Conference to a fully virtual format.”
In his note, Hyyppa wrote that while he was disappointed with the change, “we believe it is vitally important for us to gather and work together.”
The exclusively virtual conference will be free for attendees, with sessions from Sept. 15–17. The conference was previously scheduled for Sept. 14–17 with a hybrid format, with in-person sessions at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz. Arizona Public Media was going to be the host station.
“This year, we heard from stations that the conference was important to them, and many were still intending to travel, but budget cuts were cited as a barrier,” Hyyppa said in an emailed statement to Current. “We believe we can best serve everyone by eliminating the cost and focusing on virtual delivery.”
As a result of the change, NETA is also canceling its Public Media Awards gala and will instead announce the winners Sept. 15. It plans to mail the honorees their certificates and trophies after the event.
NETA isn’t the only organization making its next conference exclusively virtual. American Public Television announced Friday that its Fall Marketplace, previously scheduled to be held in Boston in November, will become a teleconference. The Public Television Programming Association Fall Meeting will also be virtual.
The last time NETA held an all-virtual conference was during another crisis for public media, in 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced organizations to pause in-person meetings. In 2022, NETA held its first hybrid conference in Charlotte, N.C. It also used the hybrid format in 2023 and 2024.
CPB has been the primary financial supporter of NETA’s conference since 2018. The corporation has invested $594,500 in NETA’s meetings since 2021, according to a CPB spokesperson. This year, the corporation is investing an undisclosed amount to help convene the virtual conference. Previous NETA conferences have also included the CPB Public Media Thought Leader Forum, which showcased speeches from CPB leaders and guests from outside public media. In his statement to Current, Hyppa said NETA is working with the corporation “for continued Thought Leadership presentations for the 2025 conference.”
CPB announced Friday that it will terminate the majority of its staff positions at the close of the fiscal year Sept. 30.
In addition to CPB, other sponsors of the NETA conference include Arizona Public Media, Idaho PBS, the Small Station Association, the University Licensee Association, the Independent Public Television Station Association and Move to Include, an initiative by WXXI Public Media in Rochester, N.Y.
“I think the decision to go virtual is smart in this funding climate,” said Cara Rager, director of early learning for WXXI, in an emailed statement. “Of course, our education team is disappointed, but it takes some of the pressure off of stations to try to figure out how to send someone, when they’re also attempting to maintain critical services and staffing.”
Jeff Tucker, GM of Idaho PBS, told Current in an email that NETA’s decision “is a very responsible and respectful move. I applaud their efforts to keep us together in the best way possible.”
In his statement to Current, Hyyppa echoed Tucker’s sentiment. “Every station and organization in the system is building a path forward and making hard choices,” he said. “While the efforts to restore federal funding are ongoing, this is the time for public media to come together, to innovate, adapt, and evolve, so we can continue our vital work long into the future.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said that WXXI Public Media is a sponsor of the NETA conference. Move to Include, a WXXI initiative, is a sponsor.
