Opinion: Public media must invest in its technical future

Public media leaders often focus on content, audience growth and funding models — and those conversations matter. But another issue is quietly shaping the future of the system: the shrinking pipeline of engineers who keep our infrastructure running.

Many stations are already feeling the impact as experienced engineers retire and replacements become harder to find. At the same time, the job itself has expanded significantly. Today’s engineering teams are responsible not only for transmitters and studios, but also for IP networks, cloud systems, streaming platforms, automation systems and cybersecurity. The profession has evolved, but the workforce pipeline has not kept pace.

During my time as station manager at Northwest Public Broadcasting, one of the best hires we made was a retired Air Force engineer. I’ll admit I was skeptical at first. Public media has its own culture, and I wasn’t sure how the transition would work. It didn’t take long to realize I was wrong. The discipline, systems thinking, troubleshooting expertise and experience managing complex distributed infrastructure translated directly. Military communications specialists are trained to operate and maintain reliable systems in remote and demanding environments — skills that align remarkably well with the needs of many public media stations, especially those serving rural regions with multiple transmitters and translators.

Just as importantly, the financial structure can work. Many retired military professionals receive pensions after completing their service, which changes the compensation equation. While public media cannot always compete with private-sector technology salaries, the combination of mission-driven work and supplemental retirement income can make these roles viable. That alignment of technical skill, operational experience and practical compensation represents a pipeline the industry should consider far more intentionally.

But recruiting from new sources is only part of the solution. Stations must also rebuild intentional pathways into engineering careers. Public media has long understood the value of apprenticeship in journalism, investing in structured fellowships and early-career development for reporters and producers. We should apply the same commitment to engineering and technical operations. If infrastructure is essential to the mission, then it deserves the same deliberate cultivation — structured apprenticeships, defined mentorship pathways and clear entry points for early-career technologists. Just as we develop journalists, we should develop engineers.

That means actively recruiting through veteran transition programs, partnering with community and technical colleges to introduce students to broadcast and infrastructure engineering, and creating formal internships or fellowships focused on technical operations. It also means capturing institutional knowledge before it leaves with retiring engineers — documenting systems, standardizing procedures and pairing experienced staff with emerging technologists in intentional mentorship arrangements.

Finally, public media should treat collaboration as an engineering strategy. Stations have long worked together on programming and distribution. The same approach should apply to infrastructure. Engineering challenges are not competitive issues; they are systemwide realities that affect every audience we serve. Regional partnerships, shared technical services, joint cybersecurity resources and collaborative hiring models can help stations — particularly smaller and rural ones — maintain resilience while using limited resources more effectively. In some regions, this could mean jointly recruiting specialized talent or forming technical consortia to support multiple facilities. The goal is not consolidation, but sustainability.

Public media’s mission depends on reliable infrastructure. When storms strike, when emergencies unfold, and when communities rely on trusted information, the signal must reach them. That reliability does not happen by accident. It exists because skilled engineers design, maintain and improve the systems behind the scenes. The backbone of public media may be invisible to most listeners, but without it, the stories do not reach the audience.

If we want public media to remain strong for the next generation, we must invest intentionally in the people who keep the infrastructure running — broaden where we recruit, rebuild apprenticeship pathways, document institutional knowledge and work together across stations to ensure engineering resilience. The signal only works if someone keeps it working. And sustaining that backbone is a shared responsibility.

Kerry Swanson is Chief Operating Officer of KUOW in Seattle. With a career spanning over 40 years in media, Kerry has held leadership roles at Northwest Public Broadcasting in Pullman, Wash.; WABE in Atlanta; and KNKX (formerly KPLU) in Seattle/Tacoma. He has served two terms on the NPR Board of Directors, is president of the University Station Alliance Board, and has held leadership positions with Western States Public Radio and the Northwest News Network. Kerry was also a co-founder of the Integrated Media Association.