System/Policy
NPR CEO warns of ‘hostile environment’ ahead for journalism, scrutiny of pubmedia
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“We should be well prepared at every moment to talk with enthusiasm about the purpose and value of public media,” CEO Katherine Maher said.
Current (https://current.org/current-mentioned-sources/sara-robertson/page/569/)
“We should be well prepared at every moment to talk with enthusiasm about the purpose and value of public media,” CEO Katherine Maher said.
A declining rate of growth among Passport users is exposing cracks in new donor programs at TV and joint licensees.
• U.S. Rep. John Dingell, who helped sign the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act into law and remained a staunch supporter of pubcasting, is retiring after a record 58 years in Congress. “I find serving in the House to be obnoxious,” the 88-year-old Michigan Democrat said at a Monday luncheon. “It’s become very hard because of the acrimony and bitterness, both in Congress and in the streets.”
• March Madness is approaching quickly, but this bracket competition has nothing to do with basketball. WHYY in Philadelphia is sponsoring PBS vs. NPR: Public Media Madness, which encourages pubmedia fans to vote for their favorite TV and radio personalities.
At Vegas PBS and WHRO in Norfolk, Va., station leaders developed a “strategy of survival” that evolved into an innovative education-based model for public television sustainability.
A significant chunk of the money will be earmarked for Hispanic families.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence put pubcasting funding in his first state budget in 2013, the first time an Indiana governor had done so in eight years.
With the unique opportunity presented by the auctions, proper due diligence certainly requires PTV leaders to weigh the potential one-time upside from selling.
• WTTW announced a major gift Monday from the family of Renée Crown, board vice chair of licensee Window to the World Communication Inc. (WWCI), and will name its northwest Chicago media center in her honor. The donation celebrates Crown’s birthday as well as her tenure as “an extraordinary trustee and leader” of WWCI since 1981, the station said. It did not reveal the amount of the contribution. • Premiums sure have come a long way. John Kerr, former WGBH development manager, recently ran across this Channel 2-Toy at a friend’s house.
And the produce market gets a deal on Sesame Street’s brand.
NPR is laying off 10 staffers in its member partnership and digital services divisions while creating five new positions as part of an internal restructuring. The decisions were made “after consultation with NPR and member station stakeholders” to “more closely align both divisions’ resources,” according to Member Partnership VP Gemma Hooley and Digital Services GM Bob Kempf, who outlined the changes in a memo sent Wednesday to member station A-Reps. The member partnership division will absorb seven of the layoffs. Director Marguerite Nutter’s position will be eliminated, along with those of senior managers Si Sikes, Patricia Cervini and Marc Pultuskier and associates Kristen Hartmann, Jeff Cabiness and Emily Dagger. Another senior manager, Jeff Nemic, has accepted NPR’s voluntary buyout package and will leave next month.
The New York–based outlet will add the money to its reserve fund, bringing it to more than $4.5 million.