An Aug. 29 update of Department of Justice policies for enforcing marijuana laws did little to clarify whether public radio stations should air underwriting announcements for marijuana dispensaries, according to one communications attorney’s analysis. At least one station has aired spots for local dispensaries, while others have turned away interested underwriters. The hesitation stems in part from a lack of clarity surrounding the federal government’s enforcement of marijuana laws in states that have legalized medicinal or recreational use of the plant. In its Aug. 29 update, the DOJ said it would likely not interfere with state enforcement as long as states “implemented strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems to control the cultivation, distribution, sale, and possession of marijuana.”

Classical music is a big part of the cultural fabric of Bloomington. But WFIU wasn’t aiming to eliminate local music programming.

CPB has granted KEET-TV in Eureka, Calif., a waiver to receive its fiscal 2014 Community Service Grant despite its failure to raise the required minimum in non-federal financial support (NFFS), according to Karen Barnes, the station’s director of programming and content, writing in the local Times-Standard. The station, one of the smallest in the pubcasting system, has never met its mandated NFFS, and has received waivers based on its rural location and limited resources. CPB tightened its CSG policies in 2010. “CPB issued a waiver for KEET again this year but put the station on notice,” Barnes wrote. “KEET must demonstrate a significant increase in NFFS in order to receive federal funds in the future.” 

A majority of staff members at Chicago Public Media signed a petition requesting union representation and presented it to CPM interim C.E.O. Alison Scholly Sept. 25, according to the broadcast union SAG-AFTRA, which seeks to represent staffers through its Chicago chapter.

Leaders of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, the company behind the PBS NewsHour, are negotiating to transfer ownership to co-producer WETA in Arlington, Va., according to an internal letter sent Tuesday to staffers. Program founders and original co-anchors Jim Lehrer and Robin MacNeil wrote that their reasons for relinquishing ownership at this time include “the probability of increasing our fundraising abilities” for the weeknightly news magazine. The New York Times reported in June that the program was in financial trouble and had received infusions of cash from PBS several times over the past year. Currently, Lehrer and MacNeil share ownership with Liberty Media, which acquired a majority interest in MacNeil/Lehrer Productions (MLP) 18 years ago.

Public broadcasting’s federal subsidies were not caught up in the political stalemate that forced closure of the federal government Oct. 1. The U.S. Treasury delivered CPB’s $445 million fiscal 2014 appropriation that same day, as scheduled, while political leaders in Congress and the White House wrangled over tea party Republicans’ push to repeal the Affordable Health Care for America Act. CPB’s appropriation was forward-funded during the 2012 appropriations cycle. The federal budget that has been held up by a faction of GOP lawmakers will determine CPB’s funding for 2016. CPB will distribute the first installment of annual Community Service Grants to CPB-qualified public television and radio stations later this month.

The author of a book arguing for the innocence of five convicted Cuban spies found himself disinvited from an appearance on Miami’s WLRN-FM last month, only to be reinvited after the station’s g.m. caught wind of the cancellation. Stephen Kimber, a journalism professor at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, was slated to appear on WLRN’s Topical Currents Sept. 17 to discuss his new book, What Lies Across the Water: The Real Story of the Cuban Five. The book examines the 2001 Miami trial of the Cuban Five, who were convicted for conspiracy to spy on the U.S.

Talks between NPR and CPB about expanding the network’s Code Switch to a local and regional level are on hold as NPR President Gary Knell departs for his new job. A CPB draft business plan for 2014, released last month, said that the corporation “is considering building on the success of the NPR Code Switch initiative by extending it to local stations as a regional initiative.” The cross-platform production aims to examine issues of race, culture and ethnicity, and spark discussion on social media platforms and NPR’s website. It launched in May with a $1.5 million, two-year grant from CPB. Discussions about expanding Code Switch beyond its current operations are now in a holding pattern, however, as NPR looks for a new chief executive.

An environmental activism group says it has more than 70,000 petition signatures demanding the resignation of conservative billionaire David Koch from the board of WGBH, the Boston Globe reports. “David Koch has essentially dedicated himself — and tens of millions of dollars — to deliberately mislead the public about climate change,” Emily Southard of climate-change education group Forecast the Facts, told the newspaper. “That’s completely incompatible with an organization like WGBH, which is dedicated to public education.” She said some 50 activists plan to picket the pubcasting station Wednesday and deliver the petition to the board of trustees during their meeting.

Veteran pubcaster Ted Krichels will become CPB’s new s.v.p. for system development and media strategy, effective Nov. 4. Krichels replaces Mark Erstling, who remains with CPB but will focus solely on issues concerning the upcoming television spectrum auctions and subsequent channel repacking. In his new role, Krichels will oversee CPB’s efforts to ensure that public television and its related digital and visual media services are universally available across America. Krichels has more than 25 years experience in pubcasting management, most recently as associate v.p. and g.m. of Penn State Public Broadcasting in University Park, Pa., and previously as c.e.o. of KBDI in Denver.

Frontline received seven of PBS’s nine News & Documentary Emmy Awards, at ceremonies Oct. 1 in New York City. Nature and American Experience rounded out the honors. PBS was second to CBS, which won 12. Frontline creator and Executive Producer David Fanning also received the Lifetime Achievement Award. “David has combined his unmatched reportorial instincts with a fine filmmaker’s sensibilities, and the result is a series that is unlike any other on television,” said PBS President Paula Kerger.