System/Policy
SAG-AFTRA files unfair labor practice charge against Chicago Public Media
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SAG-AFTRA claims CPM has “failed and refused to provide information demanded” by the union.
Classical music
Three years in, the Recording Inclusivity Initiative is still fighting to diversify classical radio
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All Classical Radio’s marquee project has encountered a few hiccups, but it’s pushing forward — and expanding.
System/Policy
House subcommittee recommends more funding for Next Generation Warning System
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If approved, it would be the third large infusion of funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency–backed program.
System/Policy
CPB’s first post-pandemic analysis of stations finds stagnating radio revenue, drop in TV income
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The latest State of the System report was shared during the Public Media Business Association’s annual conference.
Obituaries
Jac Venza, founder of public TV’s ‘Great Performances,’ dies at 97
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Venza founded the series in 1972 and retired from public media in 2004.
Development
Detroit PBS lands $7.5M matching gift as it plans new campus
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Detroit PBS revealed May 30 the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation will match up to $7.5 million as the station raises money for its new campus.
People
Comings and goings: Dan Lothian named editor of GBH newsroom, NPR appoints deputy managing editor of digital …
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Dan Lothian became editor-in-chief of GBH’s newsroom and “The World.”
System/Policy
Kwame Alexander created a poem about public media with help from ‘Viewers Like You’
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“A human network / A community / coming together in unity / generations engaged / together.”
Tech
Stations in Alabama, Texas and Alaska receive $1.3 million from Next Gen Warning System
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Alabama Public Television, KLRN in San Antonio and KYUK in Bethel will use the funds to upgrade their technology for transmitting emergency alerts.
System/Policy
Nebraska Public Media receives donation of online news sites
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NPM is engaging with freelance writers who have covered arts and culture in the Omaha area to resume publishing online content later this summer, according to CCO Nancy Finken.
Programs/Content
Apple update disrupts podcast downloads, but blow is softened for some stations
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LAist “dodged a little bit of a bullet,” while New Hampshire Public Radio has continued to see audience growth.
Programs/Content
LAist’s ‘Inheriting’ podcast aims to shed light on Asian American and Pacific Islander history and community
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The show digs in with seven families to show how past traumas can trickle down through generations.
People
Comings and goings: WFIT appoints PD, Nine PBS adds senior directors to development team …
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Steven Keller became PD for WFIT in Melbourne, Fla.
System/Policy
San Francisco’s KQED eliminates 34 positions
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The station is also ending its podcast “Rightnowish.”
People
Marcia Smith, president of Firelight Media, plans to step down
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Smith co-founded Firelight Media with filmmaker Stanley Nelson.
Tech
How public media can help shape ethical AI voice technology
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Following the controversy over OpenAI’s “Sky” voice, public media must aim to build tools that are imbued with cultural richness and represent all people while preserving cultural and traditional knowledge.
Obituaries
RRC President Joanne Church dies at 75
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With her late husband Tom, Joanne Church “introduced audience research to public radio” by founding RRC in 1981.
System/Policy
Boston’s GBH lays off 31 staff due to $7M budget gap
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GBH is also suspending the shows “Greater Boston,” “Talking Politics” and “Basic Black” but plans to “reinvent” them as digital-first programs, said CEO Susan Goldberg.
Obituaries
Larry Bensky, correspondent and anchor for KPFA and Pacifica, dies at 87
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“Larry’s brand of journalism — personality along with in-depth reporting — was a model for countless reporters and hosts coming up in the early days of community radio,” says Youth Radio founder Ellin O’Leary.
System/Policy
Wife of lawmaker critical of Arkansas PBS joins network’s governing board
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Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced May 6 she had appointed Maria Sullivan to the Arkansas Educational Television Commission.