Programs/Content
Film recounts first movement to advocate for full civil rights for Black Americans
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APT will distribute “The Niagara Movement,” a one-hour documentary from Lawrence Hott and WNED, for national broadcast.
People
Tom Calderone named CEO for Buffalo Toronto Public Media
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Calderone succeeds Donald Boswell, who is retiring after more than two decades of leadership of the stations.
Programs/Content
WNED and LeVar Burton terminate licensing deal for ‘Reading Rainbow’
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“WNED is currently working on the next chapter of ‘Reading Rainbow,'” a station executive said.
Programs/Content
WNED and LeVar Burton’s RRKidz trade lawsuits over ‘Reading Rainbow’ licensing
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WNED claims that RRKidz is “illicitly and methodically” attempting to take over ownership of the Reading Rainbow brand.
System/Policy
Three Great Lakes stations form reporting partnership
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The collaboration will cover health and the economic importance of the Great Lakes to the region.
People
Buffalo’s WNED changes management responsibilities, prompting layoff
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WNED in Buffalo, N.Y., is tweaking its management of programming, resulting in one layoff. Gabe DiMaio, who programmed classical WNED-FM, confirmed to Current Thursday that his position was eliminated. He previously served as assistant program director at WBFO-FM, the broadcaster’s NPR News station, as well as producer and local host for All Things Considered. He’s also secretary for the board of the Public Radio Programming Directors Association. Ron Santora, WNED’s v.p. of broadcasting, is adding radio programming to his portfolio.
Programs/Content
Kickstarter propels Reading Rainbow partnership into digital future
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LeVar Burton’s Kickstarter campaign to fund a digital rebirth of Reading Rainbow promises to reconnect classrooms with the pubTV brand and may inspire a new version of the series from partner WNED-TV.
Programs/Content
Merger of Buffalo stations boosts news, reduces music
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Public radio listeners are hearing more local news in Buffalo, where two stations that competed against each other are now operating as one.
Programs/Content
Two news competitors in deficit, so one buys the other in Buffalo
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Talks exploring a union between two major public broadcasters in western New York state will culminate with the $4 million sale of Buffalo’s WBFO-FM, the dominant NPR News station in the region. WNED, a public TV and radio operation with a weaker AM signal for news, in addition to an FM for classical music, will buy the news station from the State University of New York’s University at Buffalo, retaining its call letters and news format. With the stronger FM news signal, WNED plans to enhance WBFO’s appeal to Canadian audiences, who comprise 68 percent of member contributors to WNED-TV, according to Don Boswell, president. Broadcasting on WBFO’s 50,000-watt signal on 88.7 MHz “gives us the totality of what we need to grow into the Canadian marketplace,” Boswell said. WNED, which has a $23 million endowment from the sale of its second TV channel in 2000, plans to finance the purchase with a loan, he said.