Frank Maranzino Named Leader of CapRadio
Frank Maranzino has been appointed permanent president and general manager of CapRadio, the Sacramento public radio network, effective April 1. He had been serving in an interim capacity for more than two years, guiding the organization through a leadership crisis. The previous president, Jun Reina, is under criminal investigation for alleged embezzlement of station funds. Maranzino, who joined CapRadio in 2019 as director of technology, pledged to strengthen journalistic integrity and community connections.
Some Republicans Want to Reverse GOP Cuts to Rural and Tribal Radio Stations
Republican lawmakers are urging Congress to restore federal funding for rural and tribal public radio after a GOP‑led rescission eliminated $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The cuts threaten stations like Alaska’s KOTZ, which provides life‑saving weather alerts and...
Jody Hamblett Steps Down as WUOT GM
Jody Hamblett has resigned as general manager of WUOT in Knoxville, effective June 30, to relocate closer to family in South Carolina. The university confirmed her departure and noted she was hired in 2023 after serving as president and CEO of...
‘Reveal’ Finds New Footing with Faster, Timely Reporting
Three years after a financial crisis threatened its existence, the investigative radio show Reveal survived thanks to a 2024 merger with Mother Jones, which bolstered reporting resources and enabled a new weekly podcast. The show has shifted to faster, “rapid‑turn”...
New York Community Radio Stations Plan Merger
Radio Catskill, operating WJFF 90.5 FM, announced a merger with fellow Catskills community station WIOX. Under a memorandum of understanding, Radio Catskill will acquire substantially all of WIOX’s assets, including its FM license, and integrate the stations under a single...
Mark Brewer Resigns as WOUB GM
Mark Brewer, who has been with WOUB Public Media for over 26 years and served as general manager since 2016, resigned following an internal investigation that placed him on paid administrative leave in October. The investigation, involving station employees as...
David Brancaccio to Move Into Correspondent Role at ‘Marketplace’
David Brancaccio will step down as host of Marketplace Morning Report next week, moving into a special correspondent role focused on the long‑term effects of economic decisions. The transition follows his 13‑year tenure as the program’s morning anchor and a...
Arkansas TV Creates Fund for Donations Supporting PBS Dues
Arkansas public television announced a dedicated PBS Dues Fund to cover roughly $2.1 million in annual PBS licensing fees after the state’s disaffiliation plan was paused. The fund, managed by the Arkansas TV Foundation, lets donors earmark contributions specifically for PBS...
Colorado Public Broadcasters Explore Merger
Rocky Mountain Public Media and Community Radio for Northern Colorado, the operator of KUNC, have signed a nonbinding agreement to explore a merger. The proposal would combine finance, fundraising and human‑resources functions while keeping both stations locally owned and pledging...
PBS, ITVS Partner on YouTube Channel for Long-Form Documentaries
PBS and ITVS have launched PBS Documentaries, a rebranded YouTube channel that expands the former PBS Voices hub to include full‑length documentary films. The channel inherits more than 316,000 subscribers and 52 million views, and will roll out over 100 new...
KERA Breaks Ground on Headquarters, Prepares to Launch Local News Show
Public broadcaster KERA broke ground on a new 56,000‑square‑foot headquarters in uptown Dallas, replacing its 75,000‑square‑foot facility and featuring a community‑focused floor with a 300‑seat studio and podcast lab. The project is funded by a $97 million capital campaign, including a...
APMG Partners with Tech Company to Streamline Distribution of ‘Marketplace’ Digital Content
American Public Media Group (APMG) has teamed with Distributed Media Lab (DML) to launch a widget‑based distribution system for Marketplace’s digital stories. The new "collection" widget lets public‑media stations embed curated sets of Marketplace articles directly on their websites, eliminating...
WFUV GM Chuck Singleton to Retire
Chuck Singleton, general manager of New York’s WFUV, announced his retirement effective June, with Fordham University planning to appoint a successor by July 1. Singleton has steered the station for more than 15 years, overseeing its shift to NPR membership, securing...
PBS Proposes FY27 Budget that Would Continue Dues Relief for Stations
The PBS board has proposed a FY 2027 budget of $323.6 million, aiming to break even while lowering station dues. Dues are set at $197.7 million, a $29.2 million reduction that continues $25 million in dues relief and accounts for stations that left the network....
CapRadio, KVIE Settle Radio Tower Dispute
CapRadio and Sacramento public TV station KVIE announced a settlement ending a contentious dispute over the ownership of a shared radio tower. The conflict began when the Capital Public Radio Endowment transferred the tower deed to KVIE in 2024, prompting...
Opinion: Public Media Must Invest in Its Technical Future
Public media stations face a looming shortage of skilled engineers as seasoned staff retire and new talent pipelines lag behind. The article argues that hiring retired military communications specialists and establishing formal engineering apprenticeships can close the gap. It also...
Utah Public Radio Managers to Retire
Utah Public Radio announced that co‑managers Tom Williams and Kerry Bringhurst will retire this fall. They have led the station since 2019, overseeing expanded local programming, rural broadcast improvements, student scholarships, and community‑engagement awards. Bringhurst brings nearly two decades of experience, previously...
PBS Chief Calls for Arkansas Public TV Commission to ‘Take a Pause’ on Leaving National Network
PBS CEO Paula Kerger urged the Arkansas TV commission to pause its planned disaffiliation from the national PBS network, arguing the decision should involve public input. Arkansas TV, citing unsustainable dues after the Corporation for Public Broadcasting lost federal funding, voted...
Vision Maker Series Features Shorts by Young Filmmakers
Vision Maker Media (VMM) has launched "First People, First Stories," a public‑TV series that stitches together short films created by emerging Native American filmmakers. The series draws from VMM’s Creative Shorts Fellowship and its Native Youth Media Project, packaging two...
FCC Rejects Petition to Block WLRN Purchase of Palm Beach Station
The FCC declined to block South Florida Public Media Group’s $6.45 million acquisition of Palm Beach’s The Flame 104.7 (WFLM), stating the pending lawsuit by the Miami‑Dade County School Board is a private contractual dispute outside its jurisdiction. The school board, which licenses...
KERA Acquires Producer of Public Radio’s ‘From the Top’
Dallas‑based public media station KERA is acquiring the nationally syndicated classical music program From the Top, which airs on more than 200 stations. The deal gives the nonprofit producer a permanent North Texas home, access to KERA’s new facilities, and...
Luis Estrada to Lead KVMR Community Radio
Luis Estrada, a veteran public‑media professional with more than 11 years at KPBS, will become general manager of KVMR Community Radio in Nevada City on March 2. He also founded the bilingual production firm ES Creative Gang, giving him a strong...
Wyoming Public Media Birthday Party Turns Into Funding Rally
Wyoming Public Media celebrated its 60th birthday with a rally that turned into a funding push. A Wyoming Senate amendment, championed by Sen. Ogden Driskill, would restore roughly $1.7 million that the Freedom‑Caucus‑aligned budget had cut. The amendment cleared the Senate,...
KSPS PBS Appoints Skyler Reep GM
Skyler Reep has been appointed president and general manager of KSPS PBS in Spokane, Washington, effective immediately after serving as interim GM. Reep joined the station in 2017 as membership director and was promoted to director of development in 2023,...
Rob Wiseman Named CEO of Classical KING
Classical KING announced that Rob Wiseman will assume the chief executive officer position on March 10, succeeding long‑time leader Brenda Barnes. Wiseman, who joined the Seattle‑based public radio station in 2024 as chief advancement officer, brings a track record in development...
PBS Kids Official Visits Arkansas as Campaign Aims to Keep Public Television Affiliation
PBS Kids senior vice president Sara DeWitt visited Little Rock to headline a public forum organized by the newly formed Friends of Arkansas PBS. The group, chaired by former first ladies Gay White and Barbara Pryor, is urging the Arkansas...
Phil Hoffman to Lead New Mexico PBS
Phil Hoffman will assume the role of General Manager and CEO of New Mexico PBS on April 1, 2024, following the retirement of Franz Joachim on March 31. He will serve as co‑GM starting March 24 to ensure a smooth transition. Hoffman brings extensive...
KCBX Names Chris McBride GM
Chris McBride has been appointed General Manager of KCBX Central Coast Public Radio, taking over from Frank Lanzone, who led the station for 45 years. McBride joined KCBX in 2023 as development director and later served as assistant GM, bringing a background...
Vegas PBS GM Mare Mazur to Retire
Mary Mazur, who has led Vegas PBS as president and general manager since early 2021, announced she will retire later this year. During her tenure, the station deepened its role as an educational partner for the Clark County School District...
How YouTuber Johns Hopkins Brings Stories of Baltimore History to WYPR
Johns Hopkins, a historian‑producer for Baltimore Heritage, launched the YouTube series “Five‑Minute Histories” during the pandemic, amassing nearly 400 videos and 18,000 subscribers. The series, despite its name, averages six‑minute episodes. WYPR partnered with Hopkins to reformat the stories into...
January CDP Index: High-Dollar Gifts, New Donors Fuel Standout Year for Membership Revenue
Public media organizations saw a 42% jump in membership revenue in 2025 versus 2024, driven by higher‑value gifts and a surge in new donors. The High‑Dollar Gifts Index rose 88%, indicating far more $500+ contributions, while the New Donor Index...
FCC Approves Reassignment of UEN-TV License Within Utah University System
The FCC approved a pro forma reassignment of the UEN‑TV (KUEN) license from the Utah Board of Higher Education to the University of Utah on Dec. 4, placing the station under PBS Utah’s oversight. No money changed hands in the transaction....