WPSU-TV and radio will become part of Philadelphia-based WHYY, under a plan Penn State trustees unanimously approved Monday, a month after the board's finance committee rejected a similar proposal but one that would have cost the university $17 million over five years.
The approved plan does not include that subsidy from Penn State. Instead, WHYY will have to raise funds to finance the takeover.
Board Chairman David Kleppinger said the university received more than 1,300 public comments and emails regarding WPSU, along with personal messages.
“I do want to acknowledge the deep passion and concern that’s reflected in those messages,” Kleppinger said. “The overwhelming majority urged the university to reconsider the decision to wind down WPSU’s operations or to move forward with a sale that would allow the station to continue under public broadcasting organizations.”
He said commenters emphasized WPSU’s importance to Penn State's land grant mission, educational and cultural value to children and families, especially in rural Pennsylvania, and WPSU's role in providing experiential learning opportunities for Penn State students, along with being a trusted source of local journalism and community engagement.
The board vote followed a vote of unanimous approval by the finance committee. That committee voted unanimously on Sept. 11 to reject a plan to transfer WPSU to WHYY, at a cost to the university of $17 million over five years. Board members had raised concerns about the expense and about the lack of job guarantees for all WPSU employees. Penn State’s Chief Financial Officer Sara Thorndike had told the finance committee that if they rejected the proposal, the university would develop a "wind down plan" for WPSU, with the shut down happening by June 30, 2026.
Penn State provides about $3.4 million in annual support to WPSU.
Thorndike said WHYY agreed to fundraise to cover the estimated $17 million needed over five years. Under the agreement, WHYY will have 30 days to secure financing of at least $8.36 million. After that, both parties can agree to extend the "exclusivity period." The agreement would have to be approved by WHYY's board and by the Federal Communications Commission.
She said WHYY also agreed to interview any WPSU employees interested in staying on, and if there are employees who are qualified for a job WHYY needs, those employees will be hired.
And, Thorndike said, WHYY agreed to continue to operate WPSU for at least three years, in response to concerns that WHYY could monetize WPSU's assets. She said that is not WHYY's intent.
“They have indicated a desire to keep it going for much, much longer than that," Thorndike said.
The university's decision to close its public broadcasting station had sparked outcry from the public and led a group of WPSU supporters to set up a fund with the Centre Foundation and look for alternatives to the shutdown.
WPSU-TV reaches 515,000 households in 24 counties of central Pennsylvania, and WPSU-FM serves more than 450,000 listeners in 13 counties in central and northern Pennsylvania. Along with PBS and NPR programming, WPSU provides local programming, news coverage and community events in the area.
Tamra Fatemi-Badi, community engagement and events manager at WPSU, said she’s happy there seems to be an opportunity for a path forward.
“I really hope that we can continue to provide the fabulous education resource, local programming and entertainment that we’ve always provided to our listeners and viewers.”
