WPSU to close: UPDATE: a deal is reached to try and continue it

[BobPSU92]

See the link below. From the article:

“UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Board of Trustees Finance and Investment Committee today voted against a proposed transaction to transfer the operating assets of WPSU public radio and television stations to WHYY, a public media organization based in Philadelphia. Board members rejected the proposal for the University to support the transition of WPSU’s assets to WHYY with a $17 million subsidy over five years. Penn State has budgeted funds for WPSU's operations through the end of June 2026. Now, the University will develop a wind down plan ending, at the latest, on June 30, 2026.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision for trustees, as WPSU has long provided quality public broadcasting programming for communities throughout Central Pennsylvania,” said Board Chair David Kleppinger. “We have worked with the administration to find the best path forward for the station and our people who work there. But, given the significant headwinds facing higher education and public media, we could not support the proposed transaction. We know this is a deeply disappointing outcome and we are grateful to the dedicated WPSU employees whose work has enriched our lives and made our community stronger.”“

Board committee votes against subsidy to fund transfer of WPSU assets | Penn State University

The Penn State Board of Trustees Finance and Investment Committee today (Sept. 11) voted against a proposed transaction to transfer the operating assets of WPSU public radio and television stations to WHYY, a public media organization based in Philadelphia. Board members rejected the proposal...

www.psu.edu

 

[TheBigUglies]

That just plain sucks.

 

[JohnJumba]

That just plain sucks.

It's just plain stupid. If they hadn't pissed away millions setting up Paterno, they wouldn't have to dream up dumb stuff.

 

[NittPicker]

My first exposure to PSU wrestling was a LONG time ago when they'd sometimes broadcast Rec Hall duals on WPSU. Penn State sports on Channel 3!!! I was just a kid at the time and thought it was the coolest thing. Of course, that would never happen nowadays with the way media deals are set up.

I certainly don't know the economics of running a PBS station but WHYY must have thought it was worthwhile if they were willing to offer $17 million over five years. Hopefully the BoT will revisit the issue.

 

[PSUFTG]

Meanwhile:

Today, the Board will approve millions more in raises for Neeli Bendapudi. (No, not a joke)

 

[JohnJumba]

Meanwhile:

Today, the Board will approve millions more in raises for Neeli Bendapudi. (No, not a joke)

 

[BobPSU92]

Meanwhile:

Today, the Board will approve millions more in raises for Neeli Bendapudi. (No, not a joke)

You have to spend money to save money.

 

[doctornick]

The most important question is what will this mean regarding the future of the name WPSU Coffee Break

 

[Erial_Lion]

My first exposure to PSU wrestling was a LONG time ago when they'd sometimes broadcast Rec Hall duals on WPSU. Penn State sports on Channel 3!!! I was just a kid at the time and thought it was the coolest thing. Of course, that would never happen nowadays with the way media deals are set up.

I certainly don't know the economics of running a PBS station but WHYY must have thought it was worthwhile if they were willing to offer $17 million over five years. Hopefully the BoT will revisit the issue.

WHYY was getting the $17 million to keep it going over the next 5 years, not offering the $17 million for it. Right?

 

[doctornick]

WHYY was getting the $17 million to keep it going over the next 5 years, not offering the $17 million for it. Right?

Yeah, I was a little confused but it seems to me that the option on the table was basically to gift WPSU to WHYY and let them run it and also for PSU to provide a $17M subsidy to WHYY to allow for the continued operation for the next 5 years. If so, I can understand why that option was voted down.

If the option was to essentially sell WPSU to WHYY for $17M (instead of just shutting it down) then yes they would have been dumb not to take that offer. It would be nice to see if some other buyer or option pops up in the next year who might allow for WPSU to continue but not be a significant cost to the school.

 

[PSUFTG]

My first exposure to PSU wrestling was a LONG time ago when they'd sometimes broadcast Rec Hall duals on WPSU. Penn State sports on Channel 3!!! I was just a kid at the time and thought it was the coolest thing. Of course, that would never happen nowadays with the way media deals are set up.

I certainly don't know the economics of running a PBS station but WHYY must have thought it was worthwhile if they were willing to offer $17 million over five years. Hopefully the BoT will revisit the issue.

You have it bassackwards.

 

[BobPSU92]

What is PSU‘s annual operating budget for WPSU? How far would $17 MM/year go?

(Then there would be the question of what to do after five years.)

 

[Big_O]

Wasn’t WPSU named WDFM back in the day?

I knew one of their student DJ’s back in the 1970’s.

 

[MtNittany]

There are high schools that manage to run functioning radio stations. This is pathetic.

 

[PSU-Dude]

Penn State's new core mission is to produce world class athletes, so there's just no money left for education.

 

[NittPicker]

Yeah, I was a little confused but it seems to me that the option on the table was basically to gift WPSU to WHYY and let them run it and also for PSU to provide a $17M subsidy to WHYY to allow for the continued operation for the next 5 years. If so, I can understand why that option was voted down.

If the option was to essentially sell WPSU to WHYY for $17M (instead of just shutting it down) then yes they would have been dumb not to take that offer. It would be nice to see if some other buyer or option pops up in the next year who might allow for WPSU to continue but not be a significant cost to the school.

Derp. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[PSU87]

There are high schools that manage to run functioning radio stations. This is pathetic.

High Schools run it with an advisor that gets 1500 bucks a year kicker in his teacher salary.
Penn State probably has a Director, Assistant Director and Associate Director running it.

 

[MtNittany]

Penn State's new core mission is to produce world class athletes, so there's just no money left for education.

...or basketball. Or baseball. Or golf.

 

[PSU Mike]

Why did it ever cost $3.4Mm/year is the first thing that should be asked. How powerful a transmitter did they use? Couldn’t its range be limited because listeners drop significantly outside student living range? Isn’t there on online version that could be run for 1/10 of that?

 

[MtNittany]

Why did it ever cost $3.4Mm/year is the first thing that should be asked. How powerful a transmitter did they use? Couldn’t its range be limited because listeners drop significantly outside student living range? Isn’t there on online version that could be run for 1/10 of that?

Hook it up to the nuclear reactor. Problem solved.

 

[manatree]

Why did it ever cost $3.4Mm/year is the first thing that should be asked. How powerful a transmitter did they use? Couldn’t its range be limited because listeners drop significantly outside student living range? Isn’t there on online version that could be run for 1/10 of that?

WPSU is NOT the student radio station. The Lion 90.7 is not part of WPSU. Both WPSU and The Lion offer online streaming in addition to the traditional radio.

 

[Bob78]

Meanwhile:

Today, the Board will approve millions more in raises for Neeli Bendapudi. (No, not a joke)

So after she was not offered the NC State job not too long ago, are we certain she is done looking for a new job? Or are we attaching a buy-out or some such economic stipulation that is in our favor in case she does leave?
Did we find out why she was looking around to leave after such a brief time here?

 

[manatree]

WHYY was getting the $17 million to keep it going over the next 5 years, not offering the $17 million for it. Right?

Yeah, I was a little confused but it seems to me that the option on the table was basically to gift WPSU to WHYY and let them run it and also for PSU to provide a $17M subsidy to WHYY to allow for the continued operation for the next 5 years. If so, I can understand why that option was voted down.

If the option was to essentially sell WPSU to WHYY for $17M (instead of just shutting it down) then yes they would have been dumb not to take that offer. It would be nice to see if some other buyer or option pops up in the next year who might allow for WPSU to continue but not be a significant cost to the school.

I’m in favor for trying to find ways to keep WPSU going. However, I am in favor of rejecting the offer from WHYY. In what world does it make sense to pay $17mil for something you no longer own or control?

 

[bbrown]

There are high schools that manage to run functioning radio stations. This is pathetic.

IIRC it wasn't very good in the 80's. You would think a college radio station would be a bit more cutting edge.

 

[PSU Mike]

WPSU is NOT the student radio station. The Lion 90.7 is not part of WPSU. Both WPSU and The Lion offer online streaming in addition to the traditional radio.

Ahhhh! Thanks.

 

[Bison13]

So after she was not offered the NC State job not too long ago, are we certain she is done looking for a new job? Or are we attaching a buy-out or some such economic stipulation that is in our favor in case she does leave?
Did we find out why she was looking around to leave after such a brief time here?

one of the reasons I am now a wolfpack fan

 

[Nitt1300]

Public media has been a beacon of reality in a sea of nonsense. By all means, let's dismantle it.

 

[manatree]

IIRC it wasn't very good in the 80's. You would think a college radio station would be a bit more cutting edge.

WPSU is not the student/college radio station. The student station is The Lion 90.7, aka WKPS.

WPSU runs both a TV station and a radio station. WPSU TV is a PBS affiliate. WPSU Radio is an NPR affiliate with several transmitters throughout Central PA.

 

[Moogy]

High Schools run it with an advisor that gets 1500 bucks a year kicker in his teacher salary.
Penn State probably has a Director, Assistant Director and Associate Director running it.

Same with sports. The HS football coach is usually just the gym or history teacher who gets a few grand extra to coach the team, with a bunch of volunteers under him. Why can't PSU do that? They could have a car wash fundraiser to help defray costs, and have the players walk around State College selling those "gold ticket" discounts at local businesses.

 

[bbrown]

WPSU is not the student/college radio station. The student station is The Lion 90.7, aka WKPS.

WPSU runs both a TV station and a radio station. WPSU TV is a PBS affiliate. WPSU Radio is an NPR affiliate with several transmitters throughout Central PA.

Thanks for the info. I'm pretty sure it was still WDFM when I was there in the early 80's. They played a lot of Madonna and I mean a lot.

 

[Roar More]

Well, this sucks. Even though I live in a Pittsburgh suburb, WPSU is part of my Comcast, I mean Xfinity, subscription. I enjoy the progaming they provide that differs from WQED. Will they still provide the same programing or simply cease to exist?

On a separate note, does this mean they will refund my donation?

 

[psuro]

Public media has been a beacon of reality in a sea of nonsense. By all means, let's dismantle it.

 

[PSUSignore]

The most important question is what will this mean regarding the future of the name WPSU Coffee Break

It's now called WPSU Coffee Broke

 

[NittPicker]

It makes me wonder what will become of Channel 3 and the related bandwidth, or whatever the terminology is. If the FCC license ends, then what?? The conspiracy theorist in me thinks someone with BoT connections will move in and get it on the cheap. Or maybe an open license needs to go through some sort of process with the feds before it's reassigned.

 

[SleepyLion]

Same with sports. The HS football coach is usually just the gym or history teacher who gets a few grand extra to coach the team, with a bunch of volunteers under him. Why can't PSU do that? They could have a car wash fundraiser to help defray costs, and have the players walk around State College selling those "gold ticket" discounts at local businesses.

Will the cheerleaders have a car wash too?

 

[JesseBelle]

WPSU is not the student/college radio station. The student station is The Lion 90.7, aka WKPS.

WPSU runs both a TV station and a radio station. WPSU TV is a PBS affiliate. WPSU Radio is an NPR affiliate with several transmitters throughout Central PA.

i believe iit was originally WPIX

 

[Tom McAndrew]

From the below link:

WPSU-FM Public Radio​

Radio at Penn State began as WDFM on December 6, 1953, a gift from the Penn State Class of 1951 to provide hands-on radio broadcast experiences for Penn State students interested in radio careers. On August 19, 1984, the station was able to procure the WPSU call letters after the radio station at Penn State Wilkes-Barre was shuttered. WPSU aired student programming, classical music, and news and, in 1986, started to air the NPR programs All Things Considered (June 1986) and Morning Edition (fall 1987). WPSU-FM began incorporating National Public Radio programming and became a full NPR Member station in 1992. WPSU-FM and WPSX-TV maintained their call letters but added the umbrella brand name of Penn State Public Broadcasting in 1994.

About WPSU

Mission Spark discovery, enrich learning and strengthen community through vibrant public media. Vision A world of wonder and opportunity, with healthy, educated, and compassionate people empowered to understand and improve their lives and the lives of others. About WPSU at Penn State is a PBS...

wpsu.psu.edu

 

[BobPSU92]

i believe iit was originally WPIX

WPIX is a New York City TV station.

 

[Moogy]

Will the cheerleaders have a car wash too?

Of course ... just for you ...

 

[mh-larch]

WPSU is not the student/college radio station. The student station is The Lion 90.7, aka WKPS.

WPSU runs both a TV station and a radio station. WPSU TV is a PBS affiliate. WPSU Radio is an NPR affiliate with several transmitters throughout Central PA.

Thanks for clarifying this. While it is sad that WPSU will close, it appears the Board made the correct decision. I don't understand the particulars of all of this, but what business does a university have supporting/running a public radio station? The Lion 90.7 WKPS yes. WPSU no.