About
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Why is this transition happening/Why did WHYY “acquire” WPSU?
Penn State University made the difficult decision to focus its resources on its core mission of educating students. At the same time, the University believed in the imperative of maintaining a robust public media experience and concluded that WPSU’s future would be best supported by another nonprofit public media organization.
WHYY believes in the principle of universal access for every person, including the approximately 1.5 million residents of central and northern Pennsylvania, to the free public media service WPSU has provided for more than 70 years – including independent journalism and trusted information, educational resources for children and families, lifelong learning, arts and culture, community connection and an important communications resource during times of emergency.
Working with WPSU supporters, members and community leaders who shared that commitment, WHYY stepped forward to help secure the station’s future. The goal is straightforward: to ensure WPSU remains a strong, independent, community-focused, noncommercial public media voice that is locally focused, locally run and dedicated to the communities of central and northern Pennsylvania.
What, if anything, is changing at WPSU?
For audiences, WPSU will remain WPSU. We will continue to operate under the WPSU name and call letters, provide PBS and NPR programming, produce local content and journalism, and serve the people and communities of central and northern Pennsylvania. WPSU will remain locally focused and locally run. The objective of this arrangement is to give WPSU the organizational support and infrastructure it needs to thrive as a sustainable local public media service, especially by increasing the relevance of our programming and the growth of WPSU contributed income.
The primary changes will occur behind the scenes. Many administrative and business functions previously provided by Penn State – such as finance, billing and human resources support – will now be provided through WHYY. New staff will be hired to handle fundraising and sponsorship efforts which had also been handled by the university. This allows our local WPSU team to focus on what matters most: serving our audiences and communities. Over time, WHYY will also look for opportunities to strengthen WPSU’s journalism, programming, educational services and community engagement as resources allow.
What, if anything, is changing at WHYY?
Very little changes for WHYY’s audiences in Greater Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey and Delaware. WHYY will continue its existing television, radio, digital, journalism, education and community services just as it does today.
While significant, the acquisition of WPSU is not unprecedented as WHYY has strategically been driven to acquire assets and services that ensure it meets the wants and needs of its changing audiences. What changes is the scope of WHYY’s organization. WHYY will extend its administrative infrastructure and expertise to support WPSU, including areas such as finance, human resources, fundraising, membership, sponsorship and other business operations. This shared infrastructure is designed to reduce duplication, provide WPSU with resources it previously received through Penn State and help the station move toward long-term financial sustainability.
WHYY’s commitment to its existing audiences and services does not change. The addition of WPSU extends WHYY’s organizational capacity to help preserve and strengthen public media in central and northern Pennsylvania without diminishing WHYY’s service to the communities it already serves.
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Membership and Support
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What happens to my WPSU membership?
Your WPSU membership will continue without interruption. Whether you are a sustaining member or have made a gift in the past year, there is no action you need to take at this time. For a short transition period, you may continue to receive communications about your membership from Penn State. The University has agreed to continue processing donations, including renewals, on WPSU’s behalf while we establish our new donation system.
I am a sustaining member. Do I need to take action to continue regular donations?
No action is needed in most cases. Your scheduled donations will continue to be processed. For a brief transition period, Penn State will continue processing them on behalf of WPSU. As WPSU moves to its new donation system, we will communicate directly with members if any action is required.
I tried to give money to WPSU but was sent to a Penn State donation page – is there something wrong?
No. Your donation will still be designated entirely for WPSU. For a limited transition period, Penn State has agreed to continue processing donations on WPSU’s behalf while we establish our new, independent donation system.
I am a WPSU member. How can I best support the station during these changes?
Continue supporting WPSU. Your membership matters now more than ever. For decades, Penn State provided significant financial support to WPSU. That support has ended, while public media stations nationwide are confronting the loss of federal funding. WPSU has a plan to build a sustainable future, but its success depends on continued support from the people and communities of central and northern Pennsylvania. Your membership helps ensure WPSU can continue providing trusted journalism, educational programming, lifelong learning, community engagement and the public media programming you value.
Where/How can I send a donation directly to WPSU?
Thank you for supporting WPSU. You can donate online at wpsu.org/donate or by calling 1-800-245-9779. If you’d rather donate by sending a check, please make checks payable to WPSU and note WPSU-TV or WPSU-FM on the memo line. Donations can be mailed to:
WPSU Membership
223 Outreach Building
University Park, PA 16802
I am a Penn State employee who pays for my membership via payroll deduction. Do I need to change my payment method?
Yes. Because WPSU will no longer be operated by Penn State, members who currently give through Penn State payroll deduction will need to transition to another payment method. Because Penn State is continuing to process payments for WPSU, your deductions will continue in the short term, but this option will go away soon. We will communicate directly with affected members when we know that timeline with details about making the change.
Will my Passport access continue?
Yes. Passport access will not be affected by the transition. Current eligible members will continue to have access to Passport and the same available programming. For a limited transition period, renewals and new gifts will continue to be processed by Penn State on behalf of WPSU.
Am I now also a member of WHYY?
No. A membership contribution to WPSU supports WPSU, just as a contribution to WHYY supports WHYY. If you would like to support both, you will need to make separate contributions to each.
My estate plan includes WPSU as a beneficiary. With the ownership change, do I need to make a change to my plan?
Previously, WPSU was affiliated with Penn State University. If your estate plan lists WPSU in conjunction with Penn State University, it is best that you update your plan to avoid any confusion or delay in the future. Please contact the Legacy Giving Team at legacy@whyy.org or by calling 215-351-2000 to obtain the appropriate information to update your estate plan.
Does WHYY benefit from donations to WPSU?
Contributions designated for WPSU will support WPSU’s programming, operations and service to central and northern Pennsylvania. While WPSU and WHYY will share administrative resources and collaborate where it benefits their audiences, funds raised for WPSU will remain committed to WPSU and the communities it serves.
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Viewing and Channels
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Will WPSU’s broadcast channels change?
No. Our current program services are not likely to change in the foreseeable future. But over time adjustments may be made to build audience size and positive impact into central and northern PA. WPSU’s radio and television broadcast channels will remain the same. This includes WPSU-TV’s main channel, along with WPSU Create, WPSU World and WPSU Kids. WPSU-FM’s three radio signals will continue broadcasting as they do today. And if you know us as WPSX-FM in Kane, that isn’t changing either.
I stream WPSU – is there going to be any change to that service?
No. You will continue to be able to stream WPSU public television content through the PBS app, including our current live streams. If you are an eligible Passport member, your access will continue as usual. Live streaming through Amazon Prime, DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV will also continue. Radio streaming will remain available through the WPSU website, smart speakers and the WPSU mobile app.
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Audience Communications
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Will the website change?
WPSU.org, video.wpsu.org and radio.wpsu.org will remain our primary websites. There will be some behind-the-scenes changes, including moving away from web addresses that use the psu.edu domain, but we do not expect those changes to affect how most audiences access WPSU online.
I receive email newsletters from WPSU. Do I need to update anything?
No. If you receive WPSU newsletters such as Connect or News Roundup, you will continue receiving them with no action needed. One change you may notice is that membership-related emails, such as renewal notices and gift acknowledgments, will eventually come directly from WPSU rather than Penn State. For a brief transition period, Penn State will continue sending some of these communications on WPSU’s behalf.
Will social media accounts change?
No. If you already follow WPSU, there is nothing you need to do. You will continue seeing our posts through the same accounts. If you don’t currently follow, you can find WPSU on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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Community
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Will WPSU continue producing local programs and local news?
Yes. WPSU remains committed to telling the stories of central and northern Pennsylvania and providing trusted local journalism and locally produced programming. Preserving and strengthening that local service is a central reason WHYY stepped forward to help secure WPSU’s future. As resources allow, the goal is not simply to preserve WPSU’s local service, but to strengthen and expand it over time.
Will I see and hear more Philadelphia-focused programs on WPSU?
WPSU and WHYY have been public media partners for many years, and their audiences already share programming. WPSU airs WHYY-produced programs such as Fresh Air with Terry Gross & Tonya Mosley, Albie’s Elevator or The Declaration’s Journey, while WHYY has shared WPSU programming such as The Whiskey Rebellion. That kind of collaboration is part of what makes public media strong. But WPSU will remain focused on central and northern Pennsylvania. All programming decisions – whether they involve content from WPSU, WHYY or other sources – are made to serve WPSU’s audiences.
What is happening to Weather World?
Weather World isn’t going anywhere. We know it is a long-valued service within our communities. WPSU is proud of its longstanding partnership with Penn State’s Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science and will continue to provide and maintain this indispensable program as it has for more than 40 years. Weather World will continue airing on weeknights and remain available to stream through the PBS app.
What is happening to WPSU’s staff?
As part of Penn State’s transition away from operating WPSU, employment decisions regarding current WPSU employees have been managed by Penn State. Any WPSU employee who expressed an interest in employment with WHYY as part of the new WPSU organization was given the opportunity to interview. WHYY then made staffing decisions based on the needs and organizational structure of WPSU under WHYY.
While WPSU’s staffing structure under WHYY differs from its structure under Penn State, many former WPSU employees have joined WHYY and will continue serving WPSU and the communities of central and northern Pennsylvania.
Will WPSU still be connected to Penn State University?
WPSU will no longer be owned or operated by Penn State, but the station and University share more than 70 years of history and many connections to the communities we serve. The station will remain in its current building and will rent the space from the University. We expect to continue working together with Penn State when there are opportunities that are mutually beneficial to the University, WPSU and the people of central and northern Pennsylvania.
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As WPSU begins this next chapter, much of what audiences know and value will remain the same. We will continue to serve central and northern Pennsylvania under the WPSU name and call letters, with the same commitment to trusted journalism, educational programming, local storytelling, community engagement and public service.