Editor’s note: This goes on a bit, catching up on old meetings. I didn’t start this blog to write about public media but for months I’d been hearing about problems. I didn’t think it was that bad. Then I listened to the July board meeting, and it was worse. It’s time to face reality and get away from “Saving Elmo!” nonsense — Jeff Ward.
Channel 39, now Lehigh Valley Public Media, wants your money. The TV station/radio station/digital news outlet is missing forecasts and shifting funds to make payroll.
It even seeks a “transformation.” Meanwhile, it sits on an $80 million pile of public cash.
My advice: Just say NO to requests for funds until the organization has put its ship in order, and determined what that ship will look like.
It might not have much to do with television, even though the average Lehigh Valley resident thinks of this organization as Channel 39, if they think of it at all.
That raises the question, is an outfit founded to broadcast TV shows qualified to bet $80 million on other media?
It had an expensive stumble on televised news, a program PBS 39 touted as a huge success until it quietly disappeared.
The public should be demanding accountability. The people who don’t like public media should demand it, and above all, those who support it should demand it.
Demand accountability from the board. Ask tough questions.
Yet the truth is, most people don’t care.
“Nobody talks about Channel 39 anymore,” someone told me Monday.
At the July meeting, a plan to solicit state and federal money — taxpayer money — was discussed.
The pitch might be: “We’re doing a lot of swell things and with your help, we can do even more!”
I suggest this: “We’re burning through money and want to burn some of yours.”
Don’t give them your money, and ask your city, county, state and federal officials to demand some tough answers when Lehigh Valley Public Media comes to them. I’m going to keep asking the federal Inspector General to review spending, and I will relay my concerns to the office holders above. Please do the same.
Watch out for state officials eager to align themselves with Big Bird, at your expense.
Below is a series of notes from meetings held in the last two years. They don’t paint a pretty picture.
Board meeting minutes, May 22, 2023: “The new generation is not expected to begin to watch PBS programming; we must work on different opportunities now.”
It’s hard to disagree, considering the programming. Reruns of shows nobody wanted to watch the first time they were on, and programs that are available elsewhere, but is an organization grounded in TV qualified to decide what horse to bet its $80 million on?
“Television and radio are declining,” according to the minutes of that meeting.
Some more blunt talk at the Sept. 26, 2023 meeting: “2023 financial results were not acceptable to the board; however, the 2023-2024 budget plan looks promising.”
That optimistic note did not pan out. Staff did say “LehighValleyNews.com viewership has doubled that of radio and television.”
At that same meeting, “the lack of attendance at committee meetings” by board members was noted.
Nov. 27, 2023 meeting: “the ratings for PBS39 television viewership have gone down, month-over-month and year-over-year.” No surprise. Check the schedule.
Also, “page views,” which measure Internet traffic, were down, and “social media referrals are down by 41%.” Changing the Internet strategy was brought up.
Jan. 29, 2024: The organization prepares “to facilitate the digital world as being a main focus.”
For that month, two of three LehighValleyNews.com users were women, and people from age 55 to age 64 accounted for 32% of the audience, almost a third. In short, old people. I can say that because I’m one of them (one of the old people, not one of the viewers).
At the March 25, 2024 meeting, things began to move. There were some management changes, and this sobering report: the year-to-date net operating loss was $4.5 million, and revenue was $848,000 short of budget.
A board member noted that “each reforecast needs to be continuously corrected as the organization has come up short each time.”
Finally, plain speaking. I found that comment above to be refreshing. No more happy talk.
And then, from the minutes: “The organization is focused on being financially focused and reducing the reliance on endowment draws.”
That is a big one. It’s about burning through money. Yet at the same meeting, the outfit voted to ask Easton for a $10,000 cut of a federal grant. An $80 million endowment, viewership down, and seeking more public money.
$80 million invested at 6.25% would bring in $5 million per year, almost $100,000 per week. That projected rate of endowment return is conservative over the long run.
I listened to the July virtual meeting, and it was ugly. Revenue coming up short, people being made aware of goals (a good idea, but really, wasn’t that done before?) and just a generally bleak outlook, including plans to cut expenses more if necessary. This after cutting the staff to 60 from 80.
Folks, keep an eye on this outfit. Is this organization qualified to decide what new media to spend public money on?
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 