— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
PBS 39 promised years ago to start a television news show, PBS39 News Tonight, that would tell the stories “nobody else is telling.”
That’s a talking point, a cliche, really just nonsense.
Here’s the story I’m telling and nobody else is telling: PBS 39, aka Lehigh Valley Public Media (LVPM), is burning through money. I’m going to repeat this and bring up numbers until this organization gets the bureaucratic equivalent of a colonoscopy. Everything needs to be looked at.
I’ll keep this brief. LVPM spent $8.66 million more in fiscal 2023 than it took in. Somehow, a public outlet in Bethlehem spent almost $1,000 more per hour than it took in. How? Who knows?
This year, it’s missing revenue goals. People who are supposed to bring money in are being “reminded” of their goals — you can’t make this stuff up — and forecasts are being missed “each time.”
Those are not my words. Those are the words of board members and employees, from meetings and the minutes of meetings.
I’m going to repeat myself: Demand that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting audit the operations of LVPM. The organization has about $80 million in its endowment, money it received from the federal government, and yet it wants MORE of your tax dollars.
That’s the story I’m telling, and I’m telling it for free. I’m a taxpayer, and I’m outraged by what has gone on and will keep going on if common sense does not prevail.
That’s the real story nobody else is telling.
Demand accountability. Demand an operations audit.
Tell your city, county, state and federal officials that PBS 39 should not receive another dollar of your money. Tell its board members to take care of business or quit.
Call the Inspector General for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting at 800 599 2170.
Send email to the Inspector General at oigemail@cpb.org or use the contact form on their website.
Or do all three.
PBS 39’s board, management, endowment policies and very existence need to be questioned.
On the plus side, I’m getting through to some public officials. More on that later.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 