The PBS 39 Money Pit Names Four New Members to Board

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

PBS 39, aka Channel 39, aka Lehigh Valley Public Media, has four new board members.

This is almost surely an improvement, after the organization has squandered millions of public dollars on pet projects.

It certainly can’t make things any worse. As has been noted a few times, Lehigh Valley Public Media (LVPM) spent $8.66 million more than it took in during fiscal 2023. It spent $15.15 million, versus revenue of $6.49 million while operating a television channel, a radio station and a public media outlet.

Running that kind of a deficit took some effort, no doubt, but when the organization sits on an $80 million endowment (courtesy of the federal government) it can foul things up and continue to praise itself without restraint.

I’m looking forward to seeing its fiscal 2024 tax return, due soon. It will no doubt inspire me.

To be sure, the PBS 39 board made some changes. Three of the top architects of the fiscal 2023 debacle are “no longer with the company” and a fourth was granted emeritus status for some reason.

I won’t include the entire board press release, which includes the obligatory self-laudatory nonsense about inspiring the community and being “impactful” as the money pit “evolves.”

Press releases are almost required to include puffery, but nobody takes it seriously. It’s a waste, but appropriate: waste is what public media is all about (that is my humble opinion but it is backed by facts).

Here are the new board members, from the LVPM statement:

Dr. Richard A. Bucher, president and chief executive of Victaulic; John S. Huemmrich, an Air Products retiree; federal Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr., and Joseph V. Topper, Jr., chief executive of Dunne Manning.

That is a pretty good group. Ideally, they believe in accountability.

I hope the first thing they will do is ask their fellow board members this:

“What in hell have you been doing?”

Then the big questions:

— Should this organization continue to exist?

— What is its purpose?

— Who runs this place?

— What is the mission?

— What is the correct size?

— Is competing with private business an appropriate goal?

— What is the audience?

— Is operating this outfit a good use of $80 million? Could that money go toward something more (to use their own word) “impactful?”

— What possible reason does PBS 39 have to seek more public money after burning through millions of dollars?

Good luck, new members, and please, raise hell!

— Disclosure: When I was a kid, I read G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown stories. Chesterton was quite a character. I haven’t seen the television show yet.