— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
Lehigh Valley Public Media (Channel 39) has been cutting staff steadily.
The staff count is 49, according to LVPM’s website. It has been falling since two years ago, when there were about 80 employees. It dropped to 58 several weeks ago, then 51, now 49.
In fiscal 2023, the organization managed to spend $15.15 million while taking in $6.49 million. That was a deficit of $8.66 million, a staggering amount to lose; almost $1,000 per hour.
The public media/television/radio outfit managed to lose $2.17 million more than its revenue. Fiscal folly. Now, people who probably had nothing to do with the fiscal mess are paying the price.
At a recent meeting, an LVPM official said there weren’t many cuts left to make before getting into staff. Also, the organization appointed an interim chief executive and hired a search firm to find a permanent leader. Here’s a link to a story about the December Board of Directors meeting.
Remember, this Bethlehem-based organization received $82 million in 2018 from the sale of airwaves for mobile phones and other newfangled devices. That is $82 million of public money.
Who was watching how it was used? Somebody, anybody, besides a retired journalist turned blogger?
One big step the organization has taken since the 2023 fiscal disaster is to limit who can tap the endowment fund, which was around $75 million. Still, fund money is being used for operating costs.
This organization needs an endowment policy. How to invest it, how much to spend, a long-term look. If it had that before, perhaps it was just on paper.
LVPM appears to be getting serious about cleaning up the mess, about not paying people lots of money to …. ? … but there remains one big problem.
Is this an organization with a purpose, or a bank account seeking relevance?
That $75 million could do a lot of permanent good by preserving open space, perhaps. It could go to scholarships for local students.
Perhaps it could go straight to me? Trust me. I’ll be Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” and make sure the money boosts the local economy.
There is the chance that new board members will demand accountability.
The Lehigh Valley Public Media Board of Directors will meet Monday, Jan. 27, at 1 p.m. The meeting will be via Zoom. For details, see this link to board issues.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 
I’m pleased you finally figured out that their endowment came from selling spectrum to mobile phone providers many months after you started writing about PBS39.
How on earth, though, is that money public funds? It came from private companies, as you mention. When did it become public money?
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Reading Is Fundamental. I’ve posted many times about the source of the money.
The U.S. public owns the airwaves. The federal government conducted the rights auction. That is public money.
Plus here are some clues … public television … public radio … public media … public meetings … public tax returns …
You’re another apologist, attacking the message to distract from the big issue of wasted money.
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Now with a unified Federal legislature and presidency, Republicans eventually will get around to their long-rumoured plans for public media, which is to transition them to a state / private funding model, right or wrong. Project 2025, plenty of which is already reflected quietly in the new leadership’s agenda, called for defunding public broadcasting. The votes may be close, but the odds favour the GOP. Whatever private interests whom have devoted themselves to preserving public media, will have to plan for the eventuality of running it soon.
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