Channel 39: More Big Losses, Big Salaries in Fiscal 2024, Burning Through Millions of Public Dollars

Aug. 21, 2025

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

I’ve noted repeatedly that Lehigh Valley Public Media ran an $8.66 million deficit in fiscal 2023.

So did they do any better in fiscal 2024?

If a deficit of “just” $7.2 million is good, yes. It’s not quite the $1,000 per hour deficit of 2023.

But no, it’s not good. More big spending and more big salaries. It’s a mess and who’s minding the store?

By the way, the top four employees were paid a total of about $1 million for this performance. They are no longer on the employee list posted online.

LVPM is the operator of Channel 39, a digital news outlet and WLVR 91.3 FM. It can burn money because it received an $82 million windfall of public money seven years ago.

That doesn’t mean it should burn money but it can and it does.

I’ll have more details later but below is 39’s Form 990 (tax return) for fiscal 2024.

LVPM lost money on its operations in fiscal 2025, too, according to numbers presented at a meeting but not yet filed.

What in hell is going on?

Fiscal 2024 expenses: $13.5 million.

Fiscal 2024 revenue: $6.3 million.

Fiscal 2024 revenue less expenses: negative $7.2 million.

Here it is, courtesy of Pro Publica:

https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/231642883/202531509349300938/full

Editor’s note: I’m really tired of this story but I will keep banging this drum as long as I can.