Sept. 11, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
Lehigh Valley Public Media, aka Channel 39, continues its relentless pursuit of irrelevance while sitting on about $80 million of public money.
The public media outlet (LVPM) will start its “Good Neighbors Live Here” 10-episode series on Monday.
The television/news/radio outlet says the show will feature “the hometown heroes who inspire us all.” Yes, some people write such things and expect to be taken seriously, but this production is not the issue; how it was produced is.
Episode 1’s heroes are Hasshan Batts of Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley and Dawn Godshall of Community Action Lehigh Valley.
Few people will watch but does it matter? This is the “feel good” television public media is known to produce, except when it’s not actually producing it.
The LVPM Boondoggle has a south Bethlehem studio. It has a staff of 28, including several with titles including production and video, but when it came time to make this Good Neighbors series, what did it do?
It called in a production company. From the LVPM website, “Greenleaf Productions is partnering with Lehigh Valley Public Media to produce Good Neighbors Live Here in 2026.”
Note “partner” as a verb, obligatory for non-profit groups. Also, the name appears to be Green Leaf, not Greenleaf, but that’s nitpicking.
Green Leaf is a serious operation with an office in Hanover Township (Northampton County). Green Leaf is not the issue.
Why, though, does a television studio with a production staff need a television production team?
What do these people do all day? Yes, they ask for donations often, but what do they do besides spend money, pay some big salaries, pursue “community engagement” and pat themselves on the back? They never return my calls, I know that.
One thing LVPM does is lose money, blowing $40 million of its endowment over five years during a growth spurt that was followed by a shrinkage spurt that was followed by a whole lot of nothing.
It still sits on about $80 million from a federal auction of public airwaves, making LVPM a bank account without a cause.
I’ve asked multiple people in authority to look into Lehigh Valley Public Media/Channel 39/WLVR FM 91.3 but so far, I haven’t heard back. I don’t expect to. Apparently a small organization in south Bethlehem can lose $8.66 million (about $1,000 per hour) in a year and nobody noticed or held it accountable.
Now, a television station with a production staff has brought in a television production contractor. The situation is beyond ridiculous.
LVPM should shut down and let its big bank account go to some actual public purpose. Perhaps that $80 million could go toward open space, education, blogger fees (uh just kidding, mostly) but letting this wayward organization putter along, spending the public’s money and being happy and peppy is not the solution.
Don’t count on the Board of Directors to do much. They did concede some problems a year ago, but their response included this attempt to hide from the public: they cut the number of annual public meetings to two from six.
Can you blame them? The less said about Lehigh Valley Public Media, the better.
Boondoggle On!
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 
Perhaps my donor dollars need to go to WHYY. You are certainly opening my eyes.
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The Form 990s are the real story, in their own terms, including a peculiar loss a few years back from digital advertising.
I’ve received fund-raising letters from WHYY and WVIA, even though I’m in WLVT territory.
Channel 39 was a local institution. Maybe quirky at times but it was known.
I don’t see how LVPM is relevant anymore. They employ some good people and fired some good people and don’t seem to have learned a thing.
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