Editor’s note: My thanks to the civic-minded people who noticed these items and alerted me. There’s no substitute for an active citizenry.
Sept. 29, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
The board of Lehigh Valley Public Media has set a meeting for Monday that wasn’t on the schedule until today.
They may address a change involving the chief executive. Hasanna Birdsong, who was named to the job 14 months ago, is no longer listed on the LVPM/Channel 39 website.
That is not a surprise, I’d heard about a parting of the ways almost two weeks ago. Enough about that and best wishes to her in the future.
The real question is what can this organization do to be relevant?
Lehigh Valley Public Media/Channel 39/WLVR FM has been a mess for years, saved by its $80 million endowment and a stock market that’s been rising steadily for years. It’s burned through millions of dollars with little to show for it, over one stretch of five years taking $40 million out of the endowment.
Those fiscal follies preceded Ms. Birdsong’s tenure. She stepped into a bad situation.
However, what Channel 39 has been up to for more than a year is a mystery. It produces very little. Some daily news stories, not much else.
The board has conceded earlier that it was slow to act when certain initiatives didn’t work out.
Yet more odd moves followed. Meanwhile LVPM hasn’t produced much of substance though it has some fine employees.
Perhaps this time the directors will set the ship on course.
If not it’s time to ponder the future.
The Lehigh Valley Public Media board of directors will meet at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5 at the Channel 39 headquarters in South Bethlehem, near ArtsQuest.
The board, presumably excluding Ms. Birdsong:
| Mr. Laks Srinivasan, Chair | Co-founder/Managing Director RoAI Institute |
| Mr. Luis E. Campos, Vice Chair | Easton City Administrator |
| Mr. Joseph Topper, Treasurer | CEO, Dunne Manning Inc. |
| Ms. Arundhati Khanwalkar, Secretary | COO of Energy 18H (Retired) |
| Ms. Hasanna Birdsong | President and CEO of LVPM |
| Mr. Michael S. Keim | President, Univest Bank and Trust Co. |
| Dr. Rick Bucher | President and CEO, Victaulic |
| Judge Joseph F. Leeson, Jr. | U. S. District Judge |
.
fiscal follies were there but it has gotten much worse
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I’ve heard little has gotten done. If I get to the board meeting maybe that will come up.
There are able people on the staff but what in heck has been going on?
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very little done this year, good people fired for no reason, a new group of people brought in with too high pay- the last year has been the worst year here
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Good riddance
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Jeff- you’re being way too kind here focusing on past financial issues. That is not the entire reason for the boondoggle status this last year.
As you said in a prior loose, a handful of new “executives/vice presidents” were hired and their salaries were posted in the job ads on their website- there was no need to pay them so high and for a company that does very, very little.
Meanwhile, the former “CEO”, if she even deserves that title, cut the staff of very talented, low paying people- all to make room for executives to make three times their salaries. It’s an insane corruption of justice.
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I’m trying to avoid personal stuff, and it’s time to focus on the future — if there is to be any for WLVT — but yes by all accounts the last year has been “a whole lot of nothing.” It’s sad because this place is going to have a problem bringing back trust when many people don’t even know it exists.
The previous board was slow to recognize problems, didn’t show any urgency in putting a stop to the financial madness and then picked a CEO who lasted just over a year.
If I’m able to attend Monday, I hope to hear some straight talk from the board.
Also what is next? Last time, they did a national search, they didn’t have a CEO for about a year while a board member was a placeholder. That national search led to a CEO from Bethlehem.
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yes, the financial issues were there, but the Board made a huge mistake in hiring this CEO. I’m glad they finally opened their eyes and canned her
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The Board runs the company through a CEO. Ask the board whose idea it was to let the staff go? I saw lots of positive community engagement, new content, two Emmy nominations. Lost finance through government. The board you all speek highly of were hemorrhaging money while one of the board members was acting CEO before Ms. Birdsong arrived. It would be nice to see some real reporting done with facts not assumptions.
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The posts are all based on PBS’s own statements and tax returns.
As for positive community engagement, that’s meaningless.
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Jeff does report on facts. And what new content are you talking about? The company has done nothing under her leadership this last year.
And engagement? You mean her smoozing and self-promoting?
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And who are you? A friend of hers? On her payroll? Ask the real workers there and you’ll see how atrocious it has been under her leadership
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What assumptions are you talking about? This is all true reporting. Seems like you’re making the assumptions; you’re possibly one of the new VPs there making a ton of money.
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You should reach out to the remaining staff for anonymous interviews about their experiences. I’m sure they are all fed up enough and would participate.
Thanks again for your dedication to this story.
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Thank you for the note. I have talked to some people over the last few years but I almost never use anonymous comments.
The public record of this disaster is quite telling, especially their tax returns.
There’s also an update to a return that merits some looking.
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I’m acailable for an interview
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Hmmm
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What daily news stories? The website has posted six pieces in two weeks (that’s NOT daily) and maybe two of them were actual news. FYI, the organization has no news arm — LehighValleyNews.com was killed three months ago, but like the CEO firing, it was never announced.
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I should have used a hyphen perhaps. Daily-news stories meaning what appears in a daily media outlet.
Anyway what do all the people do all day?
I need a job where nothing is done.
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A good question to ask at the Board meeting
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I have a few questions such as why hire a production company when they have a staff and studio?
Will they again claim to conduct a national search and the hire somebody within walking distance?
What in tarnation is the future?
Can they just fold and use the $80 million for something else, such as open space?
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The board, that was being run by a still acting member, was hemorrhaging money before the government cut. Which was also before Ms. Birdsong arrived. Is it possible the board runs the company through a CEO which is mandated to follow the boards goal? Is it possible the board wanted to reduce the staff? LVPM nominated for two Emmy’s, new content, new community engagement, new events at the facility. I am a passport member who attended many things at PBS the past year. It would be nice to see fact based reporting not assumptions.
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All the PBS reporting is based on their own statements and tax returns.
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If you don’t like it, don’t read it. I’m a blogger and I do things my way. Nobody else went near this story until I did and it’s all based on facts.
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this is fact-based reporting
I work there
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I appreciate the insight and everything sent is in line with things I’ve heard.
Some items that are personal I omitted.
What has gone on at this operation should be examined by an independent authority.
Jobs lost, money wasted, some odd transactions and more.
You can’t make this stuff up. I’m not that creative.
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the board didn’t run the company- that’s up to the CEO
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As someone who works there, the CEO acts under their own accord
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Good idea to have this company investigated.
it’s just an insult that they call themselves a community-serving organization, while they cut most of their staff- hardworking people that didn’t make much money, knowing how hard it is to get other jobs now- but say they exist to make the area a better place (all while asking for donations). To top it off, many new executives were hired at 100k salaries, not even producing work comparable to the lower paid employees who were let go in the name of “reducing expanses”.
if the company cared about reducing expense, the executives could have lowered their salaries. Shame on them. Don’t donate a single dime.
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Ask how many Happy Hours have been going on there
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Oh yeah … and I was never invited!
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Let’s ask for the CEO’s expense reports at the Board meeting
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the Monday Oct. 5th board meeting has been updated to “Private Executive Session”!!!???
are they worried about the public’s reactions and inquiries?
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I’ve sent an email asking why this was changed but they’ve never responded to my calls or emails.
Perhaps I’ll just let the facts fly. I usually avoid using anonymous people but I have the story on current and past stuff, and it’s from solid sources.
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If you search very closely on the PBS39/WLVT-TV website, you can now find this missive hidden near the bottom of their page.
Leadership Update
Hasanna Birdsong has departed her role as President & CEO of Lehigh Valley Public Media, effective September 16, 2026. We thank Hasanna for her service to Lehigh Valley Public Media and the Lehigh Valley community. During her time with LVPM, the organization took its first steps toward a more sustainable model for serving the Lehigh Valley community. We wish her continued success in what comes next.
I wonder which consultant and how much they paid to have this nonsense drafted.
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Thank you for finding that. They used to have a link for press releases. It disappeared awhile ago.
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