-- Tom Ridge, Governor,
"I'm
delighted that WHYY has decided that their future is now. You're not waiting
for your colleagues in other states to blaze the digital trail. You're taking
the initiative to bring high-definition television and new opportunities
to your viewers. It's this kind of progressive vision that all of Pennsylvania
needs to succeed in the competitive marketplace."
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Matt DiPietro's favorite TV programs
are Wishbone, Kratts' Creatures and Bill Nye the Science Guy. Guess what?
Matt is home-schooled. His mom, Marsha, is his teacher, and she uses TV12
to supplement Matt's education. Something must be working. A story Matt
wrote, about a gorilla who saves a family from a fire caused by drought,
was this year's third grade winner of WHYY's Reading Rainbow contest. This
example shows that WHYY is already more than just a good TV and radio station.
Our renewed commitment to serving the community will make many more stories
like this one possible.
A Defining Year For WHYY: July 1st, 1997 Through June 30th, 1998
WHYY is what the diverse communities in the Greater Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey and Delaware area have in common.
We launched an ambitious plan this year to become the means to empower each of our neighbors, from toddlers to seniors, to become more involved in the world around him or her and to benefit from multiple opportunities for lifelong learning. Advances have begun in several areas:
- Changes in leadership at the top saw Charles P. Pizzi, President of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, elected Chairman of WHYY's Board of Directors, strengthening the station's ties to the business community.
- William J. Marrazzo-former CEO of Roy F. Weston, Inc. and former Water Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia-became WHYY's President and Chief Executive Officer.
- As part of an overall $23 million initiative, WHYY announced its $15 million Campaign for Independence.
- WHYY broadened its focus to include strategic community partnerships with organizations such as Philadelphia's Fairmount Park Commission, Opera Company of Philadelphia, The Free Library of Philadelphia and World Affairs Council of Philadelphia.
- WHYY introduced delivery over the Internet of live radio programs and television clips, on-line college courses and other enhanced data delivery systems.
- WHYY's commitment to promoting lifelong learning was strengthened with the creation of a new Educational Services Department.
WHYY is building for the future-embracing new digital technology in its efforts to become a unique civic space where members of diverse groups and neighborhoods can freely share their interests and cultures. This technology will allow for an increase in the quantity and quality of the programs we offer via television, radio, the Internet, datacasting and other delivery systems. We hope to use this added capacity to help the entire region meet its economic challenges-from offering workforce training solutions to expanding the reach of local arts and cultural organizations.
This report highlights WHYY's successes for fiscal year 1998 and our plans to take the organization into the next century.
|
"The Opera Company of Philadelphia's
partnership with WHYY comes at an important time in the Company's ongoing
mission to increase opera's exposure in the region, and to ensure that there
will be a well-prepared, larger audience for our dynamic art form in the
future. We are proud to combine resources with one of Philadelphia's finest
and most forward-thinking organizations, allowing us to further contribute
to the community in which we both operate."
--Robert B. Driver, General Director, Opera Company of Philadelphia |