WHYY board agrees to WPSU acquisition plan

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WHYY’s Board of Directors on Thursday unanimously approved the acquisition of WPSU, Penn State University’s long-running public media outlet, in a deal more than a year in the making.

The approval paves the way for WHYY to assume the operating assets of WPSU-TV and WPSU-FM, saving a central Pennsylvania institution that was on the verge of closure.

“We are pleased that our board recognizes the value in preserving public media for the 1.5 million people in Central Pennsylvania who rely on WPSU for independent news, lifelong learning and quality entertainment,” WHYY President and CEO Bill Marrazzo said in a statement. “We are eager to work with WPSU as we look to the future of public media in the region.”

The Federal Communications Commission must now approve the agreement.

For six decades, WPSU has served as a prominent source of news and educational resources across 24 counties, many of which lack access to other local news outlets. Last year, Penn State decided to offload WPSU due to rising costs and shifting institutional priorities. The move also allows the university to save the $3.4 million in annual subsidies needed to keep the station operating.

WPSU and WHYY engaged in talks last year, reaching a deal last month that was ultimately rejected by the Penn State Board of Trustees Finance and Investment Committee. Further negotiations produced an agreement both institutions were able to accept.

In the new deal, WHYY agreed to raise funds to cover operating costs rather than requiring WPSU to pay a $17.6 million stipend. WHYY also pledged to maintain local operations and as much staff in State College as leadership feels is financially reasonable and to work closely with Penn State to preserve educational and student opportunities at the station, including partnerships with Penn State’s Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, which has used WPSU as a training ground for future media professionals.

“At a time when access to local news and community-centered programming is more crucial than ever, this acquisition affirms WHYY’s commitment to preserving public media communities in and around Central Pennsylvania,” Bill Marrazzo, president and CEO of WHYY, said in a statement last week.

Marrazzo also expressed confidence that the FCC would “look favorably” on the merger.