News

Get the latest, most relevant information about the business of public media. Read breaking industry news and learn best business practices. Find out about upcoming PMBA conferences, toolkits, and roundtables. Discover educational programming from a variety of public media organizations as well as opportunities to enhance the professional capabilities of your staff in areas such as management, finance, accounting, and human resources.

January 20, 2021

Pai Says Farewell to FCC; Read His Statement

Chairman Ajit Pai issued this statement on departing the Federal Communications Commission today. Pai, a Republican, was named to the FCC by President Obama in 2012 and designated chairman by President Trump in 2017. Earlier he had worked for four years in legal roles in the general counsel office. He departs as President Biden takes office.

January 19, 2021

6 Remote Work Practices HR Needs to Bring on Site Now

When employees moved home to work, everything changed. But now some remote practices belong in the office, too. Most adjustments to our work habits were necessary. Some were more practical. And others were genius!

January 14, 2021

Public Media Mergers Playbook

We are entering a new era of journalism in which responsive, civically-minded local newsrooms engage with their communities to provide news and information that matters. Public media is an ally and anchor in the new local journalism landscape. This Playbook draws on a year of research to highlight one way public media stations and local, digital newsrooms can join forces to provide a new level of local service to their communities.

January 7, 2021

Community Broadcaster: Making Sense of Chaos

This week’s violent clashes in Washington have put the focus on one of community radio’s great challenges: what does a community media organization do when an evolving story grips the nation?

January 6, 2021

Lack Of Funding Hampers FCC From Implementing Tougher Pirate Radio Enforcement

Included in a federal law adopted last year that raised pirate fines to $2 million was a requirement that the agency send an annual update to Congress. The aim was to apprise lawmakers on what efforts were being done to combat pirate radio. The FCC has just sent its first report and it says more money will be needed to implement some of what the law requires.

January 5, 2021

10 Things Public Media Should Forget and Consider in 2021

2020 should be a lesson in the Yogi Berra quote: The future ain’t what it used to be. To think that life after 2020 will follow a linear path, you’d be kidding yourself. And the ripples of 2020 will continue long past this year. As I scan public media, I find myself asking: Will public media emerge stronger from the pandemic? It’s too early to answer that question, but this is a perfect moment for self-examination.

January 4, 2021

CPB Urges On-Time Completion of FY2020 Financial Documents

No one needs to be reminded that 2020 has been a tough year. In times like these, Congress considers additional funding to help public broadcasting stations weather a tough economy. Please submit audited financial reports (AFRs) and Station Activity Surveys (SASs) on time. Television stations and joint licensees are urged to submit their SABS by January 15, 2021, one month ahead of the normal deadline. Institutional licensees should note that Indirect Administrative Support methodology has changed for FY 2020 with the goal to reduce time and errors, and provide consistency. Details can be found in these three documents: CPB IAS Standard Method InstructionsCPB IAS Standard Method Excel SpreadsheetCPB Webinar Training and Presentations

December 15, 2020

Radio Is Part Of $250 Million Vaccine Education Campaign

Radio is in the media mix for a massive public education campaign designed to encourage hundreds of millions of Americans to take the coronavirus vaccine. As the long-awaited vaccine is administered to U.S. patients for the first time this week, the federal government is launching a $250 million public education campaign that will start this week in print, social media, and radio, according to the New York Times. Television will be added when the vaccine becomes more widely available.

December 14, 2020

Coronavirus Dominates the News in 2020

HR professionals spent much of 2020 coming to terms with an issue that was on few people's radar in 2019: COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Deadly, dangerous, and frightening, coronavirus made employers reassess how to keep their workplaces safe and comply with new laws emerging from the health crisis—the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Coronavirus cases began rising again in November and December, making COVID-19 as relevant as ever by year's end.