New England Public Radio, WGBY To Combine Operations

Combination

NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC RADIO (UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS Classical-News-Talk-Jazz WFCR/AMHERST, MA-News-Talk WNNZ-A/WESTFIELD-WNNZ-F/DEERFIELD, MA) and WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION PBS affiliate WGBY-TV/SPRINGFIELD, MA are combining operations under the NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC MEDIA banner.  NEPR CEO/GM MARTIN MILLER will serve as President of the combined operation, while WGBY-TV GM ANTHONY HAYES will be COO/GM.  WGBH will put $6 million into the new entity, and UMASS will retain the radio licenses.

“Both NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC RADIO and WGBY have served the people of western NEW ENGLAND for decades, sharing a common mission of creating valued programs and services for our communities,” said MILLER. “The role of public media to deliver accurate, trustworthy news and information is more important than ever, and we are excited by the opportunity to play a larger role in sharing the stories of our region.”

“The media environment is constantly evolving, with advances in technology changing the way audiences use media, from mobile viewing to smart speakers,” said HAYES. “This partnership will allow us to develop new digital content to better serve and engage with all of our audiences in new ways. The creation of NEPM means that we can better map our mission to what audiences value and appreciate.”

“Public media plays a vital role in strengthening communities, especially through local journalism and educational media for children and teachers, and we are committed to supporting this critical work by investing in this partnership,” said WGBH President/CEO JON ABBOTT. “We look forward to the exciting work NEPM will undertake and to the opportunities this will create to bring wider attention to the stories of western Massachusetts, sharing them across the COMMONWEALTH.”

UMASS AMHERST Chancellor KUMBLE SUBBASWAMY said, “The creation of NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC MEDIA reflects the university’s enduring commitment to the independent news coverage and cultural programming provided by public media. UMASS AMHERST was a founding partner of WFCR nearly 60 years ago, and we are enthusiastic about how this new, 21st century collaboration will serve our communities with distinction.”

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