PHILADELPHIA, PA — WHYY has completed its acquisition of WPSU from Penn State University following federal approval of the broadcast-license transfer, shifting the central and northern Pennsylvania public media operation serving about 1.5 million residents to independent ownership.
WHYY now operates WPSU’s television and radio stations under the existing WPSU name and call letters. The organization plans to retain local operations and programming while combining WPSU’s regional presence with WHYY’s public-media infrastructure.
The transaction follows nearly two years of planning between WHYY and Penn State and received Federal Communications Commission approval in September.
WPSU audiences will continue to receive PBS and NPR programming as well as locally produced television, radio and digital content.
“For more than 70 years, WPSU has been a trusted resource for the people of central and northern Pennsylvania,” WHYY President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Marrazzo said. “Our responsibility now is to honor that trust while building an even stronger and more sustainable WPSU for the generations ahead.”
WHYY also has received donor funding from Centre County and southeastern Pennsylvania to provide working capital during the transition and support future investment in WPSU, according to the organization.
Under WHYY, the station plans to maintain its focus on local journalism, educational services, community engagement and programming.
Penn State Chief Financial Officer Sara Thorndike said completion of the transaction preserves public-media service for more than 1.5 million people across the region.
The transfer separates WPSU’s broadcast operations from Penn State while preserving the station’s identity and regional focus.
“The call letters remain WPSU,” Marrazzo said. “The commitment to this region remains WPSU.”
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