PHILADELPHIA and UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHYY and Penn State University announced the completion of WHYY’s acquisition of WPSU, ensuring the continuation of public media service for approximately 1.5 million residents across central and northern Pennsylvania and beginning a new chapter for the station and the communities it serves.
With the transaction officially complete, WHYY now operates WPSU’s television and radio stations under the WPSU name and call letters. WPSU will remain locally focused and locally run, serving the people, places and communities of central and northern Pennsylvania with trusted journalism, educational resources, cultural and entertainment programming, community engagement and local storytelling.
“Today is both a continuation and a beginning,” said Bill Marrazzo, WHYY President & CEO. “For more than 70 years, WPSU has been a trusted resource for the people of central and northern Pennsylvania. Our responsibility now is to honor that trust while building an even stronger and more sustainable WPSU for the generations ahead.”
The transition builds on more than 70 years of WPSU service to the region while creating new opportunities to strengthen and sustain that service for the future. WPSU audiences will continue to have access to the PBS and NPR programming they know and value, along with local television, radio and digital content reflecting the communities WPSU serves.
Marrazzo continued, “We are deeply grateful to the growing number of generous donors from Centre County and southeastern Pennsylvania who have stepped forward at this pivotal moment. Their early support is providing the working capital necessary not only to keep WPSU’s vital service strong during this transition, but to begin investing in its future and growing its impact over time.”
“We are very pleased that the more than 1.5 million people across central and northern Pennsylvania will continue to benefit from this vital public media service,” said Sara Thorndike, Penn State Senior Vice President for Finance and Business/Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer.
The completion of the transaction follows nearly two years of planning and collaboration between WHYY and Penn State, culminating in the Federal Communications Commission’s September approval of the transfer of WPSU’s broadcast licenses to WHYY. Throughout the process, both organizations emphasized continuity of service and preservation of WPSU’s longstanding public-service mission.
For the communities WPSU serves, that mission extends well beyond television and radio programming. Public media provides access to independent journalism and trusted information, supports children and families with educational resources, creates opportunities for lifelong learning, connects people through arts and culture, strengthens civic and community life, and provides an important communications resource during times of emergency.
At a time when our country can feel increasingly divided,” said Marrazzo, “public media has the unique ability to bring people together across geographic, economic, cultural and generational boundaries. It creates a place where we can ask difficult questions, listen to one another and deepen our understanding of the people and communities around us. That is part of why public media continues to be among the nation’s most trusted sources of news, information, education and programming. That trust is both a privilege and a responsibility, and WHYY is committed to carrying that responsibility forward with WPSU.”
Under WHYY’s stewardship, WPSU will combine its deep local relationships, community knowledge and history of service with WHYY’s experience as an independent public media organization. The focus will be both on preserving what audiences value about WPSU and identifying opportunities to strengthen local journalism, educational services, community engagement and programming in the years ahead.
“This is not about changing what WPSU means to the communities it serves,” Marrazzo added. “It is about giving WPSU the foundation to grow, evolve and continue serving this region for decades to come. The call letters remain WPSU. The commitment to this region remains WPSU. And the future we begin building today will be shaped by the people and communities WPSU serves.”
For photos, please reach out to WHYY’s Director of Marketing Communications, Gary Bramnick at gbramnick@whyy.org.
About WHYY:
WHYY, the Philadelphia region’s leading independent, non-commercial public media provider, has served southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and all of Delaware for more than 70 years. WHYY’s mission is to engage audiences, expand perspectives, and empower communities through lifelong learning, truthful reporting, healthy dialogue, and amplification of diverse voices. The station’s national production and presentation roster for public media includes Fresh Air with Terry Gross & Tonya Mosley, the award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues; the children’s arts education series Albie’s Elevator and The Infinite Art Hunt; the weekly science and health program & podcast, The Pulse as well as a variety of documentaries, series, and specials. WHYY also serves as the Local Primary 1 (LP1) station for the Philadelphia emergency alert system (EAS) operational area, acting as the region’s primary broadcaster for receiving and relaying emergency alerts to other stations and cable systems—ensuring the public receives timely and potentially lifesaving information. For more information, visit WHYY.org
About WPSU:
WPSU is a trusted public media service providing PBS and NPR programming, local journalism, educational resources and community-focused content to approximately 1.5 million residents across central and northern Pennsylvania. Ince its inception more than seven decades ago, WPSU has served the region through free over-the-air television and radio, as well as cable, satellite and digital platforms, ensuring broad access to trusted news, information, education and entertainment. WPSU produces original television, radio and digital content that reflects the people, places, history and issues of the communities it serves, while supporting lifelong learning, Pre-K–12 education and meaningful community engagement. Its mission is to spark discovery, enrich learning and strengthen community through vibrant public media. For more information, visit WPSU.org
Contact:
Gary Bramnick, WHYY
gbramnick@whyy.org
215.351.1262 (o) | 215.266.8676 (m)
