PHILADELPHIA (October 23, 2025) – The Board of Trustees of WHYY, the leading public media provider in the Philadelphia region, unanimously approved a proposed transaction to transfer the operating assets of Penn State University’s public radio and television station, WPSU to WHYY.
This decision, which follows Penn State’s Board of Trustees’ approval on October 13th, marks an important step in ensuring the continued availability of free, non-commercial public media for the 1.5 million residents of Central Pennsylvania who have relied on WPSU for more than 60 years.
Through this partnership, WHYY reaffirms its commitment to providing trusted local journalism, quality entertainment, and lifelong learning opportunities, ensuring that audiences in and around Central Pennsylvania remain connected, informed, and inspired.
“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,” said Bill Marrazzo, WHYY President & CEO. “We are eager to work with WPSU as we look to the future of public media in the region.”
The proposed transaction will bring together WPSU’s television and radio stations with WHYY’s operational strengths, reinforcing the availability of trusted local news, educational resources and meaningful cultural programming. Through this partnership, WPSU will be able to continue its long-standing tradition of local storytelling, provide critical coverage of regional issues and support educational engagement for individuals, families and schools throughout Central Pennsylvania. Both organizations are dedicated to a seamless transition to best serve employees, members and audiences.
Combining WHYY’s production experience with WPSU’s deep roots in Central Pennsylvania will provide residents with expanded high-caliber news reporting, in-depth public affairs programming and innovative learning opportunities. The agreement not only secures the future of WPSU’s legacy in the region but also positions local public media to address new challenges and opportunities in the evolving media landscape.
In a previous statement issued after Penn State’s board approved the transaction, Sara Thorndike, Senior Vice President for Finance & Business/Treasurer for Penn State said “I’m thrilled we were able to bring this agreement to this promising point. We know what WPSU means to its listeners and viewers and the vital role public radio and television play in Central Pennsylvania, so we continued to explore opportunities with WHYY with the goal of keeping WPSU operational.”
The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals from the Federal Communications Commission before it is finalized.
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.
