As the Trump administration’s plan to cut federal funding to public radio and television appears poised to come to fruition, local public media outlets like The Public’s Radio & Rhode Island PBS are assessing next steps. Congress this week approved a plan to claw back $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, sending it […]
Pam Johnston
Posted inLocal, Media
Pending Senate vote could eliminate federal funding for local public media
Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a measure to rescind already-approved funds for public media across the country. For the Public’s Radio & Rhode Island PBS, that would mean losing about 10% of our budget. The Senate hasn’t yet approved the rescissions package, but if they do, it would threaten our ability […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Local, Politics
How Trump’s executive order to end NPR and PBS funding could affect public media in Rhode Island
In an attack on public media that could reverberate from Washington to Rhode Island, President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday calling for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to end funding to NPR and PBS. “Neither entity presents a fair, accurate or unbiased portrayal of current events to tax-paying citizens,” the order says. Because […]
Posted inLocal, Media
Our CEO Pam Johnston on what’s next for The Public’s Radio & Rhode Island PBS
The Public’s Radio is currently in the process of reimagining our brand in a way that better reflects our recent merger with Rhode Island PBS. Our mission is to serve the listeners of Rhode Island and the south coast of Massachusetts. That’s not changing. But our name will be different, and we’d like you to […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Shoreline Access, The Weekly Catch
What’s next in the fight over shoreline access, as coastal property owners take aim at Rhode Island’s new law?
Last week a judge sided with coastal property owners, saying Rhode Island’s new shoreline access law amounts to an unconstitutional taking of private property. We’ll talk with a law expert about where this fight could go next. Also, a few months after the merger of The Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS, the board has announced a new CEO. We’ll get to know Pam Johnston, the former head of news at GBH in Boston. And a new book features the long-lost story of John Jacobs. Originally published in 1855, he gave a unique account of his life under enslavement in the U.S. and a scathing criticism of the systems that allowed slavery to persist. That and more on this week’s show.
Posted inBusiness, Local, Media
GBH, Frontline veteran named CEO for public media in RI
Veteran multimedia journalism leader Pam Johnston is set to take the helm of the recently merged public broadcasters Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio. In an interview on Wednesday, Johnston says she reacted with tears of joy on learning of her selection as president and CEO. “This is truly a dream job, a dream […]
