Press Coverage

Stories about FPBS that appear in major media outlets

Posted on January 29, 2020

State Resilience Officer Julia Nesheiwat speaks at an American Water Resources Association meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach in November of 2019.

BRENDAN RIVERS / ADAPT/WJCT NEWS

The newest edition of ADAPT, published Monday by WJCT Public Media, introduces a six-part podcast and web series profiling people working every day to help communities across the First Coast adapt to climate change and sea level rise.

Podcast guests range from Florida’s first-ever chief resilience officer to an environmental psychologist who teaches people how to talk about climate change more effectively.

Podcast host Brendan Rivers’ conversation with Florida’s Chief Resilience Officer Julia Nesheiwat marks her first one-on-one interview with a reporter since she was appointed in August. Nesheiwat shares the lessons she brings to the position from her time in the military and academia — and the time she created a federal bureau from the ground up.

“It’s too expensive to go at it alone,” she says in the ADAPT podcast. “We really need to collaborate.”

The other podcast guests are:

Adam Rosenblatt, a biology professor at the University of North Florida who breaks down the science of climate change and shares details about his advocacy efforts on the local, state and national level. Rosenblatt believes, “Doing more climate science is not going to solve the problem. We need to convince people to take action.”
Lauren Watkins, an environmental psychologist who teaches people how to have productive, non-polarizing conversations about environmental issues. She opens up her toolkit for us — and opens up about the communication challenges in her own family.
Richard Leon, Jacksonville’s Urban Forestry Manager, who says, “Half the city thinks I’m a tree butcher. The other half thinks I’m a tree hugger.” He sees trees as critical urban infrastructure and plans to plant as many as possible in the nation’s biggest city.
Shane Corbin, City Manager for Atlantic Beach, who discusses the LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) process that the entire city of Atlantic Beach undertook last year.
Sean Lahav, a 24-year-old who serves the Northeast Florida Regional Council as a Resiliency Coordinator. His job includes getting “movers and shakers” from the private sector to think about incorporating sea level rise into their plans. “Around the state of Florida, there’s a lot of momentum right now — in Jacksonville and elsewhere,” he said.

ADAPT is a digital-first publication at adaptflorida.org, devoted to researching, reporting, and engaging citizens on the many issues involved in adaptation to sea level rise across Northeast Florida. All six episodes of the ADAPT podcast series are available at adaptflorida.org and on all major podcast platforms.

In Florida, two-thirds of citizens rarely or never discuss climate change, and 67% say they hear about climate change in the media about once a month or less, according to polling data from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason Center for Climate Change Communication.

“These poll results are disheartening, but as a journalist who covers climate change, I see an opportunity. With this special edition of ADAPT and the podcast, we at WJCT are trying to provide our readers and listeners with the tools they need to confidently and effectively talk about the most pressing issue of our time,” explained ADAPT reporter Brendan Rivers.

The first edition of ADAPT, published in June 2019, included original reporting about the effects of climate change on everything from endangered species to drinking water, coastal economies and the U.S. Navy, as well as curated stories about what’s happening in other places.

To sign up to receive notice of future editions, visit adaptflorida.org/sign-up/.

The public is also invited to talk with climate change experts and hear what they can do, collectively, to deal with rising waters at WJCT’s annual ADAPT Summit at WJCT Studios on June 4, 2020.

Posted on November 21, 2019

NEW LEADER COMES TO CENTRAL FLORIDA FROM CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING, WHERE SHE SERVED AS VP OF RADIO

ORLANDO – The Board of Trustees of 90.7 WMFE | 89.5 WMFV announced today the appointment of Erika Pulley-Hayes as President and CEO.

Pulley-Hayes succeeds LaFontaine E. Oliver, who led the station since 2013, before returning to Baltimore in July to lead NPR member station WYPR.

Pulley-Hayes is currently vice president of Radio at the Washington, D.C.-based Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the nonprofit steward of the federal government’s investment in public media, which supports the operations of over 1,500 locally owned public TV and radio stations. She will assume her new role on Jan. 13.

“WMFE|WMFV provides an important service to Central Florida, and this is an incredible opportunity to build upon the quality journalism and programming this organization delivers to the community,” Pulley-Hayes said. “I am very excited to join this team and continue working to enhance the local service that engages audiences across platforms.”

In her role at the CPB, Pulley-Hayes has provided strategic leadership to the public radio system by developing initiatives that sustain and advance public media service. She has driven innovation in a legacy industry through programs that enable public media organizations to respond to disruption and prepare for the future. She has extended public media to new audiences across platforms by providing podcasting expertise to local stations and developing a new format for multicultural millennials.

“We are excited to welcome Erika Pulley-Hayes to Central Florida,” WMFE|WMFV Board Chair Anne E. Kelley said. “She is uniquely positioned to continue her record of driving innovation, now on the local level, and to further our stations’ mission to engage new communities, both on our terrestrial airwaves as well as our growing number of digital platforms.”

More about Pulley-Hayes

Pulley-Hayes has worked at CPB since 2005 and has been responsible for managing daily operations, financial administration, grant programs, funding decisions and impact evaluation. She has worked to enhance local service and sustainability by identifying new business opportunities and operating models that increase organizational capacity.

She began her career as a legal assistant at a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company. She later managed legal operations of a small clinical research organization in Virginia.

Pulley-Hayes holds an MBA and an MS in nonprofit management from the University of Maryland University College. She also holds a BA from William Paterson University in her home state of New Jersey. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing yoga, attending live events and traveling. She has two adult sons.

About Community Communications Inc.:
Community Communications Inc. is a non-profit, member-supported, community-based public broadcasting company that operates 90.7 WMFE-FM, metro Orlando’s primary provider of NPR programming; 90.7-2 Classical; and 89.5 WMFV, public radio for The Villages, Leesburg and The Golden Triangle. Part of the community since 1980, Community Communications focuses on providing quality national and local news and programming. Visit wmfe.org and wmfv.org for more information.

Posted on October 9, 2019

WMNF has a new general manager; the Tampa Bay area’s full-power community radio station announced Wednesday that the station’s board of directors has hired Rick Fernandes, who will start on November 11.

In the past, Fernandes served as the executive director of the Fred Rogers Center, an executive at Time Warner and the director of television programs.
In this interview, WMNF News asked him what he brings to the station and how 88.5 FM can stand out in a crowded media environment.

“I like to consider myself a ‘down to earth’ person. Though I may have fancy titles before, I consider myself just a kid from Brooklyn. My experience has been — sort of what I bring to the table — that I’ve been on both sides of the fence, per se, in every area.
“I’ve been in the production / creative side, but I’ve also been on the business / management side. I’ve worked for for-profit companies, and I’ve worked for non-profit organizations. And that sort of gives me a different perspective. And able to look at things from a different angle. And what I hope is to sort of bring the best out of people, and help WMNF achieve its goals.”

“There’s tons of media choices. But, in the end people generally look for two things, in my opinion. It’s not the medium or for the content, but it’s the person who is presenting it.
“So, whether it’s the news reporter or whether it’s your disc jockey, they attach to people. Because in the end, there are so many choices out there. Who is your curator?
“So, to me, it’s how do you highlight that? WMNF really has impressed me. You think: ‘Oh, it’s a community radio station.’ You have done incredibly well. You don’t last 40 years in the media industry without changing formats, without trying to reinvent yourself all the time. You have a very clear mission, and you’re delivering on it.

“I think the challenge in this landscape is that there are so many choices. How do you make people aware of who you are and what you stand for?

“So, for me, the goal really is, how do we raise the profile? How do we let people in the community that aren’t aware of the station, become aware of it? Because I honestly believe it’s not about changing you are. You are great! I wouldn’t want to be part of an organization that I didn’t believe in its mission.

“It’s how you let more people know about the diverse viewpoints you have. The music is phenomenal. The news programming, in that you are serving the local community. Because in the end, there’s so much about national coverage and music just being about what’s the most popular. I think people relate to something that’s different, unique, that relates to them.”

In a press release, the president of WMNF’s board of directors David Harbeitner writes, “Richard joins WMNF with an opportunity to help expand our presence in the community.”

Posted on August 7, 2019

By Liz Shoemaker, Current.org Editorial Intern

The WUCF program Meet the Helpers, which teaches children about who emergency responders are and what they do, is expanding nationally to connect more children with a wider variety of “helpers.”

The station in Orlando, Fla., created the digital video series in response to shootings and natural disasters affecting the community. The program encourages children to find emergency responders who can help with frightening situations.

The title of the project draws inspiration from Fred Rogers, who told children to “look for the helpers” in a crisis. Its website (https://www.meetthehelpers.org/) features short videos explaining the roles that firefighters, police officers and paramedics play in emergencies. The site also provides community toolkits for educators to use in their own towns.

The program launched in 2016 after the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. WUCF soon started receiving inquiries from community members, other stations and CPB, which was hoping to provide additional funding for the project.

WUCF “identified an urgent need in their community: to support children’s emotional well-being and help them understand the roles of adults who keep them safe,” said Debra Sanchez, SVP, education at CPB.

The WUCF team devised a plan to include five new partner stations. Each will receive $10,000 from CPB to support their work with Meet the Helpers and will aim to reach at least 200 people through videos and outreach. The University of Central Florida’s Education Department and School of Communications will work with the stations to formalize findings on crisis communication for children.

“There’s a knowledge gap on that type of research,” said Jennifer Cook, senior director of content and engagement at WUCF. “Our partner stations will be tapped into these university experts who will help us conduct research across the country so that we can better tailor messages in the future, develop new helpers and measure the impact of this type of content.”

WUCF designed the project to be flexible. “We wanted a bunch of different market sizes,” said Cook. “This is one of those instances where a crisis will impact any community regardless of size, regardless of demographic.”

“We have to be proactive,” said Kellie May, digital media specialist at partner station CET Television in Cincinnati. “Meet the Helpers gives families a platform to start what can sometimes be challenging conversations, and that’s important. If we wait for a disaster to help kids understand who the helpers are in our community, it’s too late.”

The project has brought new regional perspectives and experiences to the helpers featured on the show. WUCF in Orlando may not need to feature a ski patrol officer, but stations in New England do and could add that helper to their series.

Meet the Helpers goes beyond the screen. Community groups and educators who worked with WUCF during the show’s launch have organized larger meet-and-greet days with helpers and children. Cook would like partner stations to follow suit.

WUCF is reviewing grant applications and hopes to choose partner stations by Aug. 1. Cook said she would like to add even more stations in the future. She and UCF researchers also hope to compile and publish the data gathered from the first group of partners to strengthen the program and feature more helpers

https://current.org/2019/07/with-cpb-support-wucf-will-expand-video-series-about-emergency-responders/

Posted on March 20, 2019

Collaboration of Thirteen Stations Based at University of Florida

(WASHINGTON, DC) March 19, 2019—The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) today presented the Community Lifeline Award to WUFT-TV/FM (WUFT) and the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) during a meeting of the CPB Board of Directors. The award recognizes public media stations providing outstanding service to their communities during local emergencies, natural disasters and other urgent situations.

“Public media’s services are especially important for communities affected by natural disasters and other emergencies. Under the leadership of WUFT, FPREN provided lifesaving information not only across Florida but also in North and South Carolina,” said CPB Board member Elizabeth Sembler. “The innovative approach demonstrated by these partner stations exemplifies both the spirit of public service and the powerful role of public media.”

From left, CPB Board Chair Bruce Ramer, CPB Board member Robert Mandell, FPREN Chief Meteorologist Jeff Huffman, WUFT and FPREN Executive Director Randy Wright and CPB Board member Elizabeth Sembler.

FPREN is the collaboration of 13 public radio stations based at WUFT in Gainesville-Ocala, Florida, and delivers emergency broadcast and social media content across the state. Their free app, Florida Storms, provides geotargeted live forecasts, information about evacuation routes and shelters, and live streams local public radio broadcasts. FPREN served millions of people through multiple emergencies including Hurricanes Michael, Irma and Matthew.

“We’re honored by this recognition from CPB for what we feel is a core mission of public media. We appreciate the ongoing support of CPB, Pat Harrison and the Board for their encouragement of innovative concepts like FPREN and look forward to providing these public safety services to even more Americans in the future,” said Randy Wright, executive director of WUFT and FPREN.

WUFT operates as a part of the University of Florida and incorporates hundreds of students annually from the UF College of Journalism and Communications into immersive professional experiences. WUFT also launched the South Carolina Emergency Information Network with South Carolina ETV/South Carolina Public Radio in 2018, serving South Carolina and parts of North Carolina with emergency messaging.

Established in 2012, this is only the second time the Community Lifeline Award has been presented. The inaugural recipients were WNET and New York Public Radio (WNYC/NJPR).

About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television and related online services.

Posted on June 18, 2018

Jun 14, 2018

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 14, 2018) – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has awarded $500,000 to 50 public media stations across the country to explore innovative education programs. The grants of $10,000 per station will help fund research and planning, a crucial first step for stations to assess local needs and opportunities and to innovate on a local level.

“Through these pilot grants, we want stations to consider innovative ways to use media to meet pressing educational needs in their communities,” said Deb Sanchez, CPB senior vice president, education and children’s content. “The needs assessment and planning process will give stations the opportunity to discover today’s teaching and learning challenges and how public media can serve as a trusted educational media partner to serve their communities.”

CPB announced the grant opportunity at the Public Media Thought Leader Forum, at the 2018 National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) conference in January. Forum speakers inspired public media leaders to think about their education work in new and different ways. For example, Michael Horn of the Clayton Christensen Institute challenged stations to identify individual needs when developing educational content, as well as service and engagement strategies to better connect resources to those individuals.

The 50 stations receiving grants include public television and radio stations as well as joint licensees of all sizes, including WNET in New York City, New England Public Radio, KRWG in Las Cruces, N.M., and a collaboration between East Tennessee PBS and WUOT-FM. CPB will supplement the grants with professional learning activities, including an in-person meeting, needs assessments and personalized technical assistance, and a series of webinars showcasing tools and processes stations can use to build and implement a new vision of their education service. After six months, participating stations should have a fully developed project or service that they can bring to CPB or other partners for funding.

The stations include the following, alphabetically by state:

KHSU-FM, Arcata, Calif.
PBS SoCal, Costa Mesa, Calif.
Rocky Mountain PBS, Denver, Colo.
Connecticut Public, Hartford, Conn.
WJCT, Jacksonville, Fla.
WUCF-TV, Orlando, Fla.
WMFE-FM, Orlando, Fla.
WFSU, Tallahassee, Fla.
WUSF, Tampa, Fla.
Iowa Public Television, Johnston, Iowa
Idaho Public Television, Boise, Idaho
WKU Public Broadcasting, Bowling Green. Ky.
Louisiana Public Broadcasting, Baton Rouge, La.
WGBY, Springfield, Mass.
New England Public Radio, Springfield, Mass.
Maryland Public Television, Owings Mills, Md.
WKAR, East Lansing, Mich.
WGVU, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Detroit Public Television, Wixom, Mich.
WCMU Public Media, Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Twin Cities Public Television, St. Paul, Minn.
KCPT, Kansas City, Mo.
Nine Network of Public Media, St. Louis, Mo.
Montana PBS, Bozeman, Mont.
UNC-TV, Research/Triangle Park, N.C.
Prairie Public Broadcasting, Fargo, N.D.
KRWG, Las Cruces, N.M.
Vegas PBS, Las Vegas, Nev.
WSKG, Binghamton, N.Y.
WNED/WBFO-FM, Buffalo, N.Y.
WCNY/Public Broadcasting Council of Central New York, Syracuse, N.Y.
WNET/Educational Broadcasting Corporation, New York City, N.Y.
WMHT, Troy, N.Y.
WPBS, Watertown, N.Y.
WGTE, Toledo, Ohio
Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, Oklahoma City, Okla.
WLVT-TV, Bethlehem, Pa.
WQED, Pittsburgh, Pa.
WVIA, Pittston, Pa.
WHYY, Philadelphia, Pa.
WPSU, University Park, Pa.
WSBE/Rhode Island PBS, Providence, R.I.
WCTE, Cookeville, Tenn.
East Tennessee PBS/WUOT-FM, Knoxville, Tenn.
Nashville Public Television, Nashville, Tenn.
Panhandle PBS, Amarillo, Texas
KERA, Dallas, Texas
KLRU, Austin, Texas
KUEN, Salt Lake City, Utah
WHRO Public Media, Norfolk, Va.

About CPB:
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of nearly 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit www.cpb.org and follow us on Twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook, LinkedIn, and subscribe for other updates.

Posted on May 24, 2018

He [McGowan] repeatedly mentions the need to increase WJCT’s metabolism, especially in the digital landscape.

“We must work to apply the resources that will allow us to continue to do more of the work and make us more valuable to all of the different communities in our footprint.”

“Whether we want it or not, we have a greater control today over how we consume media,” McGowan says. “One of my biggest jobs [at WJCT] is to make sure that we are as available, relevant and innovative today and tomorrow as we were yesterday.”

You can read the entire (Josue Cruz) profile of WCJT’s new president and CEO in Folio Weekly Magazine here.

Posted on July 20, 2015

CapitalSoup.com / June 11, 2015

TALLAHASSEE – FPBS, the Association of Public Media in Florida, is urging the legislature to provide $1 million in funding for the continued of support the newly-enhanced Florida PBS LearningMedia. Last year’s state funding allowed Florida to be the first in the nation to create an indexed and alignment of the extensive resources of PBS, including Sesame Street, Nova, and Ken Burns documentaries, to all Florida education standards. These trusted and popular educational assets are organized and available online to everyone at http://florida.pbslearningmedia.org/

“We believe that all children in Florida regardless of where they go to school—public, private, homeschool, daycare—deserve access to this free and innovative educational resource developed to support curriculum-based teaching and learning from pre-K through college,” said FPBS Executive Director Janyth Righter.

After launching just last December, this repository of multi-platform resources houses more than 100,000 digital classroom-ready assets that are being used by more than 64,000 Florida teachers and parents.

“Florida PBS stations have always been partners in education. The customized Florida PBS LearningMedia was launched just in time to assist teachers and parents in finding resources aligned to Florida’s newly implemented educational standards. The service also helps schools meet the State’s mandate that half of classroom instruction be through digital resources by this Fall,” said Righter.

“We believe that learning takes place not only in the classroom, but on a park bench, in a car-seat, and with mentors helping students improve their academic performance,” said Righter. Florida PBS LearningMedia provides teachers, parents, public, charter, private and home schools an easy to use, trusted tool at their fingertips. “When the State is asking parents to get more involved in their children’s education, providing access to a resource like the LearningMedia boosts that engagement,” said Righter.

To read the entire article, go to:
http://capitalsoup.com/2015/06/11/fpbs-urges-legislature-to-fund-learningmedia/

Posted on July 20, 2015

By JENNIFER HARWOOD | Panama City News Herald Writer
Published: Thursday, December 4, 2014

TAMPA — One of America’s most trusted sources for high-quality educational programming has introduced a digital learning platform aimed at keeping up with the state’s revamped education standards.

Florida PBS Learning Media gave hands-on training to educators attending the Florida School Board Association and Florida Association of District School Superintendents conference in Tampa on Wednesday. Teachers learned how to use an interactive platform full of video, audio clips and lesson builders.

Districts statewide are making moves to comply with the state’s objectives to move learning online in Florida schools. This year, Florida PBS was awarded $1 million of the education budget for licensure and customization of digital learning content to meet Florida standards.

Janyth Righter, executive director of FPBS, said conversation started in 2006 about how Florida PBS television programming could be repurposed into digestible chunks of content for a digital learning platform. In 2010, the platform was launched.

To date, the platform has compiled over 87,000 learning objects from PBS’s nonprofit association of public radio and television stations into content that is searchable by grade level and topic. That number is expected to grow to over 100,000 by the end of the year.

Watson said Florida PBS Learning Media is a safe place for students to supplement learning online. For parents who are worried about their students getting homework help in risky corners of the Internet, Florida PBS makes premium content available on a safe platform that can be used anonymously.

To view the entire article, go to:
http://www.newsherald.com/news/education/florida-pbs-unveils-free-digital-learning-platform-1.409094

Posted on July 20, 2015

Posted by Mary Riker 12/11/14 WSRE-TV

Pensacola, FL, December 10, 2014—Florida’s teachers, students and lifelong learners now have access to thousands of customized digital learning resources at no cost through Florida PBS stations, including WSRE, with support from the Florida Legislature.

Florida Public Broadcasting System was awarded $1 million in the 2014-2015 state budget to customize more than 85,000 digital learning materials from the national PBS LearningMedia library to meet Florida state standards. The customization is complete, and now Florida PBS LearningMedia provides access to free educational materials which meet the specific needs of Florida’s K-16 educators and students.

This classroom-ready, curriculum-targeted, multi-platform digital resource is aligned to the state’s core standards for classroom instruction and student achievement. Florida PBS LearningMedia is available to all Floridians, and signup is free at florida.pbslearningmedia.org.

The national Public Broadcasting Service is recognized for quality television programming that educates and engages both children and adults. Beyond television broadcast, the PBS LearningMedia digital platform provides interactive curriculum-based content that impacts teacher effectiveness and drives student success in the classroom.

Florida is the first state in the nation where the Legislature has made an investment in the enriched PBS LearningMedia custom service which now offers a solution for Florida schools and school districts to help deepen learning and measure engagement through enhanced content, tools and analytics, and the option to manage and add content that meets the needs of local classroom instruction. The service includes educational materials from PBS programs like “NOVA,” “Frontline,” an array of PBS KIDS programs, and the Ken Burns Collection of documentaries.

An added benefit to local school districts is the analytics and reporting tools that track and measure student engagement, providing reports that Florida educators are required to produce. This reporting can allow for more teacher work hours dedicated to instruction with less time required for administrative tasks.

“Florida PBS LearningMedia offers a very wide range of trusted content that will inspire, stimulate and motivate students,” said Jill Hubbs, WSRE Educational Services director. “Teachers will find literally thousands of educational resources at their fingertips for creating lessons and to enhance instruction, and they can be accessed instantly and at no cost.”

Hubbs said that approximately 1,500 teachers from the WSRE service area of Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties already have signed up and are using Florida PBS LearningMedia.

To view the complete article go to: http://www.wsre.org/blogs/press-room-blog/pbs-digital-learning-resources-are-customized-for-florida-schools/

Find a Station
Statewide TV and radio coverage

Explore Florida PBS LearningMedia

Explore FPREN
The Florida Public Radio Emergency Network

NEW LEADER COMES TO CENTRAL FLORIDA FROM CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING, WHERE SHE SERVED AS VP OF RADIO

Collaboration of Thirteen Stations Based at University of Florida

$10,000 Seed Grants to Spur Education Innovation

Jun 14, 2018

Recent Posts

Categories