Letters: ‘Gown’ hurts ‘town’ with WPSU decision; Don’t let Solar for Schools lose funding

‘Gown’ hurts ‘town’ with WPSU decision

Penn State’s Board of Trustees voted to completely shut down WPSU TV and radio to claw back WPSU’s $3.25 million 2026 budget, .03% of PSU’s $10.4 billion 2026 budget. That’s three-tenths of a percent, not 3%.

WPSU services cover about 1.3 million people across its mainly rural coverage area. WPSU TV is viewed by 515,000 households across 24 Pennsylvania counties. WPSU FM has more than 450,000 listeners from 13 counties. And WPSU doesn’t broadcast fluff — it has won industry, state and national awards for broadcasting covering sports, education, lifestyle, journalism, history and culture, documentaries, and art. In addition, production, technical, management and audience-facing WPSU employees win accolades for their individual contributions to WPSU. As an NPR affiliate, WPSU TV delivers entertaining programs and series of interest to all ages, from toddlers to seniors. In appreciation, WPSU gets about 25% of its budget from corporate supporters and over 7,000 individual contributions.

President Bendapudi will receive a 47% 2026 salary increase, $450,000, from $950 thousand to $1.4 million. Beaver Stadium renovation currently is expected to cost $700 million over five years, $140 million a year. Bendapudi must be doing an excellent job to get such an increase: The increase pool for non-union faculty and staff is 3%. Football certainly is important to the university and greatly enjoyed by the 100,00-plus fans who attend games. But what has “Town” done to “Gown” to deserve to lose such a valuable resource as WPSU?

Ross Adams, Boalsburg

Don’t let Solar for Schools lose funding

I am writing in response to recent CDT article, “Solar arrays at Centre County schools could be ‘a major solution,’ new report says.” I support the article’s claims: Solar energy benefits the environment and will save people money. Energy costs are high, and pollution to the environment from fossil fuel energy sources causes problems for the whole planet.

The good news is that there’s a simple solution. In PennEnvironment’s published study on the issue, they showed that investment in solar panels on school grounds saves the schools money, reduces pollution, and allows for more energy in the grid. Schools are the perfect place to put solar panels, with large, flat rooftops and unused field space. The energy produced by solar panels, if installed on all schools, is equivalent to enough power for about 187,000 homes. Schools save money, and people living and working in the area enjoy a cleaner, healthier environment.

However, this only works if the proper funding is in place. The state legislature has not yet made the commitment to renew funding for Solar for Schools. I am calling on the state legislature to dedicate funding toward these solar panel projects for schools. The benefits for our environment and the school’s finances are far-reaching.

Caitlyn Afflerbach, Jamison

We need WPSU

A PSU alumna, I have frequently spoken out with concerns for the management of this university. I do so again.

No one should be writing about the destruction of WPSU. This venerable institution has provided truthful, unbiased reporting for decades. WPSU is in fact the only forum where I can find reporting that I trust outside of specific print media.

WPSU must not be sacrificed to the mistaken position of the Board of Trustees that they are worthy of shutting down dissent — spoken through WPSU — in order to pay Neeli Bendapudi an additional $1 million in salary between now and 2032. Our PSU president has made decisions akin to those of a corporate CEO. We must not pay the outsized salary that a corporate CEO expects. And especially, an administrator without the courage to finish and expand our badly needed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Center at PSU. Our administrator has herself acted as a bully.

Our community has respect and support for WPSU and its staff writ large. PSU and its Board of Trustees want to “stop dead” the precious and non-partisan reporting of National Public Radio (NPR) and WPSU/PBS. They pander to bullies.

We will not let this happen. Fund WPSU and sign a contract for administration of this special local public resource to WHYY and pay them the necessary $3.4 million per year for five years, for a total of $ 17 million.

We need WPSU. Let Neeli Bendapudi go.

Nancy F Parks, Aaronsburg

Franklin’s pattern

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. James Franklin is the definition of insanity.

Eric Flohr, Richmond, Virginia