Public input, ideas should have been part of Penn State’s WPSU decision | Opinion

I’d thank the Penn State board of trustees for 60 years of support for WPSU. The small station once housed in Wagner Building grew immensely under their supervision.

However, I was shocked that the board voted unanimously to shutter WPSU radio and TV. I believe it’d be proper to have public comment, public input and public ideas before a public university closes a public television station. Our communities donated millions of dollars in support over the decades. I think we “own” WPSU along with PSU.

As a land grant university, Penn State is bound by the federal Tripartite Mission: to teach, to conduct research and to provide service to communities. WPSU isn’t just a nice thing to have. It’s a pillar of what Penn State must do.

Not only does WPSU provide services — emergency notifications, children’s educational programming, election and government information and local news stories — to listeners and viewers, it brings the world to residents with travel, health, cooking, documentary and national/international news programming. And in reverse, WPSU’s award-winning local journalism coverage, which has brought Penn State accolades, has shown the world north-central Pennsylvania.

The Penn State archives are full of award statues and plaques for WPSU (formerly WPSX) programs, from 2024’s Radio Television Digital News Association’s Edward R. Murrow Regional Winner, “Central and northern PA school districts and companies struggle to find bus drivers” by WPSU reporter Sydney Roach, to the National Association of Broadcasters Peabody Award in 1970 for director PJ O’Connell’s WPSX film “Visiting with Darlene.”

As a Centre County resident for over 50 years, I’ve benefitted from WPSU TV and Radio. Channel 3 was a non-commercial alternative to ABC, CBS and NBC as I grew up. As a social studies teacher here for decades, my students learned with Katie O’Toole’s “What’s in the News?” WPSU staff graciously toured my sixth graders through the station. My own children learned from Mister Rogers and LeVar Burton. The PSU board should consider what it’s taking from a million local residents.

Penn State has gotten a lot from WPSU/WPSX (including student internships), and north central PA has been served by WPSU — so let the public and the university discuss how to save it. There are options to the loss of federal financing. Perhaps the stations can reduce, rather than terminate, service. Penn State has quite an investment in the studio, staff and resources of WPSU — throwing them out will be a loss.

I hope the board of trustees will consider conversations about the future of WPSU. Please add your own voice to the board comments. Yanking service would be a drastic, last step. The board is full of, and has access to, many creative people. Surely, we can find a way to keep WPSU on air.

Kathleen O’Connell is a 50-year Centre County resident, former State College Area School District teacher, and the daughter of documentary filmmaker PJ O’Connell, who worked at WPSX from 1967-1995.