Message

A Message from Bill Kelly

President and CEO of WVIA

Often I wish every one of you could come to WVIA for a personal visit and tour. We've been conducting a lot of them these days, as friends interested in our "Transformational Change Capital Campaign" are shown the facility as well as a short video of our ideas for the future. Extraordinary things have happened in the last year, resulting in this station becoming Northeast and Central Pennsylvania's first television station making local programs in brilliant high-definition. Plus, your treasured WVIA-FM is becoming multi-channel, high-definition in new state-of-the-art audio production suites. More importantly, our progress is much greater than electronic!

Over a year ago we began making the case that a remarkable convergence of timing, talent and technology was under way at WVIA. Nothing remotely similar to this had ever happened in our business. But we did not inform the general public of the capital campaign because early on we decided that you are the lifeblood of this work and should not be asked to give to a project for building improvements and equipment. Your dollars, so very much appreciated, are for programs. After all, how useful is even the finest technology if stations like ours lack genuinely inspired programming?

But today I want you to know what we've done with almost $3 million in capital campaign gifts given thus far by regional individuals, businesses, foundations and competitive government grants. This accomplishment will enable the only TV and radio stations owned by you and our communities to enrich our families' lives for decades to come.

First, these days we're much more than Channel 44 and 89.9 FM. In fact we're five television stations, soon two or more radio stations, the increasingly robust Web site wvia.org and a one-of-a-kind, high-definition theater, all here in what we now call the Public Media Studios. We needed new language to describe what is happening and "Your Vision, Your Voice" emerged. It means that WVIA exists to reflect your ideas and your opinions, ways you believe we can create a future in which the region thrives and quality of life improves. No other media — regional, national or international — can possibly be as focused as WVIA on the best attributes of the people and history of the 22-county region we serve.

Seeking something symbolic of a promising new era, we realized that a modern, high-definition theater in this building would be a magnet to attract campaign donors, citizens, leaders, students and their teachers, appreciative audiences for concerts, debates, theatrical events and more. Our national-quality regional documentaries as well as our increasingly interactive and important live news programs debuted before theater/studio audiences who can speak to our cameras and microphones. A new and effective setting for town meetings has the potential to help WVIA achieve our ambition to be the single, multi-media based, publicly-owned regional "convener."

In only seven months the theater/studio has literally transformed WVIA's programming. Standing-room-only audiences joined WVIA TV and FM viewers, listeners and web users for a very lively 10th Congressional District Republican Primary Debate. Other examples of your WVIA becoming a new, engaging and refreshingly journalistic public media enterprise include important news topics such as "NEPA's Latinos; Beware the Stereotype," a Luzerne County teenager confesses "I Started Drugs at Thirteen," "Regional Families of Iraqi War Dead" talk of their losses, "NEPA's Changing Ways of Dying," "Did NEPA Kill Jimmy Hoffa?" and "Why Toll I-80?" These shows and dozens of others were highly charged by audiences at home using phones and e-mail and by spirited opinions from guests in the theater.

Area students of intellectual, musical and artistic talent appear and compete routinely on our channels and before appreciative theater/studio audiences. College students are mentored in the WVIA facility across disciplines, shadowing our executives, working hands-on with skilled professionals and preparing for their own future controlling the current and emerging media that will so dramatically affect our lives.

We're looking ahead and working on already funded, high-definition regional TV documentaries well into 2009. These will be inspiring stories of special people we know and admire, of issues that challenge us and of assets all around us that too many fail to see. WVIA-FM is energizing an almost four-decade tradition of Home-Grown Music concerts, now in stadium-style seating in our digital theater. Visiting celebrities, national TV stars, Broadway performers, major authors, film makers and news makers express real surprise at how the WVIA High-Definition Theater's potential often exceeds what they see in major U.S. cities.

The future we see is a facility that once housed only broadcast stations becoming the needed regional gathering place, where ideas flourish, solutions emerge and successes are celebrated across county lines. Our vision is for WVIA to be a multiplier of others' exceptional work, a catalyst for positive change, an educator that makes lifelong learning fun, and now with the theater/studio and abundant multi-channel TV and FM shelf-space for programs, a valued convener of people who can and will make it happen.

So when you hear critics claiming that public broadcasting is obsolete, ask whether other broadcasters can or will ever do for this region what is described in these paragraphs. You'll then understand why the people of WVIA are so positive.

My colleagues never stop recognizing opportunities and working to make this one of America's great public media companies. And it all happens because you become a member, call or write a senator or congressman to encourage ongoing support, write a check, suggest a program or tell a friend about a great show you saw or heard. We know you expect nothing less than excellence.

My colleagues would like to thank you personally. Let us know when you can take that tour.