It’s official: as of July 1, VPR and Vermont PBS are a unified public media organization. This marks the beginning of our new life together!
Our first essential work is to make sure everyone feels welcome within public media, especially people who believe this space is not for them. Through this merger, we will be strong enough to reach out to our future audiences, while continuing the programs and services our existing audience depends on.
Many things remain the same: VPR still brings you Morning Edition, Vermont Edition, All Things Considered, Brave Little State, But Why, Fresh Air, and VPR Classical.
Vermont PBS is still home to PBS Kids and Mister Chris and Friends, Masterpiece, Nova, Nature, and Antiques Roadshow, PBS NewsHour and Vermont This Week – none of that will change.
What will change, and what needs to change, is making public media a place where everyone feels like they belong, regardless of race and ethnicity, age, education level or political beliefs.
I grew up in rural Iowa in the 70s and 80s, the son of Mickey, a mechanic, and Karon, a childcare provider who never had the chance to graduate from college. Thanks to public television, public libraries, and public schools, all five of Mickey and Karon’s kids did.
Public media has that sort of transformative power. And it’s our responsibility to make sure it works for today’s Mickeys and Karons. It can and will — when they feel they belong.
We can create this through building authentic connections, broadening our storytelling and the people who tell them, and meeting people on platforms they already use with content that’s relevant to them.
Over the last 50 years, VPR and Vermont PBS’ audiences and members have helped create two of the strongest statewide public media organizations in America. Together, we will build on that foundation of trusted information, high-quality education, and thoughtful programming to build the future of public media in Vermont. Thank you for your continued support.
