FCC auction nets $25 million for WITF; money will be used for expansion

(Harrisburg) — WITF, the public media organization for central Pennsylvania, has announced that its receiving $25 million as part of a FCC auction.

It says it will use the money to launch a new statewide news organization, create a media literacy program for students, and start broadcasting a new TV channel, called PBS Kids.

WITF says each year, it will spend a $1 million of the auction proceeds.

WITF will share what it calls “surplus spectrum” with another station.

It says all those who receive WITF-TV now will continue to receive the channel. 

Kathleen Pavelko, president and CEO of WITF, says she’s excited about the new funding, given that Republicans in Congress and the White House have talked about cutting federal dollars from public media.

She says consistent taxpayer support allows WITF to do the work that it does.

“There is no public media, non-commercial system in the developed world that operates without a modest amount of tax-based funding. It’s all about diversity of revenues, right?” says Pavelko.

Pavelko says she’s confident that the organization will use the money wisely.

“There are risks everywhere. There are risks in devising new projects, in new technologies. I do believe in piloting many things small and failing fast,” she adds.

Pavelko says the PBS Kids channel will launch this summer, while other projects are still in development.

As a note of disclosure, this story was edited by a news director at another public media station to ensure editorial independence.

This story has been modified to reflect that WITF will share what it calls “surplus spectrum” with another station, not forfeit the spectrum.