Pre-Conference Workshops 1
Completing CPB’s Annual Financial Report

Presenters:

Kate Arno, VP, CSG & Station Services, CPB
Tim Bawcombe, Director, TV CSG Policy & Review, CPB
and Ken Goulet, Sr. Financial Review Specialist, CPB 

On-site offering only. 

Session Description: Participants will learn about the process of preparing and filing financial reports for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) using the Annual Financial Report and Financial Summary Report, as required by the Community Service Grant (CSG) program. Hands-on activities will help participants practice identifying non-federal financial support and determine how to report other revenues. The session will prepare beginners to complete their first annual financial report and will help experienced CSG grantees improve their ability to file an accurate report. 

Pre-Conference Workshops 2
Completing the SAS and SABS

Presenters:

Damon Frazier 

 On-site offering only. 

Session Description: All television and radio Community Service Grant recipients must complete the annual Station Activities Survey (SAS) and television grantees must also complete the annual Station Activities Benchmarking Study (SABS). This workshop examines the SAS and SABS reports and reviews the financial and non-financial information that must be reported. The workshop focuses first on SAS and then shifts to SABS covering data collection, consolidation, error checking, available tools, help desk support, and how to submit the surveys. Instructors will share the CPB survey reporting tool with attendees. Those involved with collecting, entering, or reporting survey information are encouraged to attend this workshop. 

People First, People Last – AI Policy for Public Media Stations

Presenter: Chad Davis, Public Innovation Officer, Nebraska Public Media

As generative AI rapidly reshapes the media landscape, HR and Finance professionals are uniquely positioned to guide their organizations through this transformation. This session offers a grounded, strategic look at how emerging AI technologies are beginning to impact core functions like workforce planning, talent development, budgeting, and policy compliance. 

Drawing from ongoing research and a leading industry newsletter focused on emerging tech and public media, the speaker shares the latest developments in AI—highlighting both the opportunities and challenges they present. The presentation also reflects real-time updates from Nebraska Public Media’s evolving AI policy, offering practical examples and considerations for policy-setting and risk management. 

Live demonstrations of generative AI tools bring these concepts to life, illustrating how these technologies may soon influence everything from recruitment workflows to financial forecasting. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of what AI means for their roles today—and how to prepare for what’s next. 

CPB OIG – The top10 things we think you should know.

Presenters:  Kimberly Howell, Inspector General;  Bill Richardson, Deputy Inspector General; Debra Jacobson, Senior Team Leader; Helen Mollick, Counsel and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations 

The OIG will highlight the top ten areas of interest, to include high audit findings, what to expect from OIG audits and evaluations and fraud/cybersecurity challenges. The OIG will give specific examples found during recent audits and evaluations and how to ensure compliance with Communications Act, General Provisions and other CPB grant requirements. The OIG will also provide tips to identify fraud and cyber security awareness.

Successful Innovative Public Safety Strategies to Drive Audience and Revenue

Presenters: Tabitha Safdi, SCETV; Corey Lewis WGCU; Nancy Worlie KPBS; Randy Wright WUFT

Large-scale environmental incidents—such as fires, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes— can strike unexpectedly, putting your station’s operations and public service at risk. Is your station truly prepared to respond when disaster hits? In this session, we’ll hear firsthand accounts from seasoned station leaders, representing both content and operations, who have successfully navigated emergencies in real time. Through their stories, you’ll gain crucial insights into what was needed at the moment of crisis, what resources were essential, and how teams collaborated under pressure. This session will cover every phase of emergency preparedness: before the incident strikes, during the crisis response, and long-term recovery. We will explore key elements such as role clarity, staff responsibilities, emergency tactics, and resource allocation. Additionally, we will dive into strategies for clear internal communication, coordination with local authorities, and ensuring your station maintains its vital role in delivering public information when your community needs it most. By the end of this session, you will be equipped with the tools and knowledge to craft or refine your station’s emergency action plan, ensuring your team is ready to act swiftly and effectively when the next emergency arises.

Resolution Revolution: Solving the High-Performer Paradox

Presenters: Angie Rosas, Chief of Staff; Fred Schulze, Associate Director of HR; Alondra Vazquez, Recruitment Specialist– Wisconsin Public Media

Are you tired of tolerating toxic behavior from high-performing employees? This interactive workshop will explore how these individuals can significantly impact your organization’s culture and climate. We will delve into the changing dynamics of the modern workforce; particularly how younger generations have a different tolerance for toxic environments. By the end of this session, you will have a deeper understanding and practical tools to navigate challenging employee behaviors to create a more positive and productive work environment. 

Data-Driven Fundraising: Learning from High-Performing Organizations

Presenter: Michal Heiplik, President & CEO, CDP

Public Media Organizations (PMOs) continually grapple with the challenge of securing adequate funding to maintain and expand their operations. This session examines the fundraising success of top-performing PMOs, using insights derived from CDP’s National Reference File, the premier comprehensive dataset on public media fundraising. We will cover the latest fundraising trends affecting public media, including changing audience behaviors, new channels, and innovative stewardship and retention strategies. We’ll explore a large-scale data infrastructure and insights platform created through the collaboration of leading public media organizations. This initiative provides stations of all sizes with actionable data and analytics to enhance their fundraising efforts. Hear from station leaders who are using these data-driven insights to refine their membership strategies, identify high-potential donors, and increase donation conversion rates. Importantly, we will see how these organizations emphasize local community impact across their teams. Join us for an enlightening discussion on how public media organizations can leverage data to improve their fundraising performance and better serve their communities. By examining the practices of the most successful PMOs highlighted by CDP’s data and discussing collaborative data infrastructures, we aim to uncover replicable strategies and tactics that all PMOs can utilize to tackle their most urgent funding challenges. 

On-site audience and live streamed to virtual audience.
Recorded for later viewing

Annually at the PMBA Conference, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) presents its most recent public media financial and operational results. Join us for this review of the findings for fiscal year 2021, highlighting system performance and trends and sharing insights into how the effects of COVID-19 continue to be experienced by stations across the public radio and television system. 

Speakers: 

Beth Walsh
Vice President, Station and System Strategies
Corporation for Public Broadcasting 

 Speaker Bio: 

As Vice President of System Strategies, Beth oversees system-wide data and technology initiatives focused on the future of public media, including Interconnection, the Next Generation Warning System grant program from FEMA, merger and collaboration grants, and station and audience data. Prior to CPB, Beth was the Director of Client Insights at Comscore. Beth has a long career in public media, beginning at WGBH-Boston, and later, serving as Senior Director of Research at PBS where she implemented the Audience Insight project, Public Trust survey, full-time national Nielsen service, online Viewer Panel, and cross-platform measurement system. Beth holds an M.S. in Broadcast Administration from Boston University.

Moustapha Abdul
Senior Director, Station and System Analysis
Corporation for Public Broadcasting 

Speaker Bio: 

Moustapha is Senior Director, Station and System Analysis at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). For more than 10 years at CPB, he played a critical role in analysis of CPB grantees’ financial and operational results as well as Public Media System’s trends. His work and findings helped drive the conversation and contributed to many CPB’s and CSG policies. Before joining CPB, Moustapha worked as a Financial Analyst at Corporate Financial Outsourcing, LLC in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he effectively served as the CFO for several small companies and nonprofit organizations. He has an MBA and a BA in Finance, both from the University of Arkansas. 

Designing Public Media Workspaces

Presenter: Jack Gibson, CEO, Arizona Public Media

Before design work on AZPM’s new facility even started, AZPM staff and architects visited three newly constructed public media facilities to see what worked, what didn’t, and what those organizations wished they had done differently. Join AZPM CEO Jack Gibson and others to learn from their experience in designing new facility workspaces and determine the best workspace designs for your facility – whether your current facility or a future one. 

Decoding Gen Z: The Workforce Powerhouse Can Grow your Business

Presenter: Monica Cruz, Director of Human Resources and Administration, WLRN

The arrival of Generation Z in the U.S. workforce is here, as the eldest among them reach 29 years old this year. With the evolution of technology and accessibility to audiences, Gen Z–ers are creating their own financial avenues, mostly online. Gain insights and actionable strategies to attract, engage and retain this critical talent pool and learn how cultivating this workforce can and will fuel your company’s growth. 

State of fundraising for Public Media Organizations

Presenter: Michal Heiplik, President and CEO, CDP

Public Media Organizations (PMOs) continually grapple with the challenge of securing adequate funding to maintain and expand their operations. This session examines the fundraising success of top-performing PMOs, using insights derived from CDP’s National Reference File, the premier comprehensive dataset on public media fundraising. We will cover the latest fundraising trends affecting public media, including changing audience behaviors, new channels, and innovative stewardship and retention strategies. We’ll explore a large-scale data infrastructure and insights platform created through the collaboration of leading public media organizations. This initiative provides stations of all sizes with actionable data and analytics to enhance their fundraising efforts. Hear from station leaders who are using these data-driven insights to refine their membership strategies, identify high-potential donors, and increase donation conversion rates. Importantly, we will see how these organizations emphasize local community impact across their teams. Join us for an enlightening discussion on how public media organizations can leverage data to improve their fundraising performance and better serve their communities. By examining the practices of the most successful PMOs highlighted by CDP’s data and discussing collaborative data infrastructures, we aim to uncover replicable strategies and tactics that all PMOs can utilize to tackle their most urgent funding challenges. 

CPB: Understanding Your Community Service Grant

On-site audience and live streamed to virtual audience.
Recorded for later viewing

CPB: Understanding Your Community Service Grant

On-site audience and live streamed to virtual audience.
Recorded for later viewing

Presenters: Katherine Arno, Vice President, Community Service Grants & Station Initiatives; Tim Bawcombe, Director of TV CSG Policy and Review; Andrew Charnik, Director, Radio CSG Policy & Administration, CPB

Description: This session provides a substantial overview of CPB’s radio and television Community Service Grant (CSG) programs. CSG grantees and those who are new to the public media system will gain insights into the components of the CSG awards, how the awards are calculated, grant terms and conditions, and how to estimate a grantee’s fiscal year 2026 CSG.

to estimate a grantee’s fiscal year 2025 CSG, and recent policy changes.

The Human Element: Building Culture in a Changing Workforce

Presenter: Alexia Benner, VP People and Culture, LivingHR

As today’s workforce undergoes rapid transformation, organizations face both the challenge and opportunity to redefine their culture. From the rise of hybrid work models and multi-generational teams to the increased presence of AI, the workplace is evolving at an unprecedented rate. This session, “The Human Element: Building Culture in a Changing Workforce,” explores how organizations can create and sustain a culture that resonates with all employees while fostering collaboration, innovation, and wellbeing. 

In this session, attendees will learn practical strategies to nurture a resilient culture that adapts to change and meets the needs of an evolving workforce. By focusing on the human element of work, leaders can create an environment where all employees feel valued, engaged, and inspired. 

Re-imagining local PBS for a post-broadcast world

Presenter: Kevin Colligan, VP Media and Innovation, Cascade PBS

Streaming apps are the new TV station. That’s true today for much of our current audience, but especially so for the next generation of viewers and supporters, many of whom will never “tune in” to a PBS broadcast. Learn how Cascade PBS embraced a streaming-first mindset and found success (eg: doubling Passport revenue) with our locally branded and curated streaming apps. And hear how we’ve brought this concept nationwide with the Local Streaming Initiative, which recently launched apps for a coalition of stations, large (eg: WETA), medium (eg: Nashville PBS) and small (PBS Charlotte).We’ll share collaboratively developed best practices which can help any station grow their digital membership today (via local apps or the localized PBS App). And lay out a bold vision for the future of independent, local public television. 

Moderator: Dani Iannelli, Director, Immersive Learning, PBS;  

Anthony Padgett – General Manager, WOSU; Aishah Rashied Hyman — Executive Director, Public Media Women in Leadership; Natalie Pillsbury – President & Chief Executive Officer, PBS Western Reserve — Building Today’s Public Media Workforce for Tomorrow’s Success 

In today’s rapidly evolving media landscape, a strong, well-equipped workforce is essential for sustaining public media’s mission and reaching new audiences. Join an insightful panel of public media station leaders as they discuss the critical role that their workforce plays in their stations’ success. Panelists will share case studies and success stories, illustrating how investing in staff and having a growth mindset helps stations adapt to industry shifts and strengthen connections with their communities. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for integrating workforce development into their station’s strategy, empowering staff to thrive and public media to flourish in a competitive media ecosystem. 

On-site audience and livestreamed to virtual audience.  

Recorded for later viewing. 

Speaker: 

Kathy Merritt
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Operator
Corporation for Public Broadcasting 

Speaker Bio: 

As Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Kathy oversees a portfolio of grants and initiatives that strengthen public media stations’ ability to serve their local communities and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the public media system. It includes the Television Content departments, distribution of Community Service Grants to more than five hundred station grantees across the country, Next Generation Warning System grants to help stations better protect Americans in emergency situations, and Collaborative Operations and Services grants that assist stations in leveraging their collective assets for more efficient service to the public. Station and System Strategies also works to collect and analyze data to provide industry insights and inform CPB investments, identify and meet system needs through directed projects and grants, and advance public media’s journalism and radio programming, locally, regionally, and nationally. 

Prior to her current position, Kathy was Chief, Station and System Strategies and Senior Vice President of Radio, Journalism and CSG Services. Before rejoining CPB in 2017, Kathy was Vice President for Content Strategy and Development at Public Radio International, overseeing a portfolio of programs and podcasts. In her previous tenure at CPB, she was Senior Director of Program Investments in Radio, where she was one of the architects of numerous ground-breaking public media projects including the creation of seven Local Journalism Collaborations, which laid a foundation for other public media journalism collaborations, and the Public Radio Talent Quest, which launched “Snap Judgment” host Glynn Washington and “Reveal” host Al Letson. Prior to her work at CPB, Kathy was the interim general manager at KBPS in Portland, Ore.; station manager and news director at WAMU in Washington, D.C.; and news director at WFAE in Charlotte, N.C. She has worked in production, editing, hosting and reporting and filed stories for many news programs, including NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered,” “Marketplace” and “The Osgood File” on CBS. 

She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for her BA in English and the University of Maryland for a Graduate Certificate in Multimedia Journalism. She was named a distinguished alumna of UNC Charlotte in 2023. 

On-site audience and livestreamed to virtual audience. 

Recorded for later viewing. 

Speaker: Kathy Merritt, COO, CPB

Session Description: Join staff from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for this informal session of candid and wide-ranging conversation on topics such as Community Service Grant policy and system trends that are important to both public radio and television stations. This informal session’s agenda will be largely determined by the interests of attendees. Facilitator Kathy Merritt will be joined by several CPB colleagues who will be prepared to take comments and questions.  

  Accounting & Audit Update 

Presenter: Katie Thornton, Partner, Plante Moran

 Learn about the most recent and pertinent updates from the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) that may impact your station. Discussion on current challenges related to accounting, auditing, and AFR submission process. 

Data Mining – Building a Culture of Inquiry and Success

Presenters: Dr. Stephanie Cook, Deputy Director, SCETV- Dr. Sarah Childress, Director of Operations and Strategy, Nashville Public Television- Fred Vigeant, Vice President and Chief Audience Officer, WITF 

Number of sustaining stars? Hours of produced local television? Average household cumes? Total educators served? While we know data-driven decisions are important, it can be challenging to determine which approaches to data collection and sharing are best aligned with the needs of your local stakeholder groups. This session will offer insight into approaches for building a data-driven culture. Presenters will bring perspectives on strategic planning, including ways to develop and monitor success metrics. Additionally, attendees will receive information on low-cost, high-impact assessment strategies, the positioning of research activities in the local station, and connecting data to audience development. Through the discussion of real station examples, as well as the exploration of case studies, attendees will leave empowered with tools to enhance your station’s work around data, research, and outcomes-based programming.  

Gender and Philanthropy – What Drives Giving Among Women Donors

Presenters: Mike Wallace, Senior Director, CARS; Jacqueline Ackerman (remote via Zoom), Interim Director
Women’s Philanthropy Institute; Michal Heiplik, President and CEO, Contributor Development Partnership

A 2016 study conducted by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy found that among Millennial, Boomer, and older generations, women give more to charity than men and are more likely to give than their male counterparts. Anecdotally we see the same thing in public media: women are overrepresented in station donor files. Despite these observations, public media has yet to investigate why this might be or look deeply into the overall motivations, potential for deeper engagement and barriers for women giving to their local station (especially larger gifts). Giving Agency presents the findings of two groundbreaking research projects on why women make leadership gifts to their local station. Phase 1 of the research (in-depth interviews with 25 women giving $1000+ to their local station) was shared at this year’s Brave Talk. Phase 2 (an online survey of women giving mid-level gifts) will be conducted in early 2025, offering PMBA attendees early access to the results and see how stations have started to use the insights. 

Widely known as a writer, magazine editor, and keynote speaker, Janice is the author
of fifteen popular books, including the New York Times bestseller The Gratitude Diaries and The Genius of Women. Her new book What Your Body Knows About Happiness has been hailed as a “master class in happiness.”

As the Editor-in-Chief of Parade, the most widely read publication in America, Janice worked with major political figures including President Barack Obama and interviewed stars including Barbra Streisand, Matt Damon and Daniel Craig.

Janice was deputy editor of TV Guide magazine and executive producer of the TV Guide Television Group, where she created more than 30 television shows that aired primetime on major networks. She began her career as an award-winning producer at ABC-TV’s Good Morning America.

Janice has appeared dozens of times on TV shows including Today, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight and CBS This Morning. She is a popular speaker at conferences, conventions, and events around the country where her inspiring, funny, and energetic talks win raves. Janice graduated magna cum laude from Yale University and won Yale’s Murray Fellowship for writing.

Thank you to our evening sponsor Arizona Public Media.

Managing Through Difficult Times: There are no Difficult Times Only Opportunity

Presenter: Corey Lewis, GM, WGCU

Best practices are temporary and need to evolve with the business climate. The three core revenue departments need to grow under any circumstances through innovation which in some markets mean adopting best practices and in others mean new practices. With anew five-year strategic plan, WGCU’s first investments were in the fundraising units to sustain our editorial growth. It was scary, dropping from seven fundraisers down to two and then growing to 14. Determining who is on board for change is not an easy process for an incoming GM. Investing in fundraisers and better business tools is not the most appealing first step in a campaign or expansion but we did it. Three years into our plan we are on time and on budget for an expansion that has tripled our editorial and production staff, Operating revenues have increased 70% and we have gone from six years of deficit spending between 2012 and 2019 to a surplus of $2M in FY24 operating revenues with reserves of nearly $10M and another $5M is restricted and endowed funds. Giving finance and fundraising a stronger seat at the table made all the difference. 

Public Broadcasting FCC Compliance for Stations

Presenter: Barry Persh, Partner Attorney, Gray Miller Persh LLC

 This session will provide a general overview of important FCC compliance matters, including best practices and tips for how to stay on top of FCC filings and regulatory compliance. Topics will include quarterly issues/programs lists, online public inspection files (OPIF), biennial ownership reports, and station website requirements (for both the FCC and CPB). There will be plenty of time reserved for questions. The session will be presented by Gary Persh, associate attorney at Gray Miller Persh LLP. 

Protecting Yourself: Creating Compliance Programs to Ensure Positive Outcome 

Presenter: Robert Winteringham, Founder, Counsel and Consultant, Public Media and Consulting Group

Public broadcasters must comply with even more legal requirements than other broadcasters. But how do protect yourself to make sure you comply with these rules and regulations and additionally prove it? Your organization must establish and incorporate a consistent compliance program as part of your ongoing business processes. This session will cover ways to create and implement an effective compliance program to help ensure your station meets can document legal obligations. It will also cover strategies for using your compliance program to prepare for audits or investigations. It will also include examples regarding frequent compliance issues faced by stations and discuss how an effective compliance program can mitigate potential vulnerability to adverse findings and consequences. 

Open Forum: Share Problems, Solutions, and Successes with Your Colleagues 

Presenter: Peter Dominowski, Executive Director, University Station Alliance 

The goal of this session is to bring together public media colleagues to share successes, while discussing and brainstorming potential solutions to station’s biggest problems. Led by University Station Alliance Executive Director Peter Dominowski, the topics to be discussed in this interactive session will be primarily determined by the participants. An additional benefit of this session is that participants may identify individuals or station cohorts who share the same challenges and make connections that allow them to work together in solving their mutual concerns. The session will be all about ideas, collaboration, and encouraging stations to work together on areas of common concern.