The Federal Communications Commission has approved the merger between GBH and Springfield-based New England Public Media, forming a media outfit likely to reach at least 1.3 million readers, viewers and listeners statewide each week.
“This is a profound milestone for public media in our state,” Susan Goldberg, president and CEO of GBH, said in a statement. “By scaling our journalism while maintaining our hyper-local coverage, we are creating one of the largest public media newsrooms in the country.”
The two news media organizations have collaborated for the last seven years. GBH formally took ownership of New England Public Media, or NEPM, in 2019, but created a separate nonprofit organization for it. NEPM includes New England Public Radio, which was operating the station WFCR in Springfield for the University of Massachusetts; and the GBH-owned television station WGBY.
Goldberg said last month that the merger would not result in any immediate staff reductions and may lead to new positions in the future.
NEPM currently employs 44 people, while GBH has 705 staffers.
The merger, expected to close in mid-July, will lead to collaborative sponsorships and public events, as well as cost-saving efficiencies stemming from consolidation, say leaders at both organizations.
The merger could also result in a net reduction in member fees paid to PBS and NPR for national programming. NEPM will retain its brand, programming, and Springfield and UMass studios.
This story was reported by Chris Burrell and edited by Don Seiffert. No WGBH Educational Foundation official or GBH News executive reviewed this story before it was published.
