UNIVERSITY PARK — The potential shuttering of WPSU is seemingly no more as the Penn State Board of Trustees voted unanimously Monday to approve material terms of a proposed transaction to transfer the operating assets of the public radio and television stations WHYY.

WHYY, a public media organization based in Greater Philadelphia, serves the tri-state region. The trustees previously voted down an attempt by WHYY to purchase WPSU last month.

According to a release from the university, the approval was made to preserve its goal to continue focusing on its core educational mission, while also supporting access to free public media for the radio and television stations of 1.5 million citizens in central Pennsylvania.

According to the release, the board’s decision authorizes PSU to negotiate and execute definitive agreements to complete the transaction with WHYY.

WHYY’s board of directors also must vote on the proposed acquisition, and it must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission before it is finalized, the release said.

The vote comes a month after the board voted down the original offer to sell WPSU to WHYY.

The reason behind the vote, according to the university, was because it called for PSU to annually step down its operating support for the public stations over five years. This original offer would have given WHYY time to bring WPSU back into the black financially.

When that offer was denied, WPSU was looking at ceasing operations by the summer of 2026.

T trustees said the university could not take on such a significant financial commitment, especially given other pressures facing higher education, the release said.

In the revision to the transaction’s terms, WHYY will seek to identify third-party sources to meet that financial obligation.

“We know what WPSU means to its listeners and viewers and the vital role public radio and television plays in Central Pennsylvania,” said Sara Thorndike, senior vice president for finance and business/treasurer. “So, we continued to explore opportunities with WHYY with the goal of keeping WPSU operational while reducing the University’s financial commitment to the station. At times financial negotiations can necessitate multiple rounds of negotiation. I’m thrilled we were able to bring this agreement to this promising point.”

Under the new proposed transaction approved by the board, the university will not have to pay the $17 million subsidy, the release said. Instead, WHYY will have a 30-day Exclusivity Period after the vote to seek financing commitments of at least $8.36 million. WHYY must keep the university informed of its progress in securing such financing. Both parties must agree in writing to extend the Exclusivity Period.

“WHYY has been a thoughtful partner,” Thorndike said. “Their leadership has agreed to continue to operate WPSU for at least three years following the sale closing, which is expected to occur by June 30, 2026. All current WPSU employees will have an opportunity to interview for potential roles at the new station. Further, we are very pleased the stations will continue to offer our Bellisario College of Communications students real-world experiences.”

The proposed transaction also calls for the university to assign or grant control to the new entity over all endowments, gifts and pledges restricted to or for the benefit of WPSU to the extent permitted by law and the terms of any applicable agreement, the release said.

Since the implementation of the university’s new budget model in 2024 — which is focused on keeping tuition costs as low as possible for Pennsylvania families amid rising costs, inflation, demographic challenges and stagnant state funding — the university and station leadership have been exploring a number of funding models for WPSU. The rescission of federal funding for public media has caused further strain on the stations’ finances, the release said.

“We know that WPSU is highly valued by communities throughout Central Pennsylvania, and we have worked diligently to find the best path forward for the station, our people who work there, and certainly all of our WPSU viewers and listeners,” said Larry Terry, vice president for Penn State Outreach. “We are grateful that WHYY, one of the country’s leading public media organizations, recognizes the importance of maintaining access to public media for the Central Pennsylvania region and is committed to the continuation of these services in our communities.”

Looking ahead

WHYY leadership has shared that they anticipate building on WPSU’s long history of serving the people of Central Pennsylvania with trusted news, thought-provoking storytelling, and cultural programming.

“Most importantly, we want to assure public media audiences in Central Pennsylvania that WPSU will continue to be here for you,” said Bill Marrazzo, president and CEO of WHYY. “Your stories, your communities and your voices remain at the heart of this work.”

Marrazzo said he sees many possibilities to build on the rich history of WPSU while continuing to provide the communities WPSU serves with access to the exceptional public media experience on which they rely.

“One of the foundational pillars of public media is the drive to ensure the sustainability of free and universal access to its programming and services for every American citizen,” said Marrazzo. “This is an investment in collaboration. WHYY and WPSU are joining forces to expand what is possible — strengthening local journalism, creating new educational opportunities and developing innovative ways to deliver the content people value most.”