New Policy Paper Recommends Transformation of Public Media

Former Radio and Television News Directors Association and Foundation President Barbara Cochran offers a set of steps that public broadcasting stations and networks need to take to become more relevant and improve service to their communities. The strategies include strengthening local news operations, sharing digital platforms among public entities, recruiting more diverse workforces, and reforming public media structures. Cochran is a journalist and former news executive who led both public and commercial newsrooms.

Cochran calls on Congress, public media entities, philanthropic organizations and others to:

• Restructure the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as the Corporation for Public Media. Break down barriers between television and radio and consider a new structure based on strengths in types of content;
• Allow public media entities to operate with greater efficiencies by making it easier for stations to consolidate and merge;
• Improve community governance structures and increase digital experience among board members;
• Increase congressional support through a special appropriation to enable public media to offer content more broadly on digital platforms as key community anchor institutions under the national broadband plan, and restore reauthorization;
• Encourage investment from government, foundations and corporations;
• Seek foundation partners to jump-start the process and engage community foundations to support fulfillment of community information needs; and
• Keep digital content free.