Public Media: Mission-Driven Programming That Serves Our Community

Dale Thornton, Interim President and CEO

There is a distinction between public and commercial media business models, seldom discerned by the casual observer: 

• In public media, the “product” is the programming, and the “customer” is the audience.  
• In commercial media, the “product” is the audience, and the “customer” is the advertiser. 

While much of commercial media programming is excellent, their approach comes with a different set of imperatives, profitability being a key measurement of success. For a nonprofit public media outlet like WGTE, fiscal responsibility is necessary, but our product must always be, first and foremost, in service to our mission, from our television and radio programming to our educational initiatives and outreach. This past year has made that especially clear, as changes to our funding model have driven home the idea that public media works best when it directly serves the needs of local communities.  

Committed to Providing National and Local Excellence  

Over the decades, PBS and NPR have developed a robust slate of content they distribute to member stations across the country. Children’s television programs, from the classic Sesame Street to current favorite Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, do so much to engage and educate young viewers. For adults, PBS series such as Masterpiece and American Experience offer edifying dramas and documentaries with an intelligent edge. NPR programs such as All Things Considered and Morning Edition have become increasingly trusted news sources in these complicated times.  

These nationally renowned examples are powerful endorsements of the promise of public broadcasting. PBS and NPR programs are valued by our audience because they broaden horizons and reflect the state of the nation and the world.  

Yet we also believe the larger mission of public media requires us to do more by providing meaningful local content. Through our locally produced programs, we have an opportunity to present our unique perspective and contribute to the national dialogue. By asking ourselves what the local community needs and how we can responsibly meet that need, we can create a strong, resilient future for WGTE – and public media overall.  

One way we are already accomplishing this is by filling gaps in coverage left open by our commercial counterparts. You see that in WGTE’s commitment to classical music, as well as in local public affairs programming such as To the Point with Doni Miller on WGTE TV and The Local Thread on FM 91, as well as the incredible diversity of thought found in our Voices Around Us® podcasts. Looking ahead, we will redouble our efforts to provide northwest Ohio with content and educational initiatives that tell the stories of the people, communities and institutions that make our region unique. We need to tell stories no one else is telling – stories that need to be told! 

Programming Guided by Purpose 

Together with our Board of Directors, we work to ensure that the content we produce aligns with one or more of the following pillars: 

• Lifelong Learning & Education 
• Civic Engagement & Local Democracy 
• Regional History (Northwest Ohio & Southeast Michigan) 
• Arts & Culture 
• Innovation & Exploration 

WGTE began 2026 with the launch of two new programs, The Four Hundred & Nineteen and The Local Thread, and both programs are finding audiences among those eager to hear more about the people and organizations driving progress throughout the region. We will build on that momentum in the coming year with the debut of several new programs. Sessions is a contemporary music series celebrating the creativity and diversity of Northwest Ohio’s music scene, designed for presentation as short-form digital content, as well as 30-minute programs for television and radio. Future Classics, a monthly web series and radio segment presented in conjunction with the Toledo Symphony School of Music, will shine a spotlight on young performers, featuring both performance and conversation with emerging talent. 

Beyond Broadcasting: Community-Centered Engagement 

As we increase production of programs with a local focus, our efforts extend beyond TV, radio and podcasts to include truly grassroots outreach into communities and neighborhoods too often overlooked. We are proud participants in two initiatives in 2026 which involve partnerships with other local organizations that will bring the perspectives and experiences of frequently overlooked communities into the greater public conversation. 

Make It Make Sense, a collaboration with Reinvest Toledo and the Toledo Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, will elevate community voices, provide young adults with valuable job experience and support resident-led solutions to neighborhood challenges. Make It Make Sense will provide paid internships and coaching to individuals ages 18–24 who are either at risk for or have been impacted by gun violence. They will receive training for potential media and communications careers by building their technical, creative and leadership skills through storytelling and hands-on production opportunities. Utilizing this training, they will participate in the production of several town hall-style events in which residents engage in dialogue about issues facing their communities, including housing, neighborhood safety and equitable development. These interns will also have an opportunity to make their voices heard as they collaborate with WGTE staff to create multimedia pieces sharing their lived experiences as residents of Toledo’s historically marginalized neighborhoods.  

Another upcoming project, Neighborhood Voices, is a partnership between WGTE and organizations representing three Toledo neighborhoods: the Old West End, Uptown and Englewood. Through this initiative, we will be transforming community spaces into neighborhood media art hubs, installing large multimedia kiosks in highly visible areas. Best of all, the content of these kiosks will be created by residents who, working with WGTE staff and our partners at Owens Community College, will develop multimedia art pieces that reflect each neighborhood’s unique identity. While mentoring these artists through this process, ultimately they will be telling their own stories in ways that are authentic and truly meaningful.  

Mission-Driven Stewardship in a Time of Transition 

While WGTE continues its search for our next President and CEO, we will continue to strike a balance between delivering the programming that our audience has relied on for decades with new programming which fulfills the mission that is at the heart of public media: to meet people where they are, to deliver content that amplifies the voices of its people – and to serve as a resource that reflects the best of who we are as a community.