2019 COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT 1 2 WUCF COMMITMENT MISSION We are Central Florida’s STORYTELLERS. We engage curiosity and learning through compelling content and community engagement. VISION We think big. We want to be a leader and innovator in telling stories that make a positive impact in our community and the world. MISSION We are Orlando’s jazz SOUNDTRACK... preserving and advancing this art form through broadcast, performance, and partnerships. VISION We want to be a leading source for jazz by providing programming and outreach that make a positive impact in the community and the world. 3 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The past six years have been a time of growth for WUCF in our mission to be Central Florida’s Storytellers. From the launch of WUCF’s news program NewsNight to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the moon landing with our Summer of Space to hosting WUCF’s biggest Be My Neighbor Day ever to launching the Live From Studio A television component highlighting the jazz artists who walk through our door, the Central Florida community has observed the station’s rapid growth and experienced its impact. WUCF reaches more than 635,000 people each week across TV and FM through on-air programming, online content, and community engagement events. Generous support from our community makes this possible. Thank you for trusting us to serve Central Florida. As the media industry evolves, WUCF holds fast to our mission of being Central Florida’s Storytellers. We want to share stories from our nine-county footprint that highlight the people and places our community cares about. As we head into 2020, we will continue to provide our viewers and listeners with engaging content and information in traditional ways via radio and our four television channels and also through emerging media such as social media, digital platforms, podcasts, and streaming services. As I reflect on what we have done in 2019, I am humbled seeing how it all reflects back into our mission and vision for this public media company. I hope you, our viewers and listeners, are also just as proud to see how your generous giving is supporting everything we provide this community. As we embark on a new year, we hope this annual impact report will show you the amazing work being done across Central Florida. Dr. Phil Hoffman, Executive Director 4 WUCF STATION PROFILE WUCF is one of the nation’s fastest-growing PBS stations, while maintaining the #6 position as the most-watched station in the Orlando market in a 500+ channel environment. WUCF’s television license is held by the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees. Reaching more than 2 million adults annually, WUCF is committed to maintaining the integrity of its brand and aligning with like-minded partners. Its partnership with UCF has helped to achieve this by airing media content that is both enlightening and educational. WUCF broadcasts on four television channels: WUCF PBS, WUCF Create, WUCF PBS KIDS and NHK World. WUCF is a non-commercial broadcaster and adheres to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) standards that regulate how WUCF recognizes its underwriters. 5 WUCF REACHES MORE THAN 4 MILLION ADULTS ANNUALLY ACROSS A NINE-COUNTY AREA OF FLORIDA Flagler Marion Reaches More Than Volusia 500,000 Lake People Each Week Source: Media Audit Sumter Seminole Orange Osceola Brevard Reaches More Than 135,000 People Each Week Source: Nielsen Radio Ratings WUCF Market Area 6 CENTRAL FLORIDA’S STORYTELLER WUCF does not simply provide a big audience. Our connection to PBS, the BBC, public media networks, and the NPR radio network provides us the kind of excellence in programming that one would expect from UCF. For the 16th consecutive year, PBS and its member stations have been named #1 in public trust among American institutions in a nationwide annual survey. According to the 2019 findings, Americans rank PBS as more trustworthy than institutions such as courts of law, the federal government and Congress, as well as media sources such as digital platforms, commercial broadcast and cable television, newspapers and social media. Respondents also said that PBS was their most trusted source of news and public affairs programming. 7 WUCF FM - 89.9 JAZZ & MORE WUCF FM 89.9 offers two unique music broadcasts: 89.9 HD1 Jazz & More & 89.9 HD2 Latin Jazz. 89.9 FM’s music format is unique to Central Florida, serving a diverse listening community. The newly launched 89.9 HD2 Latin Jazz broadcast serves as an outreach to the large and ever- growing Latin American listening population in Central Florida, and around the world via online streaming. WUCF FM 89.9 reaches 135,000 listeners weekly and is consistently ranked in the top 15 radio stations in the Orlando market. Each week, WUCF produces local programming for broadcast onair and via podcasts. Programs include: • Live from Studio A • Jazz Most Wanted Countdown • Latin Jazz with Alex Diaz • Jazz on the Beach with Jack Simpson • WUCF Magazine • The Major Scale Podcast 135,000 WEEKLY LISTENERS 8 WUCF FM HAD OVER 1.1 MILLION TOTAL LISTENING HOURS IN 2019. “BEST JAZZ PROGRAMMING HANDS-DOWN, WITH AMAZING HOSTS” -MARIO C. 9 WUCF TV & FM WUCF HAS ENGAGED WITH OVER 2 MILLION PEOPLE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA IN 2019 VIA TV, FM, ONLINE & IN PERSON. 10 COMMUNITY IMPACT 11 WUCF INFORMS WUCF is a leader in bringing high-quality content that improves learning outcomes for Central Floridians of all ages with a particular focus on serving parents, caregivers, teachers and students. Through our work in the commnunity, WUCF provides access to PBS KIDS resources that enrich free time and provide simple digital literacy practices to help guide children’s use of all media. Nearly 20,000 Central Florida users regularly access WUCF PBS WUCF produces more than 50 hours of original LearningMedia each month. content each year. We tell the stories of Central Florida and share then throughout the country. WUCF has nationally distributed multiple projects in 2019 including The Groveland Four, Space Chase USA and A Christmas Classic with the Bach Festival Society. WUCF also works with Central Florida producers to share their stories and distribute their work. Most of all, WUCF brings people together to create meaningful conversations. Each year, WUCF hosts more than 100 events ranging from community discussions to screenings. PBS KIDS digital attracts As Central Florida’s community-supported PBS station, 11 million+ unique visitors WUCF is recognized as a valuable partner and a trusted on average each month storyteller in our region. Each year we bring PBS favorites to 9+ counties in the areas of education, STEM, news & public affairs and arts & culture. WUCF PROVIDES MORE THAN 35,000 HOURS OF HIGH-QUALITY TV PROGRAMMING PBS KIDS delivers 4 billion+ streams across digital services ANNUALLY each year 12 WUCF EDUCATES No other media organization does more to support learning than WUCF and PBS. We’re committed to helping address our community’s critical needs in early education and continuing education. Through content and services that parents and teachers trust, we’re leading the way in inspiring the next generation of lifelong learners and leaders. FACTS: • WUCF combines the power of national PBS educational programming with localized, on-the-ground outreach. In 2019, WUCF provided 1739 hours of free professional development to Central Florida educators. • WUCF has produced 135 minutes of local content for PBS LearningMedia in 2019. • WUCF leads the state of Florida in PBS LearningMedia usage. This amazing organization is a terrific “connector” so all families, teachers, parents and kids have the resources needed to give our children the best possible start in life. The PBS FOR TEACHERS, PARENTS AND KIDS works tirelessly to achieve their mission and their record of success is a testament to this. - Lyana Vazquez, Director of Best Memories Academy Educational Preschool and Childcare 13 MEET THE HELPERS ABOUT: Following the Pulse nightclub shooting, WUCF launched “Meet the Helpers” as a way to talk to kids about community crises. PARTNERS: • Corporation for Public Broadcasting - Funded the project with $225,000 to expand research & share nationally with public media stations. • University of Central Florida -UCF faculty including Dr. Timothy & Deanna Sellnow of the Nicholson School, as well as Dr. Judith Levin of the College of Education are using the project for research purposes, trying to solve one of society’s greatest challenges, helping young children and their parents process trauma and disaster. OUTCOMES: “Meet The Helpers” has been distributed to over 30 PBS stations across the U.S. as locally brandable content and is the nationally recognized model for children in crisis. “The Meet the Helpers series really shows kids that helping others is a choice and Financial support for MEET THE HELPERS there are grownups who dedicate their has been made possible in part by: lives as helpers. It’s a powerful feeling for kids to know we can count on our helpers and it’s even more empowering to know what to do.” – Judy from Orlando 14 WUCF PUBLIC MEDIA FELLOWSHIP INNOVATIVE OPPORTUNITIES Since 2017, WUCF has offered the WUCF Public Media Fellowship, a school-to-work program. UCF undergraduate students are invited to this one credit experiential learning opportunity as a way to provide a pathway for students to leverage their participation in a strong academic program by applying what they learn in a professional media environment. In its role as part of the larger educational mission of the university, WUCF seeks to leverage our scale of having a full-time professional media resource on campus to create a school-to-work pathway for students interested in media careers.