STRENGTH IN WQED MULTIMEDIA WQED’S MISSION WQED Pittsburgh creates, produces and distributes quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within its community and around the world. 2008 ANNUAL R EPORT The STRATEGIC PRIORITIES Critical to Our Success Brand, promote and position WQED as a multimedia industry leader and a provider of valuable content WQED Board of Directors Fiscal Year 2008-2009 Maximize content delivery through an agile and innovative FRONT ROW L-R: Kathleen Mulcahy; Daria Crawley; Peter Gerszten; Mary Lou McLaughlin, Honor Board; strategic technology plan Debra Caplan, Vice Chair; Richard L. Stover, Chair; R. Yvonne Campos; Christine Ward; Lara Washington-Thomas; Dee Jay Oshry; Ellen L. Donley, Leadership On Board Representative. BACK ROW L-R: Neil Barclay; Carole A. Bailey; Gregg Behr; James E. Abraham, Trustee Emeritus; Mickey McManus; George L. Miles, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer; Michael A. Bryson; Donald C. Korb, Honor Board; Maintain fiscal responsibility James Maher; Eric K. Mann; Benno Bernt, Honor Board; Mark Hornak. and vitality; generate new and Not pictured: Lidia Bastianich; Theodore M. Bovard; Dan Frankel; Alex Johnson; Clyde Jones; Dana E. Malin; diverse revenue opportunities Kevin McMahon; Donna C. Peterman; Joseph Platt; Tom R. Tabor; Raul Valdes-Perez; Sylvia C. Wilson. and strategic partnerships WQED’s strength lies in its locally-produced programs that change lives. Attract and retain talented, Strength in national productions with a Pittsburgh angle and educational creative and skilled employees initiatives that help children and families prepare for life. Strength in a classical music station that soothes and inspires. Strength in a publishing Model and provide excellent customer service to strengthen division that includes the region’s premiere city magazine. Strength in a community connections website with an international audience. Strength in community engagement and membership that celebrates the inclusiveness of our region. *** POST PRE Annual Report 2008 CHANGES 3/27/09 10:54 AM Page 1 GREETINGS FROM RICHARD L. STOVER AND GEORGE L. MILES, JR. Fiscal Year 2008 at WQED was another strong year in the illustrious history of this community resource. Programmatically, organizationally, technically and financially WQED is in an enviable position as it builds on its successes and serves the community in accordance with its mission. The national economy lapsed into a severe recession by September 2008 and brought challenges to WQED. Thanks to the foresight of the Board of Directors and WQED management, “hunker down” policies were put in place beginning in April 2008 to meet those challenges from a position of strength. WQED’s fiscal house was in order prior to the recession and staff was able to weather the downturn through the end of the 2008 fiscal year. No one can predict what the economic news will be in Fiscal year 2009. One hopes that the crisis stabilizes and that the economy will begin to move in a positive direction. WQED is in a strong position to weather the storm by staying true to its roots of frugality. The company went through a far deeper crisis in its financial life fifteen years ago and came through stronger than it had ever been. We see no reason to expect anything different through this economic storm. Even in the face of an economic downturn, the amount of work produced and distributed by WQED was truly astounding this year. No other media company in this region—and very few around the country—produce the quantity and the quality of programming that WQED produces. From television and radio to publishing and interactive, WQED touches the community, informs people, teaches children and families, and truly changes lives. This success would not be possible without the leadership of the WQED Board of Directors, the input provided by the Community Advisory Board (CAB), and the wisdom of the WQED Honor Board and Trustees Emeriti. Thank you. And a special thanks to the staff of WQED who make it all possible by contributing their talents, their creativity, and their devotion to this half-century experiment called public broadcasting. It’s a life-changing experience. Yours in progress, Richard L. Stover George L. Miles, Jr. Chair, Board of Directors President and CEO WQED MULTIMEDIA 1 *** POST PRE Annual Report 2008 CHANGES 3/27/09 10:54 AM Page 2 STRENGTH IN LOCAL AND NATIONAL PRODUCTION WQED’s strength in local and national production surpasses Pennsylvania Public Television Network (PPTN) Programs most other PBS stations. Thanks to members, viewers, listeners, Gettysburg’s New Battle: Saving the Stone Soldiers premiered in corporations, and foundations, WQED is able to produce and November 2008 as an expanded one-hour version of an earlier air a wide variety of riveting television that tells a local story special: Stone Soldiers, Saving the Gettysburg Monuments. that is also of interest to a national audience. Gettysburg’s New Battle was simulstreamed to a world-wide audience at www.wqed.org on the same night it premiered on-air Fiscal Year 2008 was one of the busiest producing years in to take advantage of an audience of Civil War enthusiasts WQED’s history. Local and national productions focused on across the country. Pittsburgh’s contributions to the world and told little-known stories about ordinary people who became heroes. Gettysburg’s New Battle showcased the 1300-plus monuments or “stone soldiers” located at Gettysburg National Military Rick Sebak produced what is probably his crowning achievement Park and told the fascinating stories about the people who to date—A Ride Along The Lincoln Highway. This national fought during that three-day battle and of the people working documentary for PBS aired in October and took a ride along to preserve and protect the monuments that time, nature and America’s first transcontinental highway. Thanks to local vandals have damaged. underwriting from The Sewickley Car Store, A Ride Along The Lincoln Highway had a proper premier gala just blocks Producers Dave Hallewell and Dave Rhodes produced three from an original stretch of the highway. While on the road specials in Fiscal Year 2008: Strange Pennsylvania with Dave taping the program, Sebak and his crew filed daily reports & Dave; Pennsylvania’s Offbeat Museums with Dave and on an interactive Lincoln Highway blog. Dave; and Pittsburgh N’at with Dave & Dave…and Friends. Sebak’s local show in FY 2008 was Invented, Engineered & Pioneered in Pittsburgh, one of WQED’s contributions to Pittsburgh 250. The program looked at Pittsburgh’s rich history of innovation, inventions, and the engineers who made it all possible. Invented, Engineered & Pioneered in Pittsburgh was made possible by the Buhl Foundation with additional funding from Michael Baker Corporation, NOVA Chemicals and United States Steel Corporation. WQED’s track record of programming with incredible impact was demonstrated this year by Fly Boys: Western Pennsylvania’s Tuskegee Airmen, produced by Chris Moore and co-produced by Olga George. The special premiered in February and was simulstreamed on WQED Interactive to a worldwide audience. Fly Boys: Western Pennsylvania’s Tuskegee Airmen told the story A of the "Tuskegee Airmen Experiment," a military initiative during World War II to determine if African-American men were capable of flying complicated engines of war. The documentary had its premiere screening for Black History Month at Soldiers and Sailors Military Museum and Memorial and was hosted by the University of Pittsburgh. Several of the original Tuskegee Airmen were able to attend the premiere and shared their stories with a new generation. American Public Television (APT) decided that Fly Boys: Western Pennsylvania’s Tuskegee Airmen had national significance and has made the program available to stations across the country. B C 2 2008 ANNUAL REPORT *** POST PRE Annual Report 2008 CHANGES 3/27/09 10:54 AM Page 3 Pennsylvania’s Offbeat Museums took a look at some of the WQED’s production of Gardens of Pennsylvania took a more unusual museums in the state, including the Zippo statewide tour of some of Pennsylvania’s major and lesser known Museum in Bradford, the Harry Houdini Museum in Scranton; public gardens. Host and OnQ contributor Doug Oster, gardening Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum in Ortanna; the Pennsylvania writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, featured the gardens, their Lumber Museum in Galeton; the Little League Museum in unique history and the people who maintain them. Williamsport; the Insectarium in Philadelphia; and the Western The program toured Chanticleer Gardens in Philadelphia; Phipps Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum in Pittsburgh. Conservatory and Botanical Gardens; the Gardens of Kennywood Strange Pennsylvania was a trip to little-known places and events Park and Holocaust Garden in Pittsburgh; the Erie Zoo and like BlobFest in Phoenixville; The Caboose Motel in Titusville; Botanical Gardens in Erie; Hershey Gardens in Hershey; Gravity Hill in New Paris; lawn mower racing in Butler County; Marywood College Arboretum in Scranton; and Longwood Archbald Pothole State Park in Lackawanna County; Land of Gardens in Philadelphia. Little Horses in Gettysburg; Ringing Rocks Park in Bucks County; Bedford Springs: Opening History’s Door aired in October 2007 wiener dog races in Pittsburgh; the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia; and told the story of this fabled resort’s heyday, decline and Dunkel’s Gulf Gas Station in Bedford; a backyard castle in New subsequent restoration. The program was simulstreamed on Milford; dinosaurs in Erie; and recycled road signs in Meadville. WQED Interactive so that viewers outside the WQED coverage Dave and Dave kept an online blog called “Dave and Dave’s area and in Bedford County could watch. Excellent Blog” while taping Strange Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh N’at with Dave & Dave…and Friends premiered in November 2008 as another WQED contribution to Pittsburgh 250. Dave and Dave were joined by local media celebrities D like Jim Krenn, Randy Bauman, Sally Wiggin, Stan Savran, Larry Richert, Julie Bologna, Anji Corley, and Mike Lange who call Pittsburgh home to talk about the things that make the city and region unique.