Penn State approves deal to sell WPSU’s operating assets to WHYY

Penn State trustees on Monday unanimously approved a revised proposal to sell the operating assets of WPSU, the university’s public radio and television station, to WHYY, reviving a path to keep the station alive that fell through under a previous offer last month.

“At times financial negotiations can necessitate multiple rounds of negotiation,” Sara Thorndike, the school’s senior vice president for finance and business, said in a statement. The cost of the sale was not disclosed. “I’m thrilled we were able to bring this agreement to this promising point.”

The vote supporting the revised plan came during a special board of trustees and finance and investment committee meeting Monday. The plan still requires approval from WHYY’s board, as well as the Federal Communications Commission, but is expected to be completed by June 30, 2026, the university said.

Last month, Penn State said it planned to wind down WPSU’s operations and lay off employees by the end of June 2026. The Inquirer previously reported WPSU’s annual budget was funded largely by money from the university coupled with federal dollars — the latter of which was slashed after President Donald Trump’s administration stripped away federal dollars for public media like NPR and PBS.

In September, school trustees unanimously voted down a plan for WPSU’s sale to WHYY, primarily citing concerns over about $17 million in subsidy Penn State would have had to provide to WHYY over five years as part of that deal.

Now, under the new plan, the university would not pay that subsidy. Instead, the university said Monday, WHYY agreed to raise funds itself, starting with a 30-day exclusivity period during which it will attempt to secure funding totaling at least $8.36 million. During that time, Thorndike said Monday, the university can continue to hear offers from parties interested in WPSU, but it cannot sign any agreements.

“We want to do what we can to support them in those efforts,” Thorndike said.

WHYY, the university said, has also agreed to continue operating WPSU for at least three years following the sale, and give current station employees the opportunity to interview for roles at the new station under their leadership. If qualified for jobs determined to be necessary by WHYY, those employees will be hired into those positions, Thorndike said. About 44 employees remain at the station following layoffs in June, The Inquirer recently reported.

Penn State, meanwhile, will give the WHYY-operated station control over all endowments, gifts, and pledges intended for WPSU, the university said.

Last month, university board of trustees chair David Kleppinger called WPSU’s impending closure “an incredibly difficult decision,” but necessary given the funding issues facing both public media and higher education under the Trump administration.

On Monday, Kleppinger said the school’s board had received more than 1,300 public comments about the station in recent weeks, and an “overwhelming majority urged the university to reconsider the decision to wind down WPSU.” Many commenters, he added, focused on the station’s cultural and educational value to children and families in rural Pennsylvania. WPSU serves 24 counties in the central and northern part of the state.

“Many also noted the station’s history of trusted local journalism and community engagement, and urged the board to find a sustainable path forward that preserves those contributions,” Kleppinger said.

Now, if successful, the plan approved Monday by the university’s board would keep the lights on at the station, which began broadcasting more than 70 years ago. In a statement, WHYY president and CEO Bill Marrazzo said WPSU would “continue to be here” for listeners.

“This is an investment in collaboration” Marrazzo said. “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.”