From the President

As we approach the end of 2018, I’d like to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year. In addition to compelling programming from NPR, PBS and the Little Theatre, we are proud of the work we do to engage with our community. I’m pleased to share a few highlights from the year.

Opioids and Heroin Epidemic Coverage: In April WXXI News partnered with journalists from public media organizations in Oregon and Ohio in a reporting series called Opioid Crisis: The Ripple Effect, which looked at the people and issues indirectly affected by the opioid crisis. In October our work on this issue continued as we partnered with PBS stations across New York State for New York’s Opioid Crisis, providing a week of special programming and reporting on a state-wide level.

Education Day with the Education Commissioner: New York State Commissioner of Education MaryEllen Elia and members of the New York State Board of Regents visited the station in August to learn more about the critical work of our education department. We spotlighted the training we do for educators, the learning resources we offer, the family engagement events we host, as well as our work with CPB’s American Graduate initiative and our Move to Include partnership with the Golisano Foundation.

Open House: In September we opened our doors to the public for a day of fun and discovery. The biennial event brought more than 3,000 visitors into the station to meet our radio and TV hosts and many PBS Kids characters, walk through our TV studios, learn how to access WXXI on their smart devices, catch a short film presented by the Little Theatre, and sneak a peek of Second Opinion’s new season.

The Little’s Theatre 1 Restoration: The Little’s historic Theatre 1 reopened in October following significant renovations. The restoration included the installation of a remodeled stage, new theater seating that matches the original Art Deco style seats (with cup holders!), plus major technology improvements including an energy-efficient LED lighting system, new projection, and an upgraded sound system.

Documentaries: Our TV production team brought us two amazing documentaries this year. The first was Wendell Castle: A Portrait, which provided a look into the life of the master furniture artist, designer, sculptor, and educator. The film premiered at the Memorial Art Gallery on September 5th and made its WXXI-TV debut two weeks later. The second was Dialogue in Metal, which captured the journey of Jesse James of West Coast Choppers fame and world-renowned metal artist Albert Paley as they collaborated to make two sculptures. It premiered at The Little with a Q&A with Jesse and Albert with two sold-out crowds in October. The film premiered on WXXI-TV in November, and will be made available to PBS stations across the country this spring.

From trusted, balanced reporting to Classical 91.5’s local hosts and productions, from the great music you hear on WRUR-FM to our 24-hour radio reading services for people who are visually impaired, and from all we present on TV and at The Little, it has truly been a great year. This important work would not be possible without your support, and for that, we thank you.