Improving Local and Regional Reporting:
Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation
Designed as a vehicle for the public, the Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation works to create dialogue about community issues and stories. Launched in 2011 (in partnership with the Pittsburgh philanthropic community), 90.5 WESA employs a National Public Radio (NPR) news and information format that informs people across platforms and prompts dialogue about global, national, and community issues. WESA carries much of NPR’s programming, locally produced content, and, during overnight hours, the BBC World Service.
In addition to national and international news coverage from the worldwide resources of NPR, a staff of journalists based on Pittsburgh’s South Side provides daily coverage of local and regional news. Under the leadership of Terry O’Reilly, CEO of 90.5 WESA since mid-2016, the station and its reporters have won more than a dozen awards, and listenership, donors, and corporate underwriters all have increased. Overall, more than 250,000 people listen to Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting’s programs every week, and tens of thousands engage on the website and mobile digital services each week. A Foundation grant of $750,000 over two years will support additional staff to improve local and regional reporting and support ongoing fundraising and other growth efforts.