GBH and New England Public Media have announced plans to merge operations expanding their reach across Massachusetts.
The merger will combine each organizations Public News/Talk and Classical stations and Public Television outlets. They intend to preserve the distinct GBH and NEPM brands, headquarter locations, and signature programs, while creating efficiencies through combined back office operations, such as a statewide sponsorship program; growing content collaborations; and allowing for even greater investments in staff and programs.
GBH operates Public News/Talk 89.7 WGBH-FM Boston, Classical 99.5 WCRB Lowell, and “Cape & Islands Radio” 90.1 WCAI Woods Hole/91.1 WNAN Nantucket/94.3 WZAI Brewster. NEPM has a Public News/Talk “NEPM News” network of 88.5 WFCR Amherst, 640 WNNZ Westfield, and six translators. It’s “NEPM Classical” runs on WFCR-HD2 and WNNZ-FM Deerfield, 98.9 WNNI Adams, 89.5 WNNU Great Barrington, and 91.9 WAIC Springfield. The two groups combined their Springfield operations in 2019 when GBH owned WGBY-TV combined with New England Public Radio to form NEPM.
The organizations state that the merger unites GBH, NEPM, and Cape and Islands radio station CAI to form one of the largest and most trusted statewide newsroom networks in the Commonwealth. This combined effort dramatically expands coverage, elevates diverse voices, and maintains a hyper-local focus from the Berkshires to Oak Bluffs. Building on the established Connecting the Commonwealth initiative, this network ensures every resident in the state has paywall-free access to independent, fact-based reporting and essential information they need across all platforms.
GBH President/CEO Susan Goldberg commented, “We are finding new and forward-thinking ways to make a difference in the communities we serve. By scaling our journalism while maintaining our focus on local coverage, we become a more sustainable business operation even in the face of federal defunding, ensuring that every resident of the Commonwealth has access to fact-based reporting and stories that matter.”
NEPM President Matt Abramovitz will remain in that role and also become VP/Audience Strategy & Operations at GBH. He said, “We are at a turning point in public media and this merger offers a tremendous opportunity. By joining forces with GBH, we can remain the hometown station for western Mass. while building a statewide partnership that protects and amplifies the work we do in the 413. We can now focus more energy and resources where they belong: on the journalism, music, events, and storytelling that connects our region and our state.”
GBH News Editor-in-Chief Dan Lothian will exapnd his role to include all TV, radio and digital reporting at GBH, NEPM, and CAI as well as the syndicated show “The World”. The organizations expect the merger to close this summer with no immediate plans for staff reductions.
