Editor’s note: Welcome to another segment of “Beat the Press with Emily Rooney,” now a regular Contrarian Boston feature. Today, we dive into whether Boston is big enough to support both GBH and WBUR as the two public radio stations battle for sponsorship dollars, listeners, and influence.
Emily Rooney was joined by Media Nation’s Dan Kennedy, a journalism professor at Northeastern University, The Boston Globe’s Lylah M. Alphonse, editor of Globe Rhode Island and Globe New Hampshire, and Scott Van Voorhis, editor and founder of Contrarian Boston.
And thanks to Tonia Magras, principal owner of Hull Bay Productions, who produced today’s piece. Tonia was the supervising producer for “Beat the Press” when it was on GBH and is the principal owner of Hull Bay Productions.
If you would rather use a different platform, you can also watch “Beat the Press with Emily Rooney” on Contrarian Boston’s YouTube channel.
(Separately, Contrarian Boston recently examined the finances of Boston’s two public radio stations, both of which have highly paid CEOs and executive teams and pricey new headquarters. Our story can be found below.)
Time to join forces? GBH and WBUR could keep more reporters on the beat if they jettisoned one of the two highly paid CEOs and executive teams currently riding herd over Boston’s public radio scene
By Scott Van Voorhis
We need to pull the plug on one of Boston’s two public radio stations - and send more reporters packing - like we need a hole in the head.
Local news is on the ropes. We need more journalists digging and doing stories, not fewer.
But the millions of dollars spent on generous executive suite salaries at GBH and WBUR? Well, that’s another matter.
Contrarian Boston came away with more questions than answers after reviewing the audits and tax filings of the Hub’s two public radio giants.
