GBH, Frontline veteran named CEO for public media in RI
Pam Johnston, a veteran of television news and public media, will lead the recently merged Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio.
By Ian Donnis and Pamela Watts
Veteran multimedia journalism leader Pam Johnston is set to take the helm of the recently merged public broadcasters Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio.
In an interview on Wednesday, Johnston says she reacted with tears of joy on learning of her selection as president and CEO.
“This is truly a dream job, a dream place, a dream team and the magnitude of it for me, for the people of Rhode Island and for these two organizations is profound,” she said. “It’s different than stepping into a role because there is a transition of leadership. I see this as building something new but with a really strong foundation that already exists.”
Johnston is a New England native with almost 30 years of experience in media. She most recently served as general manager of news at Boston-based public media station GBH, and previously as a senior director of strategy and audience at FRONTLINE, PBS’ investigative documentary series.
Elizabeth Delude-Dix and Dave Laverty, co-chairs of Rhode Island’s combined public media organizations, said Johnston emerged as the best choice among more than 50 applicants for the top job.
“She’s passionate, she’s got plenty of experience,” Delude-Dix said in an interview. “She’s innovative, she has experience at both the local and the national level. And she has both a radio and TV background, and a vision for the future of public media that is really exciting.”
Johnston is slated to start on the job Aug. 19. Her initial tasks will include the process of naming the organization created by the merger of Rhode Island’s public radio and public TV stations, a move announced last November and approved by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha in April.
According to Johnston, “A name speaks to identity, who we are now in this next chapter. When we share a name, we are truly united. There is also trust and credibility in our journalism and that’s precious. So finding our collective brand is paramount.”
Johnston said she hopes the audience can play a role in determining how the public broadcasters can serve the community.
“We will be asking questions, engaging with them more and having opportunities as journalists to really show up and listen quietly with openness and humility,” Johnston said. “I think that’s what this moment calls for. I think that’s how we end up creating a public media resource that is even more reflective of this community.”
Johnston left GBH at the end of May, about four months after a Boston Globe story described turmoil at the public media radio-TV giant, which included a human resources investigation into the newsroom’s culture, according to an email from a GBH spokesperson.
When asked about the environment that prompted the investigation, Johnston said, “I’m incredibly proud of the work done at GBH. A talented team navigated an extreme amount of transformation in a very short amount of time. We grew audience, grew funding and told stories along many platforms – and we moved fast. What I have learned is: moving fast, at the risk of folks feeling left out of the change, is not okay. It’s vital that people be centered with changes inside the newsroom, [that they] understand the changes and be invited into that change.”
The search committee researched Johnston’s background, Laverty said, and came away impressed.
“The search committee spoke with both people who reported to Johnston as well as her superiors and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive,” Laverty said. “She is an agent of change and sometimes that change can be difficult.”
Delude-Dix said Johnston’s record at GBH includes doubling the station’s digital footprint within five years and being part of the team that won a prestigious Peabody Award for its podcast The Big Dig.
Johnston’s vision is based, Delude-Dix said, on “meeting audiences exactly where they are. She has a focus on local. She has a focus on diversity and creating programming that addresses all the communities within Rhode Island and South Coast Massachusetts. She also is interested in having a conversation with the community, the broader community and that will begin when she starts her position.”
While Rhode Island PBS began as a TV station and The Public’s Radio launched as a radio station, 21st Century media organizations need to move beyond legacy platforms, Johnston said. Increasingly, that includes reaching people on phones, devices and podcasts.
“Audience-focused news dovetails with digital because the fact of the matter is that is how most people are consuming news and information today,” Johnston said. “We have to look at content and consumption habits and meet the audience where they are. We’re telling amazing stories on public radio and TV. It’s powerful – now we have to think differently about how we distribute those stories in a way that makes it even more accessible to more people.”
Johnston will succeed Rhode Island PBS president David Piccerelli and Torey Malatia, president, CEO and general manager of The Public's Radio. Piccerelli and Malatia served as co-CEOs after the merger and will be available to Johnston during the transition.
Delude-Dix declined to specify how many finalists were interviewed by the combined board of Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio. She also declined to specify Johnston’s compensation.
Before coming to FRONTLINE, Johnston held leadership roles with Lahey Health and Gather.com, both headquartered in Massachusetts. She also worked in TV news in Boston, Raleigh and Portland, Maine.
“These are serious times with serious questions and quality media is getting harder and harder to find,” Johnston said. “We want to be a leader in trusted news and information.”
This story was updated with material from an interview with Johnston and information from a GBH spokesperson.
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Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio move forward in planned merger
Rhode Island’s two public broadcasters, Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio, are moving forward with their proposed merger. Today, Attorney General Peter Neronha announced approval for the move, a key regulatory hurdle for the merger of the two organizations.
“Public media contributes uniquely and substantially to the quality of life in Rhode Island, and its ongoing vitality is critical,” said Neronha. “For many Rhode Islanders, PBS and The Public’s Radio have been important local sources of media and as a new combined entity, they will be able to sustain the value they contribute to our state.”
Public media organizations in Rhode Island are governed by a law called the Public Radio Conversions Act, requiring attorney general approval for certain acquisitions. Now that Neronha has approved the move, the organizations will file with the Secretary of State’s office to complete the formal incorporation.
“This is an exciting milestone,” said Elizabeth Delude-Dix, chair of the board of directors of The Public’s Radio. “Our impact will be increased and our audience expanded as we take these next exciting steps forward.”
The organizations have yet to announce a name for their combined entity or a new CEO to lead the combined organization. In the interim, Rhode Island PBS CEO David Piccerelli and The Public’s Radio CEO Torey Malatia will serve as co-CEOs.
During public comment over the merger, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley voiced “strong support,” writing, “I am excited by what their proposed merger could bring for Providence residents and passionately recommend its approval.”
FAQ
What is happening?
The boards of the Rhode Island PBS Foundation and The Public’s Radio have voted to merge, proposing the creation of a new public media organization for Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. The next step is to seek regulatory approvals from the Federal Communications Commission, the state Attorney General, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. If approved, we anticipate the new organization would launch in early 2024. In the meantime, both organizations will continue to operate independently with no disruption to programming or services.
Why is this happening?
We are stronger together.
Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio are both trusted and respected institutions that have long traditions of telling stories that matter.
By combining resources and bringing together some of the most talented and compelling storytellers in the region, a unified joint media venture would meet new and existing audiences where they are, across platforms, to deliver innovative and dynamic content that reflects and serves the community.
The integrated entity will serve existing and expanded audiences across Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Robust community engagement with diverse community partners will accelerate our growth together.
Together, we can better deliver on our missions. Together, we can achieve greater impact.
Is one organization taking over?
No. Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio will play equal roles, as we build a dynamic and innovative new organization.
How will this affect me?
As a nonprofit public service organization, our priority is our community, and we will be building this new organization with you: the public. We anticipate that we will be able to offer our community a deeper and richer experience, while preserving the things you love most about Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio. Once the regulatory portion of the process is complete, Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio will launch an inclusive community engagement process to help create a vision for a combined public media organization that engages more audiences across the region. To receive updates, sign up for our e-newsletter.
What will happen to my favorite programs?
Our programming and services will continue to grow. In the short term, you’ll continue to hear and see your favorite programs and, in the long term, we will be able to provide more of the content you love, in more ways, to suit your needs and preferences.
How did the boards make this decision?
Over the past year, organizational leadership and the respective boards of Rhode Island PBS Foundation and The Public’s Radio met to discuss the value and benefits to the community of merging the organizations.
The two boards decided to take a serious look at the feasibility of combining the two organizations in late 2022. After many months of thoughtful conversation, the boards decided that we would be stronger together, and better able to serve the community needs. The boards officially voted to merge on November 8, 2023.
What happens to the existing boards?
Both boards will continue to exist until the regulatory process is complete.
In addition, there will be a strong committee structure as part of the new organization in which all new and former board members will participate.
What will the new media organization be called?
Right now, we are focused on completing the regulatory process, after which the board will sign a final agreement. Once those two steps are complete, we can move on to the exciting work of co-creating the future of public media in the region—including the selection of a name that captures our important shared missions of serving, supporting, and informing the community.