irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $2.85MBROADCASTING:WXXI OPERATES FOUR PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS (WXXI-TV, WXXI-KIDS 24/7, WXXI-CREATE, WXXI-WORLD); MANAGES THE CABLE CHANNEL, CITY 12 (PROVIDING THE CITY OF ROCHESTER RESIDENTS WITH 14 HOURS A DAY OF TARGETED, INFORMATIVE AND ENTERTAINING PROGRAMMING); SIX PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS (WXXI-FM 105.9/AM 1370, WXXO-FM 91.5, WXXY-FM 90.3, WRUR-FM 88.5, WEOS-FM 98.7 AND WITH-FM 90.1), AND TWO HD RADIO CHANNELS (FM-HD 91.5-1 AND FM-HD 91.5-2).
- #2 $761KCITY IS ROCHESTER'S ARTS, MUSIC, AND CULTURE MAGAZINE, A MONTHLY PRINT AND ONLINE NEWS SERVICE, WHICH HAS BEEN PUBLISHED SINCE 1972 AND IS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY FOR FREE. WXXI PURCHASED CITY FROM ITS FOUNDERS IN MAY 2019 AND OPERATES CITY AS A SUBSIDIARY. WXXI RECOGNIZES THE VALUE OF CITY, AS THE ACQUISITION PRESERVES AND EXPANDS THE QUALITY AND DEPTH OF LOCAL REPORTING AND PRIORITIZES COVERAGE OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE GREATER ROCHESTER AREA.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
CITY Magazine
Monthly print and online arts, music, and culture magazine covering the Greater Rochester area, acquired and operated by WXXI as a subsidiary.
PBS LearningMedia New York
Free digital learning platform offering educational videos, lesson plans, and interactive content for preK-12 classrooms across New York State.
ReachOut Radio
24-hour radio reading service for individuals who are visually impaired, providing access to newspapers, magazines, and books.
Rochester Teen Film Festival
Juried media competition for youth aged 13-18 in the Greater Rochester region, providing teens with an authentic film festival experience and platform to showcase their work.
WXXI Education
Provides educational resources including PBS LearningMedia, virtual training, and on-demand content for educators, students, and families. Offers professional development workshops and community learning events.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Community and Public Broadcasting Services 2 activities
- Operates public broadcasting stations and channelsOperates four public television stations, six public radio stations, two HD radio channels, and manages City 12 — a local cable channel providing 14 hours daily of targeted programming to Rochester residents. Also operates Reachout Radio, a 24-hour reading service for people who are visually impaired.
- Produces and broadcasts regional media contentProduces documentaries, talk shows, and specialty programs that explore the people, arts, culture, history, and current issues of the Rochester and Finger Lakes region, including broadcast and digital distribution of original and curated public media.
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Film Festival and Screening Programming 1 activity
- Hosts community engagement and lifelong learning eventsOrganizes and hosts live and virtual screenings, panel discussions, family learning events, member previews, and outreach initiatives to engage educators, students, families, and the broader community.
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Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
- Produces and distributes program guides and newslettersProduces and distributes a monthly PDF program guide and multiple e-newsletters, including daily regional news, weekly TV highlights, bi-monthly classical music updates, and monthly family learning resources.
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Professional Audio/Video Production Services 1 activity
- Provides client production and technical servicesOffers professional video and audio production, uplinks, and other client production services to external partners and organizations.
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Teacher Professional Development 1 activity
- Provides educational programming and digital learning resourcesOffers free, education-ready digital content including PBS LearningMedia, on-demand videos, lesson plans, self-paced modules, and PBS KIDS apps for preK-12 educators, students, and families. Provides live and virtual training workshops for educators and caregivers.
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Youth & Emerging Filmmaker Training 1 activity
- Sponsors youth media education and competition programsHosts the Rochester Teen Film Festival, a juried media competition for youth aged 13–18, and provides youth career exploration tools and media literacy projects.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Offers on-demand and multi-platform streaming accessProvides on-demand streaming of over 1,200 PBS and WXXI programs across devices, including early access to select drama series and extended access to public media content through the WXXI Passport member benefit.
- Supports sustainability of cultural organizations through subsidiary operationsEntered into a parent-subsidiary relationship with The Little Theatre in 2012 and acquired CITY Magazine in 2019 through RAMP, a for-profit subsidiary, to preserve and expand access to arts, culture, and independent media in the region.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$19.17M
Contributions & grants$17.44M91%
Program service revenue$585K3%
Investment income$1.07M6%
Other revenue$76K
expenses
Total expenses$14.89M
Program expenses68%
Admin / overhead21%
Fundraising12%
Salaries & benefits$7.53M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$31.59M
Cash$1.34M
Investments$15.17M
Liabilities$9.90M
Net assets$21.69M
Liquid reserves13.3 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +44.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 6
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| NORM SILVERSTEIN | PRESIDENT AND CEO (THRU 11/24) | 40 | $404K |
| SUSAN ROGERS | EXECUTIVE VP & GENERAL MAN | 40 | $218K |
| KATHLEEN REED | VP OF DEVELOPMENT | 40 | $148K |
| LANCELOT THOMAS | CFO | 40 | $140K |
| ALISON JONES | DIRECTOR, COPORATE SPONSOR | 40 | $122K |
| CHRIS HASTINGS | PRESIDENT AND CEO (STARTING 11/24) | 40 | $48K |
board members · 16
- AJAMU KITWANA — TREASURER
- DAAN BRAVEMAN — TRUSTEE
- DAVID TANG — CHAIR
- JOHN RICHARDSON — TRUSTEE
- JULIO SAENZ — TRUSTEE
- KAY BENJAMIN — TRUSTEE
- KRISTIN DURAN — TRUSTEE
- LAURIE HAELEN — TRUSTEE
- NICOLE VANGORDER — VICE CHAIR
- PATRICIA PHILIPS — TRUSTEE
- ROBERT ATTARDO — SECRETARY
- SANDEEP MANNAVA — TRUSTEE
- SHAUN NELMS — TRUSTEE
- SONYA ALLEN — TRUSTEE
- STEVE SULKES — TRUSTEE
- YOLANDA BENITEZ — TRUSTEE
relationships · 18
Who they work with
- CITY Magazine Partner — Acquired and operates CITY as a subsidiary to preserve and expand local arts and culture reporting.
- CITY Magazine Partner — Acquired by WXXI in 2019 under RAMP, a for-profit subsidiary.
- CITY Magazine Partner — Collaborates on e-newsletter distribution.
- Charity Navigator Government — Rated by Charity Navigator as a four-star organization, indicating strong financial health and accountability.
- City of Rochester Partner — Partnership to provide 14 hours daily of local programming through City 12.
- Community Advisory Board (CAB) Partner — Volunteer group that evaluates WXXI programming and participates in station events to support community engagement.
- Federal Communications Commission Government — Complies with FCC requirements for closed captioning and directs viewers to FCC public files for captioning concerns.
- Happy Earth Tea Partner — Generous supporter of WXXI and featured sponsor
- Hobart & William Smith Colleges Partner — Broadcast partnership to operate WITH-FM 90.1 in Ithaca and WEOS-FM 89.5 in Geneva, providing NPR and eclectic music programming.
- Hobart & William Smith Colleges Partner — Partners with WXXI to operate WITH The Route and WEOS, providing public radio services in Ithaca and Geneva, NY.
- Ken Burns Partner — Collaborates on the distribution of documentary content through WXXI broadcasts and Passport.
- Legacy Society Network — Group of donors who have included WXXI in their estate plans to support the organization's long-term sustainability.
- PBS Network — WXXI-TV is a PBS member station broadcasting PBS programming.
- PBS Partner — Collaborates with PBS to provide streaming access to national and local content through the PBS app and Passport program.
- The Little Theatre Partner — Collaborates with WXXI Public Media to sponsor the Rochester Teen Film Festival.
- The Little Theatre Partner — Parent-subsidiary relationship established in 2012 to support sustainability.
- University of Rochester Partner — Collaborates with WXXI to provide NPR news and eclectic music programming.
- University of Rochester Partner — Collaboration to operate WRUR-FM 88.5 (The Route), providing NPR news and music programming.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Centered Programming for Engagement and Understandingmethodology: community-centered_educational_mediaBy producing locally focused storytelling and community-engaged content, WXXI fosters regional and national audience engagement and promotes understanding of diverse community issues, because relevance and shared experience drive deeper connection and learning.
- Integrated Digital Learning for Childrenmethodology: anytime_anywhere_learningBy delivering continuous, accessible educational content through 24/7 broadcast and interactive digital extensions, WXXI supports childhood learning anytime and anywhere, because consistent, engaging, and interactive media improves educational outcomes—especially for at-risk youth.
- Strategic Partnerships for Content Enrichmentmethodology: academic-broadcast_partnershipBy partnering with academic institutions, WXXI enhances the quality and diversity of its news and music programming, because collaboration with knowledge centers strengthens content credibility and cultural relevance.
- Sustained Access Through Member and Donor Support Modelsmethodology: recurring-donor_modelBy offering membership benefits such as on-demand content and digital streaming in exchange for recurring or legacy donations, WXXI ensures sustained funding and continuous public access to media, because perceived value and ongoing engagement increase donor retention and financial stability.