PITTSBURGH, PA — July 28, 2025 — In an extraordinary show of community solidarity, listeners to Pittsburgh radio stations 90.5 WESA and 91.3 WYEP turned out in record numbers last week to show their support for Pittsburgh’s public radio outlets, and in so doing set new all-time records for fundraising for the stations.
Following passage of the Trump Administration’s cutoff of funding for public media across America, the stations launched a campaign to help make up for the more than $700,000 in federal support that would be lost; the local response was immediate, overwhelming, and deeply inspiring. According to Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation President and CEO Terry O’Reilly, the eight-day drive (from Friday the 18th through Friday the 25th) set an historic record and was the most successful fundraising campaign ever in the organization’s history.
“This was a moment of crisis, and Pittsburgh showed up,” said Mr. O’Reilly. “The loss of federal funding is a devastating blow to public media across the country, but our community made it clear: they will not let these stations go silent. We are humbled and energized by their support.”
Listeners flooded the stations’ phone lines and online donation portals, contributing record-breaking financial support to ensure the future of independent journalism and quality music programming in the region. In all, more than $500,000 was raised: representing over 70% of the funding that will be lost with the cuts that will take effect on October 1. On the first day of the fundraising drive (Friday, July 18), the pace of giving was so high that it became the largest single day of listener contributions in the history of each station.
“Pittsburgh responded in a huge way!” said Jordan Dunn, Director of Membership for both stations. “So huge that our membership department of six was barely able to breathe! It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”
Since the 1960’s, public broadcasting stations across America have received and relied on federal support (via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting) to sustain their local public services. The cuts to funding for WESA and WYEP will create a roughly 9% shortfall to the organization’s operating budget, and the immediate outpouring of generosity by listeners and supporters will significantly narrow that shortfall.
“We have heard loud and clear that our listeners value our independent news and music services,” added Mr. O’Reilly, “That they recognize how critical these services are in maintaining a vibrant local community, and that they want for us a thriving, successful, and independent future. While we’re grateful for this unprecedented show of generosity towards our work, we also recognize that their contributions will not fully cover the support we’ve lost for next year, nor will they address the much bigger challenge if these federal funding cuts become permanent. As we explore a path to those goals, all of us at WESA and WYEP extend our deepest gratitude to every listener who stood up for local public media when it mattered most.”
“We’ve always said that public radio is powered by the people,” said Mike Sauter, Vice President of Broadcasting at Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting. “This week, Pittsburgh proved that in the most powerful way possible.”
About Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting
Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation (“PCBC”) was founded in 1972, with a mission to “create and distribute trusted content, build connections and strengthen our community through public media.”
Through its radio stations (90.5 WESA and 91.3 WYEP) and their related digital services and live events, PCBC serves the more than 2 million residents of Western Pennsylvania with fact-based, high-quality journalism, music and cultural programming. By leveraging the power of media to inform, inspire, and entertain, PCBC engages audiences and cultivates conversations that strengthen, enrich and improve the communities it serves.
More on PCBC at PittsburghCommunityBroadcasting.org.
Contact:
Allison Breisinger
Marketing Manager, Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting
67 Bedford Square
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
[email protected]