The WPSU Board of Representatives is an advisory board of community members that gather on a regular basis to advise the station on programming and other activities. In this blog post series, WPSU Board Member Spotlight, we sit down with these individuals and discuss their love of public broadcasting and its impact in the communities throughout the viewing area.
Kate Kennedy resides in Kane, PA and is the executive director of the Kane Area Development Center, which includes the Kane Area Chamber of Commerce, Kane Area Revitalization Enterprise (KARE), and Kane Area Industrial Development Corporation.
Kane is Kate’s hometown, and she returned there after being away for over 15 years. During the time she was away, she was in AmeriCorps out West, went to grad school in Vermont, was a school counselor in the Washington, D.C. area, and did public relations for a homeless shelter in Pittsburgh. Kate moved back home in 2019 to work in community and economic development. She is grateful to be raising her 4-year-old son and dog in the Kane community. She loves exploring the cool things to do in the PA Wilds and spending time with family and friends.
How long have you been a board member with WPSU?
I joined the WPSU board in May 2023. Since then, I have learned more about the TV and streaming features. I also helped coordinate the most recent “Our Town: Kane,” and that was how I got to know some of the staff.
What inspired you to begin volunteering at WPSU?
I think it is important for our community to have representation and a voice in regional organizations, and when the opportunity to serve on the WPSU board came up, I knew I wanted to be part of it. We have a lot of stories to tell in our area, and I wanted to help make the connection to WPSU so those stories could be told.
What WPSU programming do you connect with the most?
For years, I have been a fan of the NPR programming like This American Life. More recently, I have been plugged in to the kids PBS shows. Since being on the board, I have enjoyed the more local programming like Our Town.
How do you see WPSU positively impacting communities throughout Central Pennsylvania?
One of the challenges of where are located is that, due to being rural and close to New York state, our TV news is broadcast out of Buffalo, NY. We do have local newspapers and radio stations, which I appreciate, however, I think WPSU serves our community by connecting us to regional news stories and sharing our news with others in Central PA. I really appreciate the news coverage WPSU gives. This coverage map highlights the areas of Pennsylvania where WPSU is broadcast.
As a board member, what would you like to share to the public about why they should support WPSU?
The people at WPSU work so hard to create meaningful content that connects our region. They also bring us NPR and PBS shows. WPSU has recently faced budget cuts, so listener and viewer support is more important now than ever. I am a donor in addition to being on the board and hope you will consider giving, too. Every donation — in any amount — helps keep the station going. Learn more about the many ways to donate to the station.
What do you wish people knew about WPSU?
They have an education component in addition to the broadcasting services. They work with schools and libraries on programming and training. There is so much they offer!