WOUB Public Media

08/28/2025

Last month, the Rescissions Act of 2025 eliminated $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, effectively ending federal support for NPR, PBS, and their member stations.

WOUB, which relied on CPB for about a third of its budget, now faces a significant loss of resources.

NPR's Ailsa Chang, co-host of "All Things Considered," spoke with WOUB’s Emily Votaw about how these cuts will most severely affect rural and remote communities.

Chang emphasized that public media broadcast signals are not only a vital news source in areas with limited internet access, but also an essential emergency alert system.

Chang noted that local public media affiliates like WOUB differ sharply from many commercial media outlets because their journalists are rooted in the communities they cover.

She stressed that losing such stations would mean losing critical stories that help people navigate daily life.

Following the loss of federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, NPR’s Ailsa Chang talked to WOUB about the vital role public media affiliates play in rural communities.

08/28/2025

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order trying to eliminate cashless bail in Washington D.C. and in other parts of the country with alleged high crime rates. However, many states have had a cashless bail option that has worked well over decades. States set their own criteria for what judges may consider in ordering a bond and what kind of bail may be set by a court. LISTEN to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cashless-bail-explained-how-trumps-push-to-end-it-collides/id1744219180?i=1000723918173

08/26/2025

WOUB Public Media has identified nearly $1 million in budget cuts, including some layoffs, to get through the rest of the current fiscal year following the elimination of its federal funding.

More cuts will need to be made to carry the station through the following fiscal year, which starts on July 1.

The station’s NPR and PBS programming will be spared during the current fiscal year because content for the year has already been paid for after negotiations were made to lower the cost.

“Our viewers and listeners won’t experience anything different until next summer,” said Mark Brewer, WOUB’s general manager.

WOUB received about $1.5 million, or 30 percent of its budget, through CPB. About 45 percent comes through Ohio University, which holds WOUB’s broadcast licenses and where the station’s operations are based. And the rest comes through donations and underwriting.

The Ohio Legislature is also cutting back on its funding for public media. WOUB lost about $250,000 in state funding this fiscal year and next fiscal year will bring a 27 percent reduction.

Brewer said he met with university leadership and presented the cuts needed to keep WOUB running. The university has not offered to provide additional financial support to offset proposed cuts at this time, but Brewer said he will be meeting with the leadership again in a few months.

In a statement released Tuesday, the university said that “WOUB and Ohio University leadership are currently evaluating ways to streamline operations and reduce costs while protecting the experiences provided to students through WOUB as well as the services provided to the greater community.”

There is a bright spot in the midst of all this financial gloom, Brewer said. Membership and donations have been trending upward over the past several years, but in the past two months alone they have soared to new highs as the local community responds to the loss of federal support.

WOUB's ’s NPR and PBS programming will be spared during the current fiscal year because content for the year has already been paid for.

08/26/2025

WOUB sat down with filmmaker Scott Kirschenbaum to discuss his new documentary "The Last Ecstatic Days."

The film follows Ethan Sisser, a 36-year-old yoga instructor who invited a community to join him in his final days after a terminal brain cancer diagnosis.

What emerged was not a portrait of decline, but of reverence, joy, and communal care. Kirschenbaum reflected on Ethan’s request to film his death, and how the experience reshaped his own understanding of mortality.

He describes the process as “life-affirming,” with friends and strangers offering music, acupuncture, massage, and spiritual practices that Ethan welcomed openly during his final days.

Rather than anxiety, Kirschenbaum said the atmosphere carried a spiritual quality, rooted in the ancient traditions of communal death care.

The director believes the film offers not only a profound look at dying, but also an invitation to imagine how communities might embrace death differently today.

"The Last Ecstatic Days" airs on WOUB-TV Thursday at 8 p.m. and Friday at 10 p.m.

Director Scott Kirschenbaum reflects on filming "The Last Ecstatic Days," a life-affirming portrait of death, community, and reverence.

08/25/2025

Another great edition of Defining Moments. It speaks to the Diabetes Community. Listen...

🎙️ Dr. Allyson Hughes, Assistant Professor of Primary Care at Ohio University, joins co-host Dr. Joe Bianco to recount her journey from her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes at age seven to a career as a diabetes and disabilities researcher 👩‍🔬, educator 📚, and advocate 💪.

💡 The conversation reveals that there is more to diabetes than shame, stigma, and medical trauma.
Ally sheds light on innovative medical advances 🔬✨ and finds hope in social 🌐 and online networks 📱 dedicated to improving the lives of persons with diabetes.

🎧 You can listen to the podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-stigma-and-shame-finding-health-humor-and-hope/id1456643447?i=1000723341878

📖 You can read Ally’s article in the journal Health Communication at: https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2024.2375145

Taylor & Francis WOUB Public Media Ohio University Scripps College of Communication Joe Bianco Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

08/20/2025

Support WOUB through this virtual event! Tickets at https://bit.ly/WOUB_pepin
On Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, from 1:30-3pm ET, WOUB presents a national virtual event honoring chef/culinary personality, Jacques Pépin.
Jacques sits down for a wide ranging discussion which will include: reflections on his career, his decades-long connection to public media, the important work he does with his foundation, and his enduring role as a culinary icon. There will also be time during the event where you can ask Jacques your own questions.
Tickets include a copy of his latest book! Enjoy the meet-up and support WOUB Public Media!

08/20/2025

Checking out this episode of the Defining Moments podcast.

🎙️ Elena Semino, Distinguished Professor of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University joins host Dr. Joe Bianco to discuss the subtle and surprising ways that language 🗣️ and humor 😂 shape health experiences 💙.

📊 Dr. Semino uses large, naturally occurring language datasets to identify imaginative alternatives to overused battle analogies ⚔️ in cancer and other chronic illnesses.

💡 The conversation reveals that the key to reframing our most challenging problems may be just a metaphor ✨ away.

🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/metaphorically-speaking/id1456643447?i=1000722085793

📖 You can read Elena’s articles published in Health Communication at: https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2020.1844989 and https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2023.2257428.

👉Her metaphor menu for people with cancer is here: https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/melc/the-metaphor-menu/

Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University WOUB Public Media Taylor & Francis Ohio University Ohio University Scripps College of Communication

08/13/2025

Start Your Legacy Today With WOUB Public Media!

This August, take the first step in protecting your loved ones. 💕 During National Make-A-Will Month, WOUB Public Media is offering you access to Giving Docs, a free online tool to easily write your will. Thousands of people across the country are securing their legacy and uplifting causes they care about, like WOUB. Take this simple step today to protect what matters most.

Claim your account and plan your estate. It's free-for-life thanks to WOUB for sponsoring this offer.

08/07/2025

Send a message to learn more

08/06/2025

🚨 Ghislaine Maxwell is back in the headlines — facing interrogation by Trump’s former defense attorney (now Deputy AG), appealing to SCOTUS, and angling for clemency. What’s really happening here?

🎙️ In the latest episode of Next Witness…Please, retired judges break down what “immunity,” “clemency,” and “pardon” really mean — and what’s at stake for Trump, Maxwell, and the law.

👉 Listen now: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ghislaine-maxwell-immunity-games-and-trumps-doj-whats/id1744219180?i=1000720750798

07/31/2025

Country music icon Vince Gill returns to Ohio this weekend for the second of two recent solo performances in the state.

Gill plays Cleveland's Playhouse Square tomorrow while on break from dates with the Eagles at Las Vegas’ Sphere.

Ahead of the show, Gill spoke with WOUB's Ian Saint about his deep personal ties to Ohio, including memories of his late father who lived in Columbus.

He discussed his current band, which includes powerhouse vocalist Wendy Moten and Cleveland-born guitarist Tom Bukovac, as well as the joy of testing new material on the road.

Gill also reflected on the emotional resonance of “Go Rest High On That Mountain” and what it meant to perform the song alongside Patty Loveless at George Jones’ funeral.

At 68, Gill says he’s still pushing himself artistically—and that his gratitude for music and life has only grown.

Vince Gill is set to play in Columbus tomorrow and in Cleveland next weekend. Ahead of those shows, he spoke to WOUB's Ian Saint.

07/28/2025

Nominations are now open for the 2025 Athena Award, presented by the Athens City Commission on Disabilities.�

The award recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to improving the lives of people with disabilities in the greater Athens community.�

Nominees may be advocates, volunteers, service providers, or innovators who have demonstrated dedication, compassion, and impact.�

The Athena Award is the only award given by the City of Athens. The 2025 award will be presented on Wednesday, November 5, at the Athens Community Center. �

Nominations are due Tuesday, September 2.

The City of Athens is seeking names of community members who have worked to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities.