When Chicago Public Media/WBEZ was presented with the idea of potentially acquiring the Chicago Sun-Times, the leadership of Chicago Public Media needed assistance analyzing the opportunity and understanding its strategic strengths and weaknesses quickly. This is Public Media Company’s core skill – we are frequently called upon to assess a local media property, its revenues, expenses, and operations and make detailed recommendations about how best to proceed.
Public Media Company helped WBEZ answer the following question “what do we need to understand about the future of newspapers and the potential for a nonprofit news model of this size?” Leveraging our experience in commercial and noncommercial media, we delivered a holistic assessment of the Chicago Sun-Times’ potential if it was to be paired with Chicago Public Media. Public Media Company mapped the audience of both media entities to better determine the impact the two organizations could have when brought together.
For 20 years, Public Media Company has guided nonprofits through strategic transformations with rigorous planning, and financial forecasts based on quantifiable data.
We are pleased to have played a role in the largest merger between a newspaper and a public media station. It is likely the first of many innovative nonprofit news models to be created in the years to come.
