WHYY must pony up money granted for Pittsburgh expansion
Fallout from the sudden, unhappy departure of two senior newsmen continues at WHYY: A consortium of Pittsburgh foundations has scotched a discussion that could have provided up to $1.5 million in new funding to the station, money intended to create a west Pennsylvania version of the public broadcaster's land- and planning-news arm, PlanPhilly.
Fallout from the sudden, unhappy departure of two senior newsmen continues at WHYY:
A consortium of Pittsburgh foundations has scotched a discussion that could have provided up to $1.5 million in new funding to the station, money intended to create a west Pennsylvania version of the public broadcaster's land- and planning-news arm, PlanPhilly.
And the lead donor wants the station to give back about $30,000, the unspent portion of an initial $50,000 grant to sketch out a proposed PlanBurgh.
The funders lost confidence in the station's leadership and saw little reason to move forward as partners after the exit of news chief Chris Satullo and PlanPhilly head Matt Golas, according to people familiar with what transpired.
Satullo left Sept. 3, after a confrontational meeting with top WHYY executives that followed months of friction. Golas resigned just over a week later - roughly two weeks after the pair impressed representatives of four big philanthropies with a pitch for PlanBurgh.
Golas was the main architect of the new venture and the managing editor of PlanPhilly at WHYY, the dominant public TV and radio operation in Philadelphia.
A spokesman for WHYY said it was important to note that the station was not losing grant money, because no funds had been awarded beyond the initial $50,000, which came from the Heinz Endowments. No potential funding had been entered into a budget, said spokesperson Art Ellis.
"This was essentially the brainchild of a person, I'm talking about Matt Golas, who walked out on his job here," Ellis said. "To that extent it was connected to Matt. And if he's not here, it's no surprise it's not going to go forward."
The station, he said, is concentrating on PlanPhilly. Satullo had been instrumental in bringing that operation to WHYY in February, after the project left the University of Pennsylvania.
"We're not looking back," Ellis said. "We're looking ahead."
It was unclear whether the group of foundations might try to proceed with a similar project, absent WHYY.
Satullo and Golas declined to comment.
WHYY had total revenues of $30.3 million in 2013, according to IRS tax filings. Two months ago, it seemed likely that $1.5 million in new funding would be paid to WHYY over several years.
Foundation officials left a meeting at the Heinz Endowments excited about PlanBurgh and impressed by PlanPhilly. They liked that Satullo and Golas had not merely applied Philadelphia parameters to Pittsburgh. Instead, the pair had researched the factors that make Pittsburgh unique, and offered a specific plan for the state's big western city.
Golas saw the possibility of creating new incarnations of PlanPhilly, telling friends that after PlanBurgh a next step could be "PlanPA," with reporters based in Harrisburg. From there the model could expand to PlanErie, PlanAltoona, and elsewhere.
Golas is a former Inquirer metro editor. Before going to WHYY in 2008, Satullo was editorial page editor at The Inquirer.
Satullo, who at WHYY was vice president of news and civic engagement, was known for attracting money and collaborative partners for innovative news projects.
No commitments were made to fund the creation of PlanBurgh, but the conversation was stymied by the departures of the executives most closely associated with the project.
"We're not going to pursue it," said John Ellis, spokesperson for Heinz, which would have been the lead agency.
Heinz gives money to programs involving the arts, families, economic development, and the environment. It's interested in strong planning and critical thinking about the future of Pittsburgh - which helped foster its tie to Satullo and Golas.
The return of an unspent balance is common when plans for a larger grant fall through.
Also interested in PlanBurgh was the Hillman Family Foundation, Colcom Foundation, and Pittsburgh Foundation.
"It's a reasonable judgment that the skills of Satullo and Golas were key to the success of PlanPhilly, and would be key to the success of PlanBurgh," said Maxwell E.P. King, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Foundation, and a former editor of the Inquirer. "Their absence really changes the playing field."
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@JeffGammage