“WEDU is a trusted source for storytelling. We take tremendous pride in exploring our community and sharing the important local stories that inspire,” said Paul Grove, President and CEO of WEDU PBS.
West Central Florida’s Public Broadcasting Station, WEDU’s mission is to deliver quality programming to educate, explore, and engage viewers, inspiring a lifetime of learning and discovery. Beginning in 1958, WEDU was “basically a film projector being rolled into a classroom and the students would watch a feature that WEDU produced,” Grove said. Sixty-six years later, the station offers a wide range of educational content over a variety of multimedia platforms including television, website, social media platforms, and its member magazine Premiere. The station’s plethora of special events and outreach activities also serve as a strong vehicle delivering on its mission. While WEDU’s methods have changed, over six decades later its mission has not.
“We treat our viewers as citizens, not consumers, and I believe that’s what separates us from commercial television,” said Grove. “I truly value the impact our programming has on the communities we serve.”
Core areas of focus for the station include initiatives such as Sustain, focusing on Florida’s environment, The Case to Vote, focusing on civics and voter literacy, plus public health awareness. This year, WEDU presented the television special, THE FENTANYL PROJECT, which explored the public health crisis currently erupting across the country, leading to fatal overdoses on pills disguised as Xanax, Adderall, cocaine and others laced with Fentanyl. The program specifically focused on how the Sarasota area has been impacted by this drug crisis.
“It’s a documentary that addresses one of the most dangerous concerns we face in our community, country and in the world,” Grove said.
In addition to keeping the community informed about core topics of interest, the station is also engaged in creating unique content to expand their audience with specials like The Gods of Tennis and Rise of the Rays: A Devil of a Story, which explored the story of professional baseball coming to Tampa Bay. The station is also tailoring shorter form digital and social media content to appeal to younger audiences while not sacrificing its core mission of producing engaging educational content.
“We’re growing a digital division intentionally with young producers that can relate to the younger demographic that we’re working to attract,” Grove said. “We will continue to focus on the two pillars we stand for at PBS and WEDU and that is quality and trust. So even though we’re shortening our content, we will maintain our essential local programming mission to educate.”
A buzzword in countless newsrooms, hyperlocal content is a staple for the organization, and no one does it better than WEDU. Year round, the Public Broadcasting Station devotes time and resources exploring relevant topics to the local community. Currently highlighting Ybor City, Sarasota, and St. Petersburg, WEDU’s GREATER Series singles out communities in the region, showcasing what makes each unique. According to Grove, there are plans to expand the series to include Lakeland and Dunedin as well.
“When you think about hyperlocal storytelling, it’s providing a close lens look at some of the inspiring stories that make our community unique,” Grove said.
A member company since 2023, WEDU sees its partnership with the Chamber as an important resource for deeper involvement in the Tampa Bay business community and an opportunity to tell its stories.
“The Chamber has been an excellent asset to WEDU,” Grove said. “As a former board member at the Chamber of Commerce of Chattanooga, I recognize the valuable work that the Tampa Bay Chamber is achieving. The Chamber is a critical resource for our region.”
Top-tier Chamber Members are invited to join us for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at WEDU at our upcoming After 5 networking event on February 6th! Click here for details and registration.