Philadelphia public media provider WHYY has picked Fred Vigeant, a Harrisburg programming executive, as General Manager of the central Pennsylvania television and radio outlet, which keeps its name and call letters after leaving Penn State.
Before joining WITF, Vigeant spent 12 years at WRVO in Oswego, New York, working in several roles including Program Director and Operations Manager. At WITF, he previously served as Director of Programming and Promotion for television and radio, a role he began in 2012.
Vigeant starts October 26 and will oversee WPSU’s radio, television, and digital services across central and northern Pennsylvania. He comes to the station from Harrisburg’s WITF, where he has been VP and Chief Audience Officer since 2022, overseeing programming, production, and audience research.
WHYY completed its acquisition of WPSU from Penn State University on October 1. The FCC signed off on the license transfer in September, after Penn State said it could no longer afford to operate the stations and planned to shut WPSU down by June 30. As part of the deal, WPSU keeps its name and call letters and remains locally run.
WHYY President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Marrazzo stated, “Fred understands both the work of public media and the responsibility that comes with leading a station its community trusts. His experience in programming, production and audience engagement will help WPSU build on its strengths and deepen its service to the region. He will lead a team whose knowledge, relationships and commitment have made WPSU an essential part of community life for decades.”
Vigeant commented, “I’m excited to join WPSU at an important moment in its 73-year history and to build on its strong tradition of public service. This opportunity is especially meaningful to me because it brings together so much of what I value about public media – journalism, education, local storytelling and meaningful connections with the community.”
“WPSU’s strength comes from its connection to the people and communities it serves. I look forward to listening, learning, and working with the WPSU team, our colleagues at WHYY, and communities throughout the region to shape WPSU’s next chapter.”
