Today is a big day at Michigan Public! You read that right — Michigan Radio is now officially Michigan Public.
This change comes after months of research and input from all directions. Stateside spoke with Michigan Public’s new general manager, Wendy Turner, about what the rebrand means for the station and its listeners.
Baer: We've been so closely identified with radio over the years. Why might we want to change that within our name?
Turner: Broadcast radio is still an essential part of our service. And in fact, it is the FCC radio licenses that define our public service region. So broadcast remains a center of gravity from a public service standpoint. But as you know, our current and future audiences rely on us to be accessible across many platforms, and to have a meaningful and authentic engagement across all of them. This new name, Michigan Public, is a reflection of our commitment to meeting people where they are, wherever that is.
Baer: Is our mission changing?
Turner: Our mission is not changing. In fact, I would say that the new name and logo perfectly reflect our commitment to the mission. The flowing lines of the logo represent the fluidity of thought and conversation and sound. I love the logos gradients of four colors that represent the four pillars of our public service commitment as Michigan public information, connection, inspiration and participation. Also, I have to say it's important to state that although the name and logo are changing, the stations on our programming remains the same. Your favorite shows from NPR and all of our news staff will be there: Morning Edition, 1A — of course — Stateside, all of it. Our listeners will continue to hear all of the things they've come to rely on, and our dedication to delivering exceptional news coverage and engaging programming remain the same.
Baer: You said the mission's not changing. Do you think this means any changes in how we do what we do?
Turner: We are still licensed to the University of Michigan, and the station has served audiences across Michigan for over 75 years. We are so proud of that history and our critical role as a news provider. This change really just reflects who we are now. But even more importantly, I think it signals our aspirations to be more impactful, more present, more interactive, more accessible, and more open. This change, in some ways, I feel like, is a promise to stretch ourselves and commit to public service that is accessible and reflective of our full community.
While Turner was with us to discuss the station’s rebrand, Stateside also took the opportunity to ask her about her new role as general manager and what led her to Michigan Public.
Baer: You've worked at a lot of different public media groups throughout the Great Lakes region. How would you describe the kind of jobs that you've done?
Turner: I have had the privilege of having all kinds of roles in Midwest public media stations. So my very first job, April, in public radio was as a part-time telemarketer at Minnesota Public Radio. My job was to call the state fair list — cold calling people who would visit our booth at the state fair — and ask them for donations. I was terrible at that job, but it was a foot in the door to an institution I absolutely loved: Minnesota Public Radio, which is also a statewide network. So I did fundraising there for many years. I introduced digital fundraising and email newsletters when that was a new thing. Then I had the opportunity to move to Chicago and work at WBEZ, a fantastic station. And I did some more fundraising work, and then I moved into more digital content. I helped launch a new — I feel at the time — innovative initiative in 2008 called Vocalo, which was 100% local, 100% community focused, and was meant to serve a younger, more diverse urban audience in Chicago.
Baer: So some of these places you've worked, like MPR and BEZ are these big brands, big city concerns. But for a while you also worked at the network of public TV stations that serve where my family's from – the smaller rural communities of northern Ohio. What is it about working in public media communities that matters to you?
Turner: I think there is a unifying force, whether you're in a wide regional area or a concentrated urban area, and that is the vital role we play in helping knit communities together. We're in an age of polarization, and we can be neighbors and feel distant from each other, but we have this unique privilege to surface stories of people and institutions that help bridge that divide and help us become closer together. And that can happen across a neighborhood, it can happen across a city, a region. And, here in Michigan, across a state.
Baer: I can wear you out on my reasons for wanting to be in Michigan, why I wanted to be here. But can you tell us what it was about Michigan Public, or Michigan itself, that made you want to work here?
Turner: First of all, Michigan has an incredibly rich public media ecosystem. And I've known about that. All of us in public media have known about that. Michigan Public in particular has a national reputation for its commitment to excellence in journalism, courageous reporting and innovation. And these things speak to my heart and what I feel as a lifelong public media devotee. I just felt immediate alignment. Also, what I've recognized … is the incredible support from the community for 75 years, and it has allowed Michigan Public to do so many things. Those things have had ripple effects across the system, innovations and ways of doing programming that have taught our colleagues around the country how to do that work. So I'm a fangirl of this organization and I'm delighted to be here.
Baer: I don't know who's keeping score, but you are the first [woman] to be the general manager here. There still aren't that many women doing this job anywhere in the U.S. What has helped you figure out what you wanted to do as a leader?
Turner: I've always been so fortunate to have strong female role models, but I agree that almost none of them had the leadership seat [as] general managers. They were strategic leaders in really critical departments across their stations, whether it's development or technology or programming. It was this informal network of people who championed each other's leadership. Now, today, I'm really proud to say public media has formal programs to develop more diverse leaders. I'm part of an organization called Public Media Women in Leadership, and they have this CEO boot camp that they do, which is awesome. They are really formally trying to develop our next generation of women and people of color and diversity in leadership in public media.
Baer: I want you listening to know that Wendy's been drinking from the fire hose her first couple of days on the job, but I'm dying to know a little bit more about what's fun for you. Wendy, if you were not on the job, if you were not here at the studios and could spend a day any way that you wanted, what would you do?
Turner: My endorphins are fed by exploration and discovery. So, I'm obsessed with Google Maps. And if you look at my Google map of Ohio, there are hundreds of pins across the state, but there's only like a half a dozen pins in Michigan. And to me, that is opportunity knocking. I cannot wait to explore the communities of the state.
To hear more about Michigan Public’s new look and Wendy Turner’s new post, listen to the Stateside Podcast.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Wendy Turner, Michigan Public general manager
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