WPSU at Penn State ends two shows, trims eight positions

Penn State Public Broadcasting WPSU is canceling two TV programs and reducing the staff by eight positions. Gone are Scholastic Scrimmage, a high-school quiz show, and Common Ground Lobby Talks, an audience-participation public affairs offering. While the station faces potential state funding losses of $850,000 if Gov. Ed Rendell's budget passes, "that is only the most severe and immediate challenge; we must also confront the potential reduction of other revenue sources,” said Ted Krichels, associate vice president for Penn State Outreach and general manager of WPSU. "Those include community support and production revenue." The station's 2008 project, Liquid Assets, (Current, Sept. 29, 2008), an examination of America's crumbling water infrastructure, received widespread critical acclaim.