Greater Public

06/03/2026

The full session schedule for the Public Media Growth Conference (PMGC) 2026 is now available! 👀

In a time that demands clarity, collaboration, and decisive action, the inaugural Public Media Growth Conference in Chicago is your essential gathering.

By bringing fundraising, programming, and leadership together under one roof, this schedule isn't just a list of events — it's your roadmap to driving sustainable growth and reinforcing public media's vital role in our communities.

You'll leave Chicago equipped with:

-Cross-departmental insights 🤝
-Actionable skills 📝
-Renewed purpose to make a profound difference at your station and in your community 🔋

If you haven't yet secured your place, now is the time to finalize your plans.

View the lineup today to start planning your itinerary!

Explore our line-up of Public Media Growth Conference sessions, topics include revenue generation, marketing, corporate support, leadership and more.

05/28/2026

We’ve developed an essential quick-reference companion to support public media stations in implementing strategies for effective on-air fundraising 🎙️

The Optimal On-Air Fundraising: Pitching, Producing, and Air guide is a comprehensive resource that summarizes the key takeaways from our multi-part webinar series The On-Air Fundraising Workshop.

Now your team can have a quick-reference playbook to maximize every minute on air:

🎯 The Pitching Playbook: How to target the right listeners, master the 5-minute pitch arc, and speak to one person at a time.

🎛️ The Producer’s Playbook: Strategies for coaching, and providing feedback to pitchers and maintaining your station’s sound.

👂 The Air Checking Playbook: How to review performance with a "listener ear" while adhering to the golden rule: First, do no harm.

Whether you are behind the mic, in the control room, or reviewing performance after your fundraiser, this resource will help your station reach its fundraising goals — without overstaying your welcome on the airwaves.

Get the Optimal On-Air Fundraising guide, (available exclusively for Greater Public member stations):

Transform your next pledge drive. Get expert strategies for identifying new donors, coaching on-air talent, and using air checks to reach your station’s goals

05/27/2026

The deadline to enter our drawing for an iconic Chicago night out at The Second City is coming up this Friday, May 29 at midnight ET! ⏰

Register for the Public Media Growth Conference (PMGC), July 8-10 in Chicago, and you’ll join a national network of peers—fundraisers, programmers, and leaders—to tackle station complexities and share actionable strategies.

Secure your spot before the deadline to be entered to win. The prize includes:

-Two tickets to a legendary improv or sketch comedy show 🎭 🎫
-Dinner and drinks during the performance 🍽️ 🍷
-Tax and tip covered—we’ve taken care of everything 👍

Learn more and Register today!

We are exactly three days away from the deadline to enter our latest registration drawing. Secure your spot at the Public Media Growth Conference by Friday, May 29 at midnight ET, and you could be heading to The Second City for an iconic Chicago night out.

05/21/2026

We are honored to announce that Brooke Gladstone, host of WNYC’s On the Media, will be a featured keynote speaker at the 2026 Public Media Growth Conference in Chicago!

Brooke will join us for a deep-dive interview on the importance of public media with Araceli Gómez-Aldana, anchor and reporter for WBEZ Chicago.

This conversation will examine the role of public media in a shifting landscape. This is your chance to hear from one of the industry's most brilliant minds in the company of your peers from across the nation.

Read more and register today: https://hubs.ly/Q04hxt-G0

05/20/2026

In our latest Quick Takes video, we’re sharing an idea from KEXP in Seattle, where they’ve hosted small stewardship events for challenge donors before drives. These events, held twice a year in KEXP's iconic live room, provide an opportunity for staff to connect with donors in a small group, and for donors to build community with each other.

Hear from Stephanie Shafer, Philanthropy Officer, about the process and impact.

Greater Public members can find more resources at: https://hubs.ly/Q04hmRQG0

Quick Takes is supported by Veritus Group. Learn more at https://hubs.ly/Q04hmVgL0

05/18/2026

Register for the Public Media Growth Conference 2026 by Friday, May 29 at midnight ET, and you’ll be automatically entered to win a gift card to the world-famous Second City for the ultimate Chicago night out!

The prize covers everything you need for an unforgettable evening while in Chicago:

-Two tickets to a legendary sketch comedy or improv show. 🎭 🎫
-Dinner and drinks at the theater during the performance. 🍽️ 🍷
-Coverage for tax and tip, so you can just relax and laugh. 🤣

At PMGC 2026, you’ll be joining fundraisers, programmers, and leaders from across the country to tackle the real-world complexities of our industry through high-level strategy and peer-to-peer collaboration. Don’t miss the opportunity to be at the center of the most important conversations happening in public media.

Learn more and register today!

When you join us for the Public Media Growth Conference (PMGC) this July, we want you to experience the very best of our host city. That’s why we’re giving away the ultimate Chicago night out!

05/11/2026

In this Quick Takes video, Jay Clayton discusses why it’s time for public media to stop using the word “pledge” on-air, and in marketing around membership drives.

Learn how language impacts audiences’ understanding of stations’ need for support, and what to do as you prepare for your next drive:

05/07/2026

We are thrilled to announce that Natalie Nixon will be a featured keynote speaker at this year’s Public Media Growth Conference (PMGC) in Chicago!

In public media our mission is constant, but the way we grow and amplify that mission must evolve. To thrive in today’s shifting media landscape, we need to lead with intention and think differently about our future.

A world-renowned strategist and author of The Creativity Leap, Natalie believes creativity is a tool for everyone—not just "creatives."

Natalie will show us how to master the "creativity leap" required to build a more sustainable station. We can’t wait for you to experience her high-energy framework for growth this July.

Register today: https://hubs.ly/Q04fS4Kd0

05/05/2026

Take a trip down memory lane with Greater Public staff and advisors, with our version of the trend.

Here are just a few of the faces behind the resources, webinars, and networking opportunities that bring public media together and push the industry forward.

04/29/2026

For the first time, the Public Media Growth Conference (PMGC) 2026 will be bringing together content, marketing, fundraising, and leadership staff together in the same room.

This conference has a history of being a space where the public media industry connects, learns from each other, and has the hard conversations about what it will take to sustain and grow public media audiences and revenue.

Now, we will be having those conversations with colleagues across our stations, breaking down the departmental divides.

Building a bigger tent, together.

Will you be in the room?

Don’t miss out on Early Bird pricing through midnight ET on Friday, May 1: https://hubs.ly/Q04dWPX00