TV Talk: Abrupt departures abound at WQED-TV in recent months

Editor’s note: This is the second part of a column on the current state of WQED Multimedia. Read part one here.

Pittsburgh’s PBS station, WQED-TV, has had its turbulent moments in the past and it seems to be amid another storm.

Nine months into the tenure of new CEO Jason Jedlinski, WQED Multimedia has eliminated at least nine staff positions, much to the dissatisfaction of the remaining station veterans.

Departures from WQED are not limited to long-time employees.

After 22 years, WQED cut ties earlier this year with attorney/lobbyist David Mayernik of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, who helped WQED secure funding for a new antenna, education programs and the 2006 series “The War That Made America,” among many other station initiatives.

“They lost an independent, local voice that has been identified as speaking on behalf of WQED [in Harrisburg] and has been successful in putting forth their intentions and ongoing projects and programs,” Mayernik said. “With [former CEOs] George Miles and Deb Acklin, I never felt like an employee but I felt like I was part of the WQED family. It hurts to not be a member of the WQED family.”

Read Part 1 of the WQED story

• TV Talk: Does WQED still care about local programming?

Mayernik said he had good conversations with Jedlinski shortly after Jedlinski’s arrival, but in late January Jedlinski’s chief of staff, Sonya Dietz, called to say the station didn’t need two lobbyists and opted to retain only the lobbyist the station shares with other Pennsylvania public broadcasters. Jedlinski declined to say why WQED dropped the lobbyist who sought funds specifically for WQED.

“I think it’s short-sighted to get rid of David Mayernik,” said Pennsylvania state Sen. Jay Costa. “I think it suggests they don’t put a priority on having a relationship with Harrisburg to be able to drive resources [to WQED]. … Sometimes we have a semi-dedicated stream of resources to them, which they continue to receive this year. It’s a question of whether they’ll get it or not in future years.”

In addition to exiting station veterans, at least two new hires left months or weeks into their WQED roles.

Earlier this year, WQED hired a new HR director, Daniel Carr, who made a positive first impression on some staff, but Jedlinski let Carr go about three weeks later. In a note to the staff obtained by TribLive, Jedlinski wrote, “It wasn’t the fit we thought it would be; and I decided it was better to acknowledge that sooner rather than later.” (Carr did not respond to an interview request.)

Financial director Michael Paliani announced his resignation on April 29, lasting only seven months at the station. Jedlinski’s email to staff obtained by TribLive said Paliani is taking a new job with a for-profit company closer to his home.

After the short tenure of Carr, WQED did not have an on-site HR representative (WQED hired an outsourced HR department, Acuity). In an email to staff obtained by TribLive, WQED board chairman Jonathan Rosenson wrote, “We have appointed Sonya Dietz as a point of contact for you to safely report concerns that you are not comfortable bringing to Jason directly.”

Dietz is Jedlinski’s chief of staff whom multiple WQED sources say he describes as his “right hand.” Jedlinski declined to answer a question about whether Dietz has an HR background.

In addition to outsourcing HR and IT, WQED is also outsourcing other work. The station brought on consultant Rena Unger of Surya Marketing of Santa Monica, Calif., to help with strategy around underwriting revenue generation. The station has since shifted her role to review other aspects of WQED operations. Jedlinski declined to answer a question about what other work Unger is doing on behalf of WQED.

Most recently, the station hired Sunny Green, formerly leader of fundraising strategy and foundation operations at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation, to be WQED’s head of marketing and membership.

In interviews with almost two dozen people familiar with the inner workings of WQED, sources all say the same thing: Employees are walking on eggshells in fear for their jobs, and many lament perceived damage to the institution that they were proud to join, seeing it as one of Pittsburgh’s cultural gems. None of them would speak on the record for fear of reprisals or a loss of severance.

After former CEO Deborah Acklin retired, the WQED board surveyed staff asking what characteristics were important in a new CEO. Survey results overwhelmingly showed staff valued someone with public media experience and ties to Pittsburgh. The WQED board of directors opted to go in a different direction. (Mike Waruszewski, a 10-year veteran of WQED who was most recently chief operating officer, departed in January and was among the local applicants for the CEO job.)

Jedlinski had no such experience and no ties to Pittsburgh. He came to WQED after a 15-month tenure as general manager of The Hill, a digital political news operation in Washington, D.C. Prior to The Hill, Jedlinski worked in digital product development for Gannett and The Wall Street Journal. He began his media career in local TV news.

“Nothing was ignored and indeed we had applications and we considered applications from local people, and we interviewed people currently in public media,” said Millie Myers, a former chair of the WQED board who served as chair of WQED’s search committee for a new CEO. “When it came to adding up everything, we certainly did not find one candidate who checked absolutely every single box, but when we added up all the pluses and matched them, it turned out to be Jason.”

Myers said the search committee was looking for change, “somebody who would have the vision to help WQED evolve as public media – indeed, all media – will have to evolve over the next few years as people get their content from so many different distribution sources.”

She also said Pittsburgh is changing and that needed to be addressed, too.

“While our traditional TV audience is indeed our major donor audience and we’re not taking anything away from them, we’re aware there’s a new generation of people in Pittsburgh who didn’t grow up here, who don’t feel the reverence and tradition for Mister Rogers and all of the traditions those of us who are native do,” Myers continued. “We needed somebody whom we felt would respect that tradition but also lead us into new directions technologically, understanding the audience and who could build the audience so we could be sustainable in the future.”

“Jason came out of that [CEO search] process as the best choice,” said WQED board chairman Rosenson. “The board is pleased with his progress so far and continues to support him in his efforts.”

In recent months, TribLive reviewed correspondence among Jedlinski, Rosenson, and WQED staff. Since January, at least two WQED staff members have sent anonymous letters to the non-profit’s board of directors complaining about Jedlinski’s leadership.

In February, Jedlinski responded by sending a video message to all staff that was viewed by a TribLive reporter. Jedlinski suggested unhappy WQED employees need to be more forward-thinking.

“Here’s what won’t work,” he said, “sitting on the sidelines, just wishing things would go back to the way they were.”

In the video, Jedlinski also addressed accusations about his alleged “reign of terror” and that he was “dismantling a Pittsburgh treasure” as well as pleas to the board “to protect Pittsburgh and WQED from me.”

In response, Jedlinski suggested the anonymous employee should “take some time off.”

In March, board chairman Rosenson sent an all-staff email obtained by TribLive in which he wrote, “Some of our board members have recently received anonymous letters from two WQED staff members expressing their lack of confidence in Jason and the changes he is implementing to strengthen WQED’s connections to our communities and modernize our business practices. … After carefully considering the letters, we conclude that the concerns expressed do not warrant board intervention.”

While Jedlinski has earned few fans among the WQED staff, many WQED sources blame the WQED board. One employee pointed to former CEO George Miles as a leader who cultivated his boards so they would rubber-stamp his vision. WQED sources conclude that Jedlinski is carrying out the board’s wishes.

“Media has changed a lot and we want to be as relevant as possible to our local community,” Rosenson said. “We’re making sure those connections in the community enable us to fund the programs we want to deliver.”

When asked to define “programs” — does Rosenson mean TV programs or off-air programs (e.g. educational programs) — Rosenson said Jedlinski should address that question.

Jedlinski acknowledged he’s speaking of “programs” to include everything from TV and radio programs to podcasts and evolutions of WQED partnerships with schools and libraries.

“I use it broadly as the ways in which we are pursuing our mission to enrich communities through education and storytelling,” he said.