WOSU's five-floor building on the corner of 14th Avenue and Pearl Alley on The Ohio State University’s campus.
On a quiet morning halfway around the globe, Robert and Bailey Sorton begin their day by doing something that feels entirely ordinary.
They tune in to WOSU.
“We’ve listened to WOSU in Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, the Galápagos,” Bailey says. “Wherever we are in the world, it’s comforting to hear what’s at home.”
From 24-hour music on Classical 101 to global and local journalism on 89.7 NPR News — to award-winning television on PBS and The Ohio Channel — WOSU plays a critical role in connecting Central Ohioans.
“I trust them,” Robert says, “with the news and with the music.”
And the Sortons know music. Both Robert and Bailey Sorton are professional oboists who have coached woodwind chamber ensembles in Ohio and performed with orchestras all over the world. Robert spent three decades on faculty in The Ohio State University’s School of Music, and Bailey recently retired after 29 years of teaching at Kenyon College.
They are among the more than 40,000 sustaining members who give to WOSU annually. Collectively, contributors like the Sortons cover more than 80 percent of the organization’s operating expenses. That level of support reflects something profound: WOSU exists as it does — independent, local, trusted — because the community believes that it should.
“With the funding changes that have happened recently, the way our audience has stepped up to support us has been absolutely incredible,” says Anthony Padgett, the Thomas Rieland Endowed General Manager at WOSU Public Media.
Padgett’s endowed position was created through a generous philanthropic commitment from the late Andy Ross and his wife Sandy, along with gifts from more than a dozen friends to honor former general manager Tom Rieland upon his retirement. It is the only role of its kind in public media, helping to ensure long-term leadership continuity and a sustainable source of funding that can be directed back into operations, innovation and service, year after year.
Padgett calls his donor-funded position “a powerful reminder of why we’re here: to serve the community.”
Another powerful reminder of WOSU’s purpose is its headquarters, designed not as a closed media complex but as a welcoming neighborhood presence — open, accessible and connected to the community it serves. The five-floor building on the corner of 14th Avenue and Pearl Alley on The Ohio State University’s campus opened in 2021, following a record-breaking fundraising campaign supported by more than 2,600 donors.
Among the foundational contributors were the Rosses, whose generosity inspired and fueled the Ross Community Studio that serves as a flexible engagement space for public conversations, events and performances.
WOSU’s dynamic headquarters also includes an expanded newsroom, state-of-the-art broadcasting studios, music performance and recording studios, podcasting and editing studios and conference rooms, offering unmatched resources to local content creators, musicians, students and partner organizations.
With the incredible capabilities of this new building, plus five radio and television towers throughout the region, WOSU is our local piece of a vast communications network, connecting Central Ohioans with each other and with public media across the nation. This infrastructure allows WOSU to provide free, 24/7 access to emergency alerts, arts and entertainment, in-depth journalism and educational programming.
“That’s critical to our mission: providing equitable access as a public service,” Padgett says, referring to what WOSU provides via the air waves, internet, in-app streaming and also in person.
“Something people may not know about WOSU,” he adds, “is that we provide educational activities and resources for kids, not just on television, but in real life. We have a team that goes directly into schools to help teachers with curriculum and content creation. That’s a core part of who we are.”
The impact of the community’s investment in WOSU is most vividly felt when it becomes a physical gathering space, as it does on the second Saturday morning of each month. At Second Saturday Kids’ Day, children get to meet and greet beloved PBS characters — like Buddy from “Dinosaur Train” — and explore art, science, math and reading through interactive play. This free event, held monthly in the Ross Community Studio, brings families together to foster learning, connection and joy.
The program was created through a gift from Ann and Tom DiMarco, who are passionate about children’s well-being and believe deeply in “supporting organizations that reflect your values and what you want for the world.”
Their support comes in many forms. During her years on the Friends of WOSU Board, Ann volunteered her time and enjoyed answering the phones during fundraisers.
“I was impressed at how many students would call in and pledge $20,” she says, finding it just as moving as when longtime supporters would call to give more. “Everyone contributes what they’re able to. It takes all of us working together to make sure that we can have WOSU in our community.”
For more than a century, WOSU has been part of the rhythm of daily life in Central Ohio — a familiar voice in the morning, a trusted guide through the day’s events and a place where families learn and grow together. Today, WOSU reaches nearly 2 million people across 20 counties through radio, television, digital platforms, emergency alerts and in-person events that engage, inform and inspire. And these services continue to evolve, as WOSU strives to meet audiences wherever they are in a rapidly changing world.
“More support is always needed,” Padgett says, particularly to sustain the continuous evolution an era like ours demands.
For Ann, the answer is clear: “If there is something that provides value to you, then you support it.
“You know, nothing is free. And what WOSU provides for our community is outstanding,” she says.
In recent weeks, neighbors have rallied around WOSU, spurred on by occasions that catalyze and celebrate collective impact. During WOSU’s spring fund drive, 1,453 listeners gave a total of $223,314.
Public Media Giving Days bring another opportunity to take part in something greater by showing support: May 1-2 are nationwide fundraising and advocacy events for public radio and television.
In the shifting media landscape, this season of renewal is a reminder that public media endures not because it is free, but because people choose to invest in it, generation after generation.
“This really is the people’s radio station,” says Robert. “It belongs to the community.
“And when something belongs to you, you want to protect it.”
WOSU Public Media’s mission is to enrich lives through content and experiences that engage, inform and inspire. They uphold that mission through the generous support of the communities that they serve.