Home Industries Merged public TV, radio groups rebranding as Ocean State Media this fall

Merged public TV, radio groups rebranding as Ocean State Media this fall

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PBN Staff

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06/06/2025

TPRRIPBS — THE PUBLIC’S Radio and Rhode Island PBS, which merged in May 2024, will become Ocean State Media this fall.

PROVIDENCE – The state’s public TV and radio outlets will have a new name this fall. Rhode Island Public Radio and Rhode Island PBS, which merged in May 2024, will become Ocean State Media, the platforms announced Thursday. “This has been such a thoughtful and inclusive process. We’ve heard from our loyal members and audiences,

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PROVIDENCE – The state’s public TV and radio outlets will have a new name this fall. Rhode Island Public Radio and Rhode Island PBS, which merged in May 2024, will become Ocean State Media, the platforms announced Thursday. “This has been such a thoughtful and inclusive process. We’ve heard from our loyal members and audiences, as well as from neighbors who have never watched or listened to public media before,” said Pam Johnston, president and CEO of Ocean State Media. “We learned about what kinds of stories resonate with Rhode Islanders, how we can serve our community even better, and what it is people love about living here.” The naming process of the merged identity included community engagement and outreach across Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. A randomly selected sample of 835 adults from across the area, as well as 341 members to one or both organizations, completed an extensive market research survey. More than 50 community partners completed their own survey, and more than 200 community members and leaders participated in live small group listening sessions, focus groups and one-on-one conversations. Feedback was also solicited on the Rhode Island PBS and Rhode Island Public Radio's websites, promoted both on-air and on digital platforms. “The process around this name and around our merger and around defining who we are in the world has been extraordinary,” Johnston said in a Q&A with Rhode Island Public Radio. “It has been centered on listening, listening to our audience, listening to our community, to our staff, to our board members, to people who don’t really know who we are yet, but are looking for a new kind of media organization that feels very local here in Rhode Island. And what came back was very clear: a sense of place, making sure that the organization was centered someplace.” Rhode Island PBS and Rhode Island Public Radio, doing business as The Public’s Radio, submitted their merger bid in November 2023. Attorney General Peter F. Neronha approved the consolidation in April 2024.