WTVP-TV is touting positive financials after months of hardships, controversy
WTVP-TV recorded a positive operating income in December and January after months of hemorrhaging money during a fiscal crisis and controversy.
WTVP Board of Directors treasurer Helen Barrick told the board, which welcomed five new members Tuesday night, that the station had finally turned a corner and posted a positive net income in December and January.
The station had a net operating income of $221,000 in December and $174,000 in January.
A financial crisis and controversy has been hanging over WTVP for months following the resignation and death by suicide of former CEO Lesley Matuszak, who is believed by the current board to have allegedly misspent and stolen money from the station.
In October, WTVP paused publication of Peoria Magazine, which the station was losing $35,000 a month on to operate.
More: An in-depth look at WTVP's future and criminal investigation
WTVP is not out of its financial woes completely yet, however. New board chairman John Wieland told the board that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would soon begin its financial audit into WTVP before releasing annual funding to the station.
Wieland said he was "100%" confident the audit would go well and WTVP would secure funding from the CPB. Wieland said the CPB's audit would likely finish in May or June.
Barrick said she was excited for the audit to take place so the station could "move forward."
If the funds from CPB were to come after the 2024 fiscal year ends on June 30, Wieland said he was told by the CPB that they would honor the $800,000 in funding WTVP should have received in 2024.
Wieland said he was disappointed the station would receive no partial funding before then, but overall said he was happy with how the discussions with the CPB transpired.
Wieland will soon make a trip to Washington, D.C,. to meet with the president of PBS and the senior vice president of the CPB.
WTVP is still hoping to further boost its membership numbers. It currently has 5,853 active members and 180 "Klystron members" who give more than $1,000 to the station.
WTVP welcomes five new board members
WTVP's final five new board members were voted into their seats on Tuesday, and some of the new board members — including those among the eight who had been previously selected to the board — were introduced via produced videos.
The five board members voted in Tuesday were Chet Tomczyk, Jessica Tilton, Robert Senneff, Emily Galligan and Kevin Hicks.
Wieland also took time Thursday to restate that the board members who left had done nothing wrong and had a "terribly tough hand dealt."
He said discourse that suggested the previous board was not being transparent with the public was untrue and said the legal counsel for the station was doing more of telling the board what they cannot say versus what they can say.
"Optics do not need to be true to be people's reality," Wieland said.
More: WTVP is at the center of a financial crisis. Here's what we know so far
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: WTVP-TV touts positive financials after months of controversy
