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Lehigh Valley Public Media
Lehigh Valley Public Media was founded in 1967 as a community-owned public telecommunications corporation. Tim Fallon, who served as CEO for nearly two decades...
Lehigh Valley Public Media
Lehigh Valley Public Media was founded in 1967 as a community-owned public telecommunications corporation. Tim Fallon, who served as CEO for nearly two decades before becoming CEO Emeritus, led the effort to build the Univest Public Media Center on Bethlehem's South Side — a facility that now anchors the organization's physical presence. The board is chaired by Michael S. Keim, President of Univest Bank and Trust Co., signaling the deep integration between the organization and the regional financial community. The organization's deployment model is structured around tangible media infrastructure rather than liquid securities. Core holdings include the headquarters building at 839 Sesame Street in Bethlehem and the South Mountain transmitter site in Allentown. It operates both television (PBS39) and radio (WLVR-FM) stations, the latter through a direct operational partnership with Lehigh University. It also holds membership affiliations with PBS, NPR, and Pennsylvania PBS, which govern program distribution rights and collective fundraising capabilities. In May 2025, the board selected Hasanna Birdsong as the new CEO, marking a leadership transition from the Tim Fallon era. The organization also maintains a separate Endowment Trust and a supporting foundation (PBS39 Foundation Corporation), creating distinct vehicles for operational funding and long-term asset management. Its membership in the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce further anchors its role as a civic institution serving eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The structural differentiator for Lehigh Valley Public Media is its hybrid identity: it is simultaneously a public broadcaster dependent on community donations, a real estate owner with commercial-quality transmission assets, and an endowment manager running an estimated $81M long-term portfolio. That combination means investment decisions must balance mission-aligned grantmaking with the capital-preservation demands of a transmitter network, a dynamic that separates it from both pure university endowments and commercial station groups.
General information
Firm type
Foundation
Year founded
1967
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Bethlehem
Corporate office
Bethlehem, PA, United States
Principals
Hasanna Birdsong
Chief Executive Officer
Michael S. Keim
Board Chair
Joseph V. Topper, Jr.
Board Treasurer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Lehigh Valley Public Media?
Investment oversight for the endowment trust and related foundation assets falls under the board of directors, currently chaired by Michael S. Keim. Joseph V. Topper, Jr. serves as board treasurer and brings direct investment experience as CEO of Dunne Manning Inc. and co-founder of City Center Group. The organization has not publicly identified a dedicated CIO.
What is the relationship between Lehigh Valley Public Media and Lehigh University?
Lehigh University is a business partner in the operation of WLVR-FM, the organization's radio station. This partnership gives the university a direct role in programming and operational decisions for the station, while the broader endowment and television assets remain under the sole control of the community-owned public media corporation.
Does Lehigh Valley Public Media own its real estate assets?
Yes. The organization owns both its headquarters at 839 Sesame Street in Bethlehem — the Univest Public Media Center — and the South Mountain transmitter site in Allentown. These are commercial- and industrial-grade properties that represent a significant portion of the organization's $81M total asset base (Altss estimate).
How is the $81M endowment figure calculated?
The organization does not publicly disclose its asset size. The $81M reported here is an Altss estimate derived from available operational and real estate data, and should not be treated as a confirmed number. The estimate reflects the combined value of real estate holdings, the endowment trust, and the supporting foundation.
What philanthropic structures does Lehigh Valley Public Media maintain?
The organization maintains a separate PBS39 Foundation Corporation that serves as its primary philanthropic vehicle. This structure operates alongside the endowment trust and the core operating entity, creating a separation between grant-funded community programming and the long-term capital pool that supports transmission infrastructure.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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