171. Texas Public Radio and the San Antonio Report Are Merging — Here's Why

This week on bigcitysmalltown, Bob Rivard sits down with Ashley Alvarado, CEO of Texas Public Radio, and Angie Mock, CEO of the San Antonio Report, to discuss a major development in San Antonio's local news landscape: the two organizations are merging. Effective July 1st, the San Antonio Report will donate its assets to Texas Public Radio, combining operations under one roof to strengthen independent, nonprofit journalism in San Antonio.They discuss:Why two financially healthy organizations chose to merge — and how this is different from the consolidations happening elsewhere in the industryWhat the combined newsroom will look like on day one: 31 journalism positions, with all but four working as reporters in the communityHow the San Antonio Report's digital specificity and Texas Public Radio's broadcast reach complement each other — and what that means for covering the cityWhy YouTube has become unavoidable for reaching younger San Antonians, with 60 to 75 percent of county residents turning to it for news every weekWhat Ashley Alvarado learned leading a similar merger at KPCC in Los Angeles — and how those lessons are shaping the approach hereHow the two newsrooms will physically unite, with the San Antonio Report moving to TPR's downtown facilities in late JulyThe challenge of serving a politically diverse city — and why relevance and trust have to be built together, not assumedWhat the merger means for investigative and accountability journalism at City Hall and beyondRECOMMENDED NEXT LISTEN:▶ 170. Don Graham and Dr. Abel Antonio Chávez on Journalism, Our Lady of the Lake, and Why Access to Education Changes Everything — The retired chairman of The Washington Post Company and the president of Our Lady of the Lake University on the state of journalism, democracy, and what it takes to keep independent news alive in a city like San Antonio.…..GET THE NEWSLETTER📰 If you enjoyed this conversation, sign up for Bob Rivard's Midweek — sharp takes on San Antonio's politics, culture, and civic life, delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Independent, nonpartisan, and free to read.Subscribe here.-- --CONNECT📸 Connect on Instagram🔗 Join us on LinkedIn🎥 Subscribe on YouTubeSPONSORS🙌 Support the show & see our sponsorsTHANK YOU⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⭐ Rate us on Spotify