Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Wxxi Public Broadcasting Council

EIN 16-0838086 · Rochester, NY

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair65 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

WXXI IS THE ESSENTIAL, LIFE-LONG EDUCATIONAL PUBLIC MEDIA RESOURCE FOR THE GREATER ROCHESTER AREA. WXXI ENGAGES THE COMMUNITY WITH PROGRAMMING THAT STIMULATES AND EXPANDS THOUGHT, INSPIRES THE SPIRIT, OPENS CULTURAL HORIZONS AND PROMOTES UNDERSTANDING OF DIVERSE ISSUES.

Income
$19.2 million
Spending
$14.9 million
Spent on programs
68%
Reserves
1.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 64%
Employees
106
Volunteers
650
Highest pay
$403,503, president and ceo (thru 11/24)

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 1.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 31% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 22% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 44% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    68% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    16 of 17 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $6.5 million spent. PROGRAMMING/PRODUCTION:WXXI PROVIDES A RANGE OF NATIONAL PROGRAMMING AND ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS ACROSS ALL ITS SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDES FOUR TELEVISION STATIONS AND SIX RADIO STATIONS. WXXI-TV PRESENTS A PBS SCHEDULE, RICH IN HISTORY, SCIENCE, NATURE, ARTS AND NON-VIOLENT, COMMERCIAL-FREE CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING WHICH IS ALSO LIVE STREAMED. WXXI-KIDS 24/7 IS A 24-HOUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL CHANNEL, SHOWCASING THE BEST OF PBS KIDS AND LOCAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMING WHICH IS ALSO LIVE STREAMED. WXXI-CREATE IS A 24/7 HOW-TO CHANNEL, AND WXXI-WORLD IS A 24/7 NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS CHANNEL. OUR TV PRODUCTIONS INCLUDE ARTS INFOCUS, A COLLABORATIVE ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAM WITH SPECIALS ON-AIR AND ONLINE, VOICE OF THE VOTER DEBATE, AND WXXI FORUMS, AS WELL AS MANY AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARIES. OUR RADIO STATIONS INCLUDE WXXI-FM 105.9/AM 1370, AN NPR MEMBER STATION, WHICH PROVIDES IN-DEPTH LOCAL, REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS COVERAGE, AND A DAILY TWO-HOUR CALL-IN PROGRAM CONNECTIONS WITH EVAN DAWSON. WXXO-FM CLASSICAL 91.5, BROADCAST AND STREAMED LIVE IS ROCHESTER'S ONLY FULL-TIME CLASSICAL MUSIC STATION, OFFERING LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RECORDINGS, AS WELL AS LOCAL PRODUCTIONS LIKE LIVE FROM HOCHSTEIN, AND A NATIONALLY SYNDICATED PROGRAM WITH HEART AND VOICE. PROGRAMMING ON WXXI CLASSICAL IS ALSO SIMULCAST ON WXXY-FM 90.3 FOR OUR SOUTHERN TIER LISTENERS.WRUR-FM 88.5, A BROADCAST PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN WXXI AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER, PROVIDES A MIX OF MUSIC ALONG WITH NPR'S MORNING EDITION IN THE MORNINGS AND NPR NEWS BREAKS IN THE AFTERNOON. LOCAL PRODUCTIONS INCLUDE TWO DAILY MUSIC SHOW, OPEN TUNINGS WITH SCOTT REGAN AND AFTERNOONS WITH YARMS, PLUS NIGHTLY MUSIC PROGRAMS INCLUDING IN THE FOLD WITH MICHAEL BLACK, ROAD TO JOY WITH MAUREEN RICH, BLACKS AND BLUES WITH DOUG CURRY AND REJUVENATION WITH SCOTT WALLACE. THE STATION ALSO STREAMS LIVE.IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HOBART & WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES, WXXI BROADCASTS WITH-FM 90.1 IN ITHACA, NY, A MUSIC AND NEWS STATION THAT STRENGTHENS PUBLIC RADIO IN THE FINGER LAKES REGION. WEOS-FM 89.5, ALSO A BROADCAST PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HOBART & WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES, PROVIDES NPR NEWS AND ECLECTIC MUSIC PROGRAMMING IN GENEVA, NY. BOTH STATIONS ARE BROADCAST AND STREAMED LIVE.
  2. $2.8 million spent. BROADCASTING:WXXI OPERATES FOUR PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS (WXXI-TV, WXXI-KIDS 24/7, WXXI-CREATE, WXXI-WORLD); MANAGES THE CABLE CHANNEL, CITY 12 (PROVIDING THE CITY OF ROCHESTER RESIDENTS WITH 14 HOURS A DAY OF TARGETED, INFORMATIVE AND ENTERTAINING PROGRAMMING); SIX PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS (WXXI-FM 105.9/AM 1370, WXXO-FM 91.5, WXXY-FM 90.3, WRUR-FM 88.5, WEOS-FM 98.7 AND WITH-FM 90.1), AND TWO HD RADIO CHANNELS (FM-HD 91.5-1 AND FM-HD 91.5-2).
  3. $761,443 spent. CITY IS ROCHESTER'S ARTS, MUSIC, AND CULTURE MAGAZINE, A MONTHLY PRINT AND ONLINE NEWS SERVICE, WHICH HAS BEEN PUBLISHED SINCE 1972 AND IS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY FOR FREE. WXXI PURCHASED CITY FROM ITS FOUNDERS IN MAY 2019 AND OPERATES CITY AS A SUBSIDIARY. WXXI RECOGNIZES THE VALUE OF CITY, AS THE ACQUISITION PRESERVES AND EXPANDS THE QUALITY AND DEPTH OF LOCAL REPORTING AND PRIORITIZES COVERAGE OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE GREATER ROCHESTER AREA.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since March 1960.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.