WUFT-TV/FM | WJUF-FM
1200 Weimer Hall | P.O. Box 118405
Gainesville, FL 32611
(352) 392-5551

A service of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida.

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News and Public Media for North Central Florida
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WUFT-TV/FM Community Representation Statement

October 2024

WUFT-TV/FM Employment Policies

WUFT-TV/FM is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving the goal of equal employment opportunity for all. Applicants and employees are considered and evaluated for positions without regard to mental or physical disability, race, creed, color, religion, gender, national origin, citizenship status, age, genetic information, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, employment status or any protected federal, state or local status unrelated to the performance of the work involved.

WUFT-TV/FM Workplace Demographics as of October 2024

WUFT-TV/FM is proud of the diverse workforce we have assembled. For the period of July 1, 2023, through January 30, 2024, WUFT-TV/FM’s total workforce included 36 active regular employees. 50% were female, 50% were male, and 25% were people of color. WUFT-TV/FM also has 22 part time students employed for our news and Hispanic programming.

University of Florida Board of Trustees as of October 2024

Our diversity goals extend to our Board of Trustees. The University of Florida’s Board of Trustees has 13 voting trustees, 30% of whom are women, 70% of whom are men. The entire Board is appointed by the Governor of the state of Florida. Trustees are multigenerational and span over five decades and represent a variety of professional and life experiences.

WUFT-TV/FM’s Diversity Progress Efforts over the past 2-3 years:

We ensured our job ads are posted at diverse sites.

We included equal employment opportunity statements in all our job ads.

We assigned an Equity Advisor to each search to ensure equitable recruitment practices.

We required a search charge of expectations before each search.

We ensured assessment tools for evaluation of applicants are equitable and consistent.

The Dean of the College of Journalism and Communications reviewed all final assessments prior to approving hires.

The University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications’ fiscal year is July through June. For the fiscal year of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, WUFT added four people to the staff in a continuing effort to ensure diversity and inclusion.

WUFT-TV/FM Programming Reflecting Community Needs

WUFT-TV, WUFT/WJUF-FM and the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) continue to operate in the public interest with a focus on local news, information, educational, weather and entertainment programming.

FY23-24 Fourth Quarter Activity Report – WUFT-TV:

WUFT-TV is a million-watt full-service broadcast television station, serving the north Florida region over the air, on cable and satellite, online and via the WUFT Media App. The WUFT-TV channel lineup also provides the following HD and standard subchannels which are included on cable in the Gainesville-Ocala area: WUFT-DT1: PBS HD, WUFT-DT2: PBS Create and WUFT-DT3: The Florida Channel. WUFT-TV’s programming in the Fourth Quarter included PBS Kids shows, information and entertainment programming from PBS, APT and NETA as well as local productions and local news produced by the WUFT Innovation News Center (INC).

WUFT-TV Local Productions:

“WUFT’s Greater Good” is a local half-hour program that is broadcast 10 times per week showcasing non-profit organizations in North Central Florida. The program is promoted on television, radio and across all WUFT media social platforms. “Greater Good” episodes featured Florida Defenders of the Environment, Grace Healthcare Services Corp., Florida Museum of Natural History, Parents as Teachers, Alachua County Arts Council, Acrosstown Repertory Theatre, Episcopal Children’s Services and Santa Fe College Fine Arts. All episodes are archived and viewable at https://www.wuft.org/greatergood

“Artistry in Motion” celebrates the local arts community in modules showcasing an individual artist’s story in engaging audio and video vignettes. https://www.wuft.org/artistryinmotion

“WUFT News First at Five” is produced and anchored by student journalists in the UF College of Journalism and Communications and features news, weather, sports, and entertainment Monday through Friday at 5 p.m.

“Knight Talks” features UF students interviewing media industry leaders and college alumni. Past guests have included Leigh Radford, Charles Harris, Craig Fugate, Wendy Edwards, Bryan Ruiz, Nicci Brown and Jamal Sowell. The program is broadcast weekly on television. https://www.wuft.org/knighttalks

“WUFT Amplified” features performances by local musical groups recorded in the WUFT Studio. Nine episodes were broadcast during this period and featured performances from previous episodes as well as Chaunces, The Front Porch Steppers, Morningbell, Jernie, The Savants of Soul, Trustfall, The Housing Crisis, Josh Gluck and the Family Tree and The Late Night Losers. https://www.wuft.org/shows/wuft-amplified

“March of the Mangroves” is a University of Florida student-produced documentary about the demise of the mangroves. The iconic coastal trees across the Florida peninsula have been impacted by coastal development and climate change which has caused the seas to rise and temperatures to fluctuate. https://www.wuft.org/mangroves

WUFT-TV Educational Outreach:

Shared Education Outreach posts on WUFT Facebook page. These posts are sourced through PBS Kids, station initiatives targeting families and educators. Implemented classroom reading activity at Newberry Elementary with a follow up activity relating to 2023 Read for the Record book, “Lots of Love,” on April 16, 2024. Distributed copies of books with WUFT stickers to distribute to students. Presented an after reading activity for children to submit to their teacher to share on WUFT’s social media. Met with the Cade Museum to explore Education Outreach partnerships. Prepared for Education Outreach event PBS Kids Zone at WUFT’s Fanfare and Fireworks in July 2024.

FY23-24 Fourth Quarter Activity – WUFT-/WJUF-FM:

WUFT-FM is a 100,000-watt station and WJUF-FM simulcasts WUFT-FM via a 21,000-watt signal. The non-commercial stations broadcast a news/talk format from studios in the UF College of Journalism and Communications. WUFT/WJUF features live, local news/talk content as well as news and information programming from statewide public media partners and national programming services. Locally produced programs and modules include “Tell Me About It,” “Animal Airwaves Live,” “Tiny Tech” and “Health in a Heartbeat.” WUFT-FM currently provides three different programming streams: a news/talk format on 89.1-HD1/90.1-HD1; “WUFT Classic” on 89.1- HD2/90.1-HD2 featuring a 24-hour-a-day classical music radio signal also broadcast on 102.7 FM in the Gainesville and 88.5 FM

in Archer; and “GHQ,” on 89.1-HD3/90.1-HD3 featuring the student-run, millennial-focused contemporary music station that is also rebroadcast on 95.3 FM in Gainesville. “GHQ” is an innovative project that provides the ideal platform to test broadcast radio’s mobile app technology as it relates to engaging young listeners.

Gainesville-Ocala Market:

WUFT-FM (HD1): News/Talk-Community Information WUFT-FM (HD2): WUFT Classic (Music/Arts)

WUFT-FM (HD3): “GHQ”-Millennial-Targeted Contemporary Music

Nature Coast/The Villages Markets:WJUF-FM (HD1):

News/Talk-Community Information WJUF-FM (HD2): WUFT Classic (Music/Arts)

FY23-24 Fourth Quarter Activity – WUFT Digital, Radio and Television News Highlights Digital/WUFT.org:

  • Newberry, Florida charter school conversion initiative and controversy
  • Gov. DeSantis appoints new Gainesville Regional Utilities Board including former GRU General Manager Ed Bielarski
  • University of Florida proposes eliminating City of Gainesville regional transit funding for student, staff and faculty riders
  • Florida police arrest first pro-Palestinian protesters in state and at two university campuses

WUFT-TV Television Highlights:

  • Coverage of severe weather and tornado warnings in Alachua and Marion counties
  • Newberry, Florida charter school conversion initiative and controversy
  • Gainesville Regional Utilities Board changes in operations and expenses, controversy over GRU authority makeup, and lawsuits and resignations
  • Gainesville's controversial removal of homeless encampments across the city. Students produced pieces that showcased the city's stance on what they called a "gentle removal" in addition to homeless advocates upset that the city's removal was somewhat inhumane.

WUFT-FM Radio Highlights:

  • Newberry Education First’s promotion of the conversion to a charter school
  • Florida Museum of Natural History, Southern Illinois University and Smithsonian Museum of Natural History receive $1 million grant.
  • Alachua County School Board proposes a year-round school calendar for Metcalfe and Rawlings Elementary Schools  
  • Private insurers pull more than 275,000 policies last year from the state’s Citizens Property Insurance
  • Gov. DeSantis announces plan to support a billion-dollar budget allocation to raise teacher salaries
  • Marion County paraprofessional Edward Lanza named Florida’s 2024 School Related Employee of the Year
  • WUFT-FM Local Radio Programs

 “Tell Me About It” is a weekly audio storytelling series focusing on events, organizations and research projects by those that helped create them and those that have benefitted. Episodes featured Keep Alachua County Beautiful Great American Cleanup, Friends of the Library Book Sale, Peaceful Paths 50 Years of Hope, “The Mango Chronicle,” Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Central Florida, UF Artificial Intelligence Academic Initiative Center, Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, Hippodrome Theatre, LifeSouth Community Blood Center 50th Anniversary and Children’s Trust of Alachua County. https://www.wuft.org/podcast/tell-me-about-it

“Animal Airwaves Live” is a live weekly one-hour, call-in program in collaboration with veterinarians from the UF College of Veterinary Medicine. Episodes included managing care for elderly pets, helping Florida’s marine animals, leprosy and armadillos, what to consider before bringing a pet home, glaucoma in dogs, vehicular trauma in dogs, open heart surgery for dogs, safe animal exercise, canine and feline pregnancies and what to do before applying to veterinary school. https://podcasts.ufhealth.org/category/animal-airwaves/live/

“Tiny Tech” is a series of radio modules focusing on the science and engineering of the very small. Each module presents an aspect of nanoscale objects, ranging from the effects of size on chemical and physical properties to new technological applications in fields as diverse as electronic devices and medicine. https://cnem.chem.ufl.edu/index.html

“Health in a Heartbeat” is a credible source of health information that inspires and informs listeners and satisfies their growing appetite for news they can use. For more than 20 years, “Health in a Heartbeat” has offered a daily dose of medical wisdom. The program is produced in partnership with UF Health. The two-minute modules air weekdays locally and on public radio stations across the country. https://www.wuft.org/health-in-a-heartbeat

FY23-24 Fourth Quarter Activity – Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN)

Megan Borowski serves as Interim Chief Meteorologist with Meteorologist William Maxham. They both train UF students on forecasting and on-air presentation. The following list represents content that was produced for radio and social media audiences of partner stations throughout Florida.

  • April 1-3: Cold front and strong line of thunderstorms over the Panhandle and North Florida
  • April 10-11: Cold front, severe thunderstorms, and tornado risk over Panhandle, North, and Central Florida
  • April 30 and May 1: Countdown to the Atlantic hurricane season - Review of season outlook and tips on how to be prepared
  • May 5-11: National Hurricane Preparedness Week
  • May 9-17: Several strong cold fronts impact Panhandle and North Florida. Several tornadoes impact Tallahassee
  • May 31 and June 1: Hurricane season begins- CSU and NOAA forecast review. Call to prepare while conditions are quiet
  • June 11-13: Heavy rain, flash flooding over South Florida including Miami
  • June 27-30: Monitoring the tropics. Beryl develops east of the Lesser Antilles

Updated 10-11-2024 with employee census data as the area experienced 2 hurricanes between the end of September and early October.