Hello to my new friends (and those I haven’t met yet) in public media! My name is Michael Rubino. I recently had the privilege of attending the Public Media Development and Marketing Conference (PMDMC) here in Atlanta, GA. PMDMC provided me with a wonderful opportunity to meet so many of our partners in the public media landscape, as well as the opportunity to learn more about this fascinating industry that brings all of us together.

Being a newcomer to the world of public media, these past seven months have been an eye-opening experience regarding what goes on behind the scenes to deliver the programs I’ve watched and listened to for as long as I can remember. And “as long as I can remember” is not an exaggeration. From my early years watching Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood and Sesame Street to this past weekend listening to Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me and Snap Judgement, public media has been part of my entire life! I’ve also gotten to know Diane Rehm, Bob Ross, and Teri Gross through the years. And thanks to PMDMC 2023, I can now add countless others who I was fortunate to have met and who work tirelessly to continue delivering quality programming to people like me.

At the conference, I started each morning at The Hub where people representing stations from all over the country were able to learn more about the vendors in attendance and how their services could benefit the mission of sustaining healthy fundraising efforts. Springboard, StreamGuys, Vincit, and Forest (just to name a few) all had booths station representatives could stop by to learn more about services or ask questions. Most of the visitors who came to our booth were familiar with CDP, and the majority were already participating in the Revenue Opportunity and Action Report (ROAR). (And many of those who were not already participating provided contact information so they could join as well).

Over the course of my interactions, I noticed a theme developing among those I had the honor to spend getting to know at PMDMC, and that commonality was their passion. I spoke with folks from all over the country, from so many stations, some with 20+ years in the business, and some, like me, still in their first. Regardless of their years of service, the passion for delivering quality programming was apparent in everyone. The feeling that we are all in this business because we have a genuine belief in what we do was apparent in each person I interacted with.

We were able to see many of our partner services stations and our Member Services Bureau, or MSB, Stations (part of our fundraising co-op focused on driving positive results and donor relationships through data and technology). Among them, “thank you” was a recurring theme. In this time of change, when demands on our time can feel overwhelming and we are all doing our best running at 100 mph to accomplish our goals, the appreciation sometimes gets lost in the whirlwind. But this past week, it was expressed and received again and again. And now I would like to pass it on myself as well. To all of you in the public media community, know you are making a monumental difference. All your effort is seen, recognized, and very much appreciated!

To everyone I met at PMDMC, I appreciate you taking the time to stop by the CDP booth, labs, and lounge to continue learning about our services, as well as providing additional context to a newbie like me. I’m proud to be a small part of a larger calling to continue to allow public media to thrive and be a part of so many people’s lives. Thank you all for all you do!