Merrillville PBS affiliate cancels Lakeshore Report after 25 years

After 25 years, Merrillville-based Lakeshore Public Media is going to stop doing local television news reporting. The PBS affiliate will suspend its Lakeshore Report, which went from being a nightly show to a weekly program in 2014, after the Feb. 5 broadcast. 

"We have experienced challenges over the last few years with staff departures and loss of funding that have led us to make a very difficult decision," Matt Franklin, vice president of TV Operations for Lakeshore Public Media commented. "We have always been proud that we have been able to produce local news, but it is a real challenge in a public broadcasting environment. That’s why fewer than 10 public television stations across the country are doing it."

Lakeshore will continue to provide local content, but mainly in the form of public affairs-type talk shows since timely news reporting is expensive, Franklin said. Lakeshore Report staff will be transferred to other parts of the station, and no layoffs will take place.

"Public media in general is facing a number of challenges," Lakeshore President and CEO James Muhammad said. "Nevertheless, Lakeshore continues to provide regular news coverage on radio and solid public affairs programming on television."