ON APRIL 1, 1957 WYES SIGNED ON THE AIR AS A COMMUNITY LICENSE PUBLIC TELEVISION BROADCASTING STATION FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST. AS THE TWELFTH OLDEST PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION IN THE NATION, IT IS THE MOST UTILIZED NON-PROFIT INSTITUTIONS IN LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI.
“Our supporters’ efforts are what strengthens WYES and allows it to continue to grow and showcase our region. As the saying goes, ‘the best is yet to come,’ and with all of our continued involvement and support, WYES will be here, stronger than ever for future generations to enjoy in new and creative ways. Thank you for making 65 years possible as we look forward to many exciting and wonderful years ahead.”
WYES President & CEO Robin Cooper
MISSION
WYES exists to enrich people’s lives with high-quality content that educates, informs, inspires and entertains our entire community. Media with impact that challenges our minds, brightens our spirits and prepares our children for a life of learning.
VISION
WYES is an enduring, dynamic, and integral part of the community and uniquely enriches the lives of the citizens of the Greater New Orleans area and Mississippi Gulf Coast. Our commitment to producing award-winning programs that showcase our distinct local culture, along with the excellent national PBS service, demonstrates WYES’ commitment to use the power of our programs and services to fulfill the promise of public television as a resource where we can all come together to rediscover and preserve the history and values that make our community a remarkable place to live.
VALUES
WYES strives to achieve our mission and vision by incorporating the values of integrity, fairness, balance, accountability, diversity, collaboration and excellence in making decisions and taking action.
WYES COMMUNITY REPRESENTATION STATEMENT
(REVISION approved September 2024)
WYES embraces and celebrates diversity and strives for inclusiveness in the organization’s governance, operations, local and national programming and community initiatives. We are committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion in all we do.
Our mission is to enrich, strengthen and empower our diverse communities – especially children and the underserved – through trusted broadcast and digital content and community engagement on relevant platforms. We strongly believe in and fully embrace diversity to create and maintain a positive work environment where the similarities and differences of individuals are respected and valued.
WYES understands the importance of its role as a trusted, community-licensed public media organization. We are dedicated to amplifying voices that reflect the experiences of all people throughout our region and that uphold our mission and values. We celebrate differences, embrace inclusivity and strive for equity. The stories we tell, as well as the people in front of and behind the camera, reflect the faces and voices of our region.
We believe that in order to do this authentically, our team, Board of Trustees and Community Advisory Board must also be reflective of our community. Our mission is enhanced when our Board, Community Advisory Board, staff and volunteers bring their diverse backgrounds and experiences to the selection and creation of WYES’ programming and community outreach efforts that serve the needs and interests of our region.
All of these stakeholders contribute greatly to our knowledge and understanding of our region’s diverse communities and to our ability to deliver content and services that will help us attract, grow, and engage audiences and help them to achieve their full potential. We also work to reach new audiences on the platforms of their choice and create and present content that reflects, serves and reaches unserved and underserved communities.
WYES recognizes the importance of building strong relationships and partnerships within the communities we serve. Our ongoing goal is to collaborate with independent producers, community groups, educational and research institutions and cultural organizations to develop programs and events that address the needs of our community. We will also continue to conduct and strengthen community engagement and educational outreach programs to educate the public about WYES’ mission.
WYES is committed to cultivating a culture that values, incorporates the diverse perspectives of these stakeholders, and actively pursues engagement and input from them. In doing so, we strive to create a working environment where everyone is valued and respected. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to WYES’ mission as we seek talented individuals to work in an environment where employees are valued and have opportunities to contribute, advance, and succeed. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we endeavor to recruit from a broad pool of candidates enabling us to hire and promote qualified candidates for employment and internships with a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, personal experiences, and characteristics. We also continue our commitment to a workplace free from any form of discrimination and/or harassment and conduct mandatory harassment and bias prevention training annually.
As our organizational and community needs evolve, WYES will continue to evaluate its activities and look for ways to improve these efforts. This includes meeting the standards of federal and state law, Federal Communications Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Public Broadcasting Service and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
We will also biennially review with our Board of Trustees and update as needed this Community Representation Statement to reflect changes in our community’s demographics and needs.