WKSU’s state-of-art newsroom will be named The Perantinides & Nolan Newsroom, thanks to a transformational $250,000 gift from Attorney Paul G. Perantinides. The newsroom was reimagined and expanded in 2016 and is located within the WKSU Broadcast Center at Kent State University. The interactive space is the heart of WKSU’s news and information public service to the Northeast Ohio community, serving as the organizational hub and workspace for the station’s award-winning news team and Kent State student interns. This current-use gift is only the second at this level in WKSU history.
WKSU Executive Director and General Manager Wendy Turner says, “This gift in support of the WKSU newsroom strengthens local journalism in our region. Across the country, local news ecosystems are severely challenged by collapsing business models. Because of vast community support and historic investments like this one – WKSU is positioned to pick up the slack. Funding local news is an act of philanthropy but it's also an investment in the civic and cultural life of our region.”
Perantinides, a longtime member of WKSU’s Community Advisory Council, is committed to WKSU’s focus on public service journalism and the role it plays in preserving democracy by providing essential information to the public. The funds from Perantinides’ landmark gift will support the WKSU news operation – the journalists, editors, producers and student interns who work to cover Northeast Ohio news with depth and excellence – and will help the station to pursue new, impactful reporting projects and partnerships.
Perantinides says, “It takes significant resources for WKSU to function at such a high level and I feel that we have a moral obligation to use our resources to help transform the community in a way that is valuable to all of us. We’re sending a loud and clear message to the community that we’re all in it together – and that Perantinides & Nolan and WKSU have an important alignment.”
Turner adds, “We are so grateful to Paul for his decades of support to WKSU and for his service on our Community Advisory Council. Paul's commitment to Akron, and the region, through his work and philanthropy, make us proud to partner with him in this effort.”
As a prominent attorney and through his volunteer and philanthropy work, Paul Perantinides has been a leader in the Akron community for five decades. He’s been serving as a trial attorney for 50 years, most notably with his firm, Perantinides & Nolan. His commitment to WKSU spans more than 30 years, serving as a member of WKSU’s Community Advisory Council for 20 years where he has offered valuable guidance and support to the station. Perantinides is committed to preserving the rights of others, advocating for causes, pursuing the truth and promoting justice – in his professional, philanthropic and personal life.
“It’s admirable that WKSU has been an award-winning organization for decades, is well-respected and the WKSU/NPR brand is one that we’re fortunate to have in our community,” Perantinides says. “We [Perantinides & Nolan] are honored to have this opportunity to support an organization that has done so much good.”