Synergy By Necessity

Back in 2000, Cleveland’s public TV and radio stations, which had always been completely separate entities, decided to merge most of their operations in an effort to cut costs and better serve the community. The partnership, called “ideastream,” was a logistical nightmare at first, and staff nerves on both sides seemed to be constantly frayed. But the public response has been overwhelmingly positive, and now, ideastream is making its mark with a strong, independent, and local (all the other TV stations in town are owned by out-of-town companies) voice which neither station had prior to the merger.