Longtime WPSU producer/host to be honored for contributions to television, media

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Longtime WPSU host and producer Patty Satalia will be inducted into the Silver Circle Society of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for her three decades of contributions to the television and media industries.

The Silver Circle Society recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service in broadcasting for a minimum of 25 years, with the majority of it being spent in the Mid-Atlantic Chapter. Satalia will be formally inducted into the honor society on Saturday, Sept. 28, during the presentation of the 37th annual Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards in Pittsburgh. WPSU has been nominated for five awards.

Satalia, who spent 30 years at WPSU beginning in 1987, produced award-winning game shows and documentaries, live political debates, and community town hall forums. She also co-produced and hosted the public affairs program “Conversations from Penn State” and was a reporter for WPSU-FM.

But, Satalia said she was best known as an interviewer.

“What I tried to do was facilitate conversations: a natural give and take, a mixture of listening and talking, questions and comments,” said Satalia, who conducted approximately 6,000 interviews during her career. “My conversations with ordinary people who shared their stories in an effort to help others are among the most memorable to me.”

During her three decades at WPSU, Satalia hosted a variety of programs, including “Take Note,” “Pennsylvania Inside Out” and the “Lobby Talk” series. She produced the award-winning game show “The Pennsylvania Game,” as well as a number of award-winning documentaries, including “Children and Autism: Time is Brain,” “Creating Health: Childhood Obesity” and “Farming from the Heart.”

Prior to joining WPSU, Satalia worked in Pittsburgh as a film editor and fill-in news anchor for WPGH-TV, and later, for WPTT-TV as public affairs director and co-host of the talk show “People, Places and Things.”

She said the luckiest break of her career was joining the station, then known as WPSX.

“I honestly think I had the best job,” said Satalia, who retired in 2017. “I got paid to learn things, and I know I worked with some of the very finest and most talented men and women in the industry.”

Visit the WPSU website for more information on central Pennsylvania’s public media station.