Ocean State Media Group
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 222859005
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Location
- Providence, RI, USA
- Phone
- 4012223636
- Rating
- 76
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Television
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $12,104,480
- Expenses
- $16,915,648
- Assets
- $120,358,602
- Liabilities
- $4,207,659
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
28 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- TOREY MALATIA (CO-CEO(THRU SEP 2024))
- DAVID PICCERELLI (CO-CEO(THRU SEP 2024))
- PAMELA JOHNSTON (PRESIDENT (AS OF SEP 2024))
Highest reported compensation
- TOREY MALATIA (CO-CEO(THRU SEP 2024)): $306,760 total reported compensation
- DAVID PICCERELLI (CO-CEO(THRU SEP 2024)): $265,087 total reported compensation
- MARY-CATHERINE ARMSTRONG (DIRECTOR OF FINANCE/ADMIN): $171,575 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Ocean state media is Rhode Island's trusted public media organization, amplifying all voices through thought-provoking storytelling, original journalism, lifelong learning, and engaging live events. We foster hope, connection, and education that strengthens and inspires our shared community.
What it reported doing in 2024
We are ocean state media. And we are listening.in a time of noise, we are choosing to listen. In an era of division, we are building connection. In a rapidly shifting media landscape, we are doubling down on place -on the people, stories, questions and cultures that define Rhode Island.we are reimagining what public media can be with, for and about you.- deeply local: rooted in our neighborhoods and communities.- widely available: wherever you are, we're there with you.- relevant: keeping up with the times and meeting them with purpose.- distinctive: content that feels like Rhode Island and couldn't come from anywhere else.- community-centered: driven by listening, learning, and connection.ocean state media isn't just a service - it's a relationship. And now more than ever, we are creating a local media experience that informs, connects and represents us all.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
- Distribution model
- Cannot be determined from the filing. The program-spending lines do not add up, so the filing cannot show reliably whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 77
- Transparency & Controls: 67
- Accountability: 92
- Sustainability: 40
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
- Program expense ratio: 59.7%; rating input score 60
- Fundraising efficiency: $2.75 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
- Written employment contract: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
- Grant itemization coverage: 91.6%; rating input score 92; 21st percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 28th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: Fail
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -39.7%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.12; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 8.4%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 10.7% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 8.1% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 18.7% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 59.7% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 18 of 19 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $10.1M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $307K · 28 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $1M reported
- Consistency: 40 of 41 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 11 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 3 filed related-organization links
- Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
- People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
- Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 10/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.
- Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.