Boston Public Station WGBH Buys Global Digital-News Service

The public broadcast station WGBH announced plans Thursday to acquire GlobalPost, a for-profit digital-journalism outlet that focuses on international news, reports The Boston Globe. The station did not disclose financial terms of the deal, which GlobalPost co-founder Philip S. Balboni said would likely be finalized in November.

The nonprofit station and its programming arm, Public Radio International, or PRI, will absorb members of GlobalPost’s staff. The president of WGBH, Jon Abbott, said the deal, which has been in the works for a few months, would bring the station talented journalists and boost the reach of “The World,” PRI’s global-news program.

GlobalPost, which is based in Boston, was established in 2009 to provide in-depth foreign reporting as many traditional media outlets shut down or reduced their bureaus abroad. The company struggled, however, to make money through online advertising, premium subscriptions, and syndication. Mr. Balboni said merging with the prominent public station reflects the efforts of GlobalPost leaders “to find a smart, long-term outcome for what we’ve built.”