It's official: on Monday, December 19, local public broadcaster WXXI and independent cinema The Little announced that the two organizations would enter into a long-term affiliation that WXXI President Norm Silverstein called "a merger in all but name." Beginning in January 2012, the Little will operate as a subsidiary corporation to WXXI.

Earlier this month, Susan Rogers, executive vice president and general manager of WXXI, said that a task force made up of board members from both organizations had been meeting to discuss a potential partnership.

At the December 19 press conference, board members and leaders from WXXI and The Little spelled out how the new affiliation will benefit each organization. High Falls-based WXXI will get an outpost in the East End cultural district, as well as theater facilities where it can hold screenings of its Community Cinema series and other cultural events.

The Little, which has struggled with membership and financial issues in recent years, will have access to WXXI's well-oiled fund raising and promotion machines. (Memberships and fund raising for both organizations will be handled separately, however.)

Leaders from both organizations stressed that the new structure will have little impact on the day-to-day operations of The Little. The focus, they said, will remain on independent American and foreign films, and movies will continue to be selected by Little General Manager Derek Reis. There will be no immediate changes to ticket prices or membership rates, they said.

WXXI's Silverstein said that The Little plans to continue partnerships with local film festivals like ImageOut, the Rochester Jewish Film Festival, and the currently suspended 360 | 365. He even jokingly assured that films will not be interrupted for XXI's notorious pledge drives, and that the Little's popcorn recipe will remain unchanged.

There are also no immediate plans to hire a new executive director for The Little, which has been without one since June 2010.

The boards of both organizations will combine, with five members of the Little Theatre Film Society - Mark Cleary, Karin Pecora, Barbara Kraushaar, Cindy Reddick-LiDestri, and Board President Matthew MacKinnon - nominated to sit as trustees of the WXXI board of directors, and to serve as directors of the Little Theatre Film Society.

Leadership of both organizations brought up the need for nonprofit organizations to make creative collaborations in lean economic times. The structure of the new affiliation was overseen by the New York Council of Nonprofits, and supported by a Synergy Fund provided by the United Way of Greater Rochester.