From Drupal to WordPress: How WXXI Transformed Its Digital Presence
Image
Introduction
For more than 60 years, the WXXI media station has been a vital part of the Rochester, New York community. As a PBS and NPR affiliate, WXXI provides educational programming, local news and entertainment to a variety of audiences. But in the rapidly evolving digital age, WXXI’s aging web infrastructure struggled to meet the needs of its diverse audience.
WXXI’s digital ecosystem was a patchwork of websites running mostly on an outdated Drupal 6 platform. The sites were slow, fragile, and difficult to update, with a single content manager shouldering the burden of managing multiple domains. Adding to the complexity, the organization operated a mix of platforms, forcing redundant workflows and creating a fragmented user experience.
Their old setup required constant maintenance, which is problematic for media companies where website content is what their product is all about."
- Tim Tufts, Director of Project Success at Kanopi Studios, summing up the frustration.
WXXI needed a solution to unify their digital properties and simplify operations to serve their audience better.
Image
Migrating from Drupal to WordPress
Kanopi Studios stepped in as a digital partner, recommending Pantheon as their website operations platform and WordPress Multisite as the foundation for WXXI’s new web presence. The goal was ambitious: to consolidate additional and future domains under a single platform while modernizing the design and functionality of their flagship site, WXXI.org, to be a pointer and navigational site to many other services, such as independent theatre and news and music radio stations.
“We chose WordPress as we see it as a more accessible and simpler open-source CMS to update. Additionally, it provided Multisite support to combine new properties under one roof,” said Cindy George, Director of Interactive Services.
The migration was no small task. Content was painstakingly moved from Drupal to WordPress, with the team taking the opportunity to clean up redundant material along the way. “We chose a manual migration process,” said Marion French, WXXI Vice President for Education & Interactive Services, “because we wanted to improve the quality and relevance of our content. It took some time, but we also saved on our migration costs.”
Pantheon’s tools played a key role in ensuring the transition went smoothly. Multidev, a feature that allows teams to test and review changes before deploying them, was instrumental in catching issues early and maintaining quality throughout the process.
On the front end, Kanopi designed the new website with a "users-first" philosophy. The WordPress Gutenberg editor and Genesis themes provided a responsive, visually appealing framework that prioritized intuitive navigation and readability. Large fonts and clear calls to action ensured accessibility for all users, from families to older adults.
A New Era for WXXI
The results were transformational. WXXI’s new digital ecosystem is faster, more stable, and easier to manage. The once-fragmented web presence is now unified under a single platform, allowing the content manager to create materials once and use them across multiple sites.
Visitors immediately noticed the difference. The modern design, coupled with faster load times and seamless navigation, elevated the user experience. “We wanted a site that meets users where they are,” said Kristin Tutino, WXXI Communications Manager. “Now, they can quickly find the content they need, whether it’s local news, children’s programming, or ways to support our mission.”
On WordPress, our workflow became significantly more efficient. With WordPress’s user-friendly interface, updates no longer felt like a chore, and Pantheon’s robust infrastructure gave WXXI peace of mind.”
- Cindy George, Director of Interactive Services at WXXI
Looking Ahead
While the project has laid a strong foundation, WXXI’s work is far from over. The team plans to migrate additional domains and explore new opportunities to engage their audience. With Pantheon’s flexibility and Kanopi’s support, WXXI is well-positioned to continue its mission of informing, inspiring, and connecting its community.
For WXXI, the digital transformation wasn’t just about building a better website—it was about creating a platform that reflects their role as a trusted community resource. With a flagship web presence, WXXI is now better equipped to tell its community’s stories.
More Case Studies
Helpful resources to help your team succeed
Immunize.org: A Website Redesign to Drive a Million Monthly Views
Learn how Proven and Pantheon helped overhaul Immunize.org critical healthcare websites on WordPress.
American Kennel Club
How the American Kennel Club doubled its sites on WordPress with Pantheon and increased traffic by 30%.
A Great Museum Relaunch for The Broad
Learn how a contemporary art museum in LA transformed its digital experience on Drupal with Urban Insight and Pantheon.