Funeral Directors Nationwide Turn to Chptr as Broadcast Memorials Restore Local Community Connection

More than 400 funeral homes now use the platform as funeral professionals lead one of the largest public celebrations of their work.

NEW YORK, NY — Two years after the first Chptr broadcast memorial announcement aired on WBNG in Binghamton, funeral directors across the country are embracing the platform as a way to restore something families have been missing: a simple, dignified way to share a loved one’s passing with their community.

Today, Chptr announced that more than 400 funeral home locations now use Chptr’s Broadcast platform to extend obituary and service information across trusted local television stations and their digital channels. The growth reflects a profession-driven movement to bring community remembrance back into everyday life—especially as fewer families see newspaper obituaries or visit funeral home websites.

That momentum accelerated sharply in April 2026, when funeral homes nearly doubled their participation through expanded partnerships with Milestone Funeral Partners, Heritage Family, and Anthem Partners, along with independent firms including Moloney-Hewell Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Jacksonville, Schepp Family Funeral Homes, Bayliff and Son, and Verheyden Funeral Homes.

For many funeral directors, the appeal is straightforward: families want their communities to know when someone has died, and funeral homes want to meet that need without adding more work to already demanding days.

“Every family wants to know they’ve done everything they can to let the people who cared about their loved one know. Chptr helps us make that happen,” says Brian Joseph, Owner & Chairman of Verheyden Funeral Homes. “Families immediately understand the value because it reaches beyond the obituary and reconnects them with the community that wants to support them. It’s become another meaningful way for us to serve.”

A Month of Growth and a Moment of Recognition

The milestone comes during one of the most meaningful months in recent memory for the profession. While funeral homes across the country were joining the Broadcast platform, more than 155 funeral directors and their families traveled to New York City to participate in #TheFirstCall, a national public awareness campaign honoring funeral directors and deathcare professionals.

On April 23, funeral directors were featured across the billboards of Times Square during a 15-minute tribute—an unprecedented public moment recognizing the people communities call in their hardest hours. The campaign was supported by Homesteaders Life Company, Tribute Technology, and the National Funeral Directors Association.

For many who attended, the experience was both humbling and overdue.

“Standing in Times Square surrounded by funeral directors from across the country was something I’ll never forget,” reflected Kourtney Mueller, Funeral Director at Marine Park Funeral Home in Brooklyn, NY. “We’re used to working quietly behind the scenes, so to see our profession recognized in such a public way was incredibly moving. It reminded me that what we do matters, not just to the families we serve, but to our communities as well.” 

A Renewed Recognition of the Profession’s Role

Funeral directors say the rapid adoption of Chptr reflects something larger than technology growth: a renewed public understanding that remembrance matters, community matters, and the work of funeral professionals deserves to be seen.

“Our funeral homes are always looking for thoughtful ways to better serve families, and Chptr has proven to be one of those rare services that’s meaningful for families and easy for our teams to deliver,” said Will Andrews, President & CEO of Anthem Partners (US). “It expands the reach of every obituary, strengthens community connection, and gives our funeral directors another way to provide exceptional care.”

As more funeral homes join the broadcast platform, directors are finding new ways to help families reach the friends, neighbors, coworkers, and community members who want to show up—but may never see a traditional newspaper obituary or funeral home website.

“The question is no longer whether obituary distribution should extend beyond a website—it’s how quickly funeral homes can make it happen,” said Rehan Choudhry, Founder and CEO of Chptr. “Over the next 24 to 36 months, local media distribution will become a defining expectation for families, and the funeral homes that lead this change will deepen the trust and visibility they’ve spent generations building.”

For the profession, it’s a step toward restoring visibility, strengthening community ties, and ensuring every life is acknowledged with dignity.

About Chptr:  Founded in 2020 and headquartered in New York, Chptr is the community storytelling company helping funeral homes bring modern memorialization to the families they serve. Through its Broadcast, Social, Video, and Slideshows offerings, Chptr transforms photos and memories into meaningful tributes that help communities gather, show support, and honor every life properly. Chptr partners with funeral homes and media companies across the United States to extend remembrance through trusted local media platforms while keeping funeral directors informed and in control of the experience. Learn more at chptr.com.