Vision StatementA trusted community resource, PBS 45 & 49 uses the power of noncommercial television and related services to enrich the lives of people through high-quality programming and educational services that teach, illuminate and inspire. Coverage AreaPBS 45 & 49 serves viewers in northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania. The organization not only embraces regionalism, it is regionalism. PBS 45 & 49 is the only television service in the area that spans the entire northeast Ohio region: north to Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties; south to Holmes, Tuscarawas and Harrison counties; west to Erie, Huron, Ashland and Richland counties; and east to Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties. The combined number of television households in our total service area is 1,822,230, according to Nielsen Media Researchs Local Universe Estimates.
ViewershipIn an average week, 534,000 households watch PBS 45 & 49, according to Nielsen ratings. This is the second-highest viewership of all Ohio-based PBS broadcasters. Households viewing PBS 45 & 49 have more than doubled since 1990.
Operating Budget & Funding SourcesThe budget for fiscal year 2005 is $4.9 million. Funding sources are:
Community Support (60%) Private funding includes income from 16,000 individual members, corporate and foundation underwriting grants, and entrepreneurial activities such as tower rental income. State Funding (22%) Almost all of this funding supports our Department of Educational Services. The State of Ohio, through the Ohio Educational Telecommunications Network Commission and the SchoolNet Commission, contracts with us to provide instructional television programming to and technology training for teachers in eight Ohio counties. Additionally, Ohio Educational Telecommunications provides capital improvement funding and partial support for nighttime and weekend operations. Federal Funding (18%) Federal funding comes to PBS 45 & 49 through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Fifteen years ago, it accounted for well over half our budget.
GovernancePBS 45 & 49 comprises separate stations operating under one 501(c)(3) corporation, Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio, Inc. The corporation is owned and operated by a consortium of The University of Akron, Kent State University and Youngstown State University. Its Board of Directors has 15 members, including the presidents of the three universities. Al Bartholet Dr. Carol A. Cartwright Trina Cutter David M. Hunter Dr. George McCloud Dr. Luis M. Proenza Eugenia C. Atkinson
Licensee & AffiliationsWNEO/PBS 45 is licensed to the city of Alliance and serves the Youngstown designated market area (DMA). WEAO/PBS 49 is licensed to the city of Akron and serves the entire Cleveland DMA. All programming services are simulcast on PBS 45 & 49. PBS 45 & 49 is affiliated with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and Ohio Educational Television Stations (OETS).
Facilities & OperationsThe operations center, administrative offices, main studio and location of public files are housed at: 1750 Campus Center Drive, Kent, Ohio, . Production facilities are located at The University of Akron and Kent State University. The organization operates five transmitters:
The digital channels WNEO/PBS 46 and WEAO/PBS 50 both carry PBS HD, a national schedule that showcases the best of PBS high-definition programs. PBS 46 also is available on the Time Warner and Massillon cable systems.
Broadcast ServicesPBS 45 & 49 provides over 8,700 hours of commercial-free television each year. It offers a wide range of programs on subjects including science and nature; drama, art and music; how-tos, travel and adventure; and history, biography and public affairs. Prime Time: PBS 45 & 49s service is built around the cornerstone series that make PBS the highly regarded institution it is today: Antiques Roadshow, NOVA, Nature, Masterpiece Theatre, American Experience, The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer, Great Performances and This Old House. Childrens Programming: PBS 45 & 49 airs over 60 hours of childrens programming each week, including Arthur, Clifford The Big Red Dog, Dragon Tales and Sesame Street. Characters such as Elmo and Big Bird of Sesame Street, Barney, Mister Rogers and Arthur continue to be among the most loved in all of childrens television. Local Programming: NewsNight Akron, 2010 Moving Ahead: A Forum for Reporting Progress, Floating on Air, Act of Duty, Read It! and other PBS 45 & 49 productions signal the organizations increasing commitment to local programming.
Educational ServicesFunded in large part by the state of Ohio, PBS 45 & 49s Department of Educational Services and its staff serve students and educators in eight Ohio counties (Carroll, Columbiana, Mahoning, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne), including:
Educational Services provides these state-of-the-art services to educators and students:
Educational Technology Training: For over 20 years, PBS 45 & 49 has been training teachers to use the latest educational technologies in their classrooms (computers, the Internet, distance learning and more). Every year, our staff trains over 2,200 educators to use these tools and to share them with their students. Instructional Television for Proficiency Test Preparation: Educators use PBS 45 & 49s locally produced multimedia projects to help their students prepare for and pass Ohios proficiency tests. Overall, 5,800 teachers with 76,000 students use our ITV services regularly. Ready To Learn and Ohio Ready To Learn Services: PBS 45 & 49s Ready To Learn (RTL) service is a parent/childcare provider education and outreach effort that supplements PBS childrens programs. The RTL staff delivers workshops and provides print materials to help adults extend the learning from our childrens shows into reading and hands-on activities. Since 1998, the organizations RTL staff has:
GED Test Preparation: GED Connection and TV411, which air Mondays from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., help adults get ready to pass the GED (high school equivalency) exam. The two series offer viewers the opportunity to review the basics in math, science, reading, writing and social studies that they will need to take and pass the test.
The PBS 45 & 49 Web SiteOver 21,200 visitors log on to the PBS 45 & 49 Web sites daily. The sites offer up-to-date program listings and helpful information about the organizations other programs and services. In addition, visitors can access Educational Services links, which include Instructional Television listings, curriculum projects, online publications and much more. |