By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
After federal funding was cut to public broadcasting across the country, some of the smaller stations – including WBGU in Bowling Green – announced plans to pull the plug.
But with less than a month to go until WBGU-TV was to go dark, WGTE Public Media has announced a plan to keep broadcasting programs that WBGU viewers have counted on for more than 60 years.
Kids will still be able to tune into Sesame Street and Molly of Denali. Adults wanting to expand their worlds will be able to watch David Attenborough study gorillas, Julie Child whip up a chocolate Napoleon, and watch PBS News cover the world.
“This is good news to our viewers,” said Tom Cummings, general manager of WBGU-TV. Had this partnership not been created, many viewers in WBGU’s 19-county coverage area would have lost the ability to get the PBS programming.
Since that closure announcement was made in January, Cummings said he heard from many disappointed viewers, and from BGSU alumni wanting to offer support.
“For more than six decades, WBGU-TV has served northwest Ohio with educational and engaging programming, and we are proud to partner with WGTE Public Media to continue providing sought-after PBS programming to our viewers,” Cummings said. “Through this collaboration, we will continue serving the community with uninterrupted access to quality PBS programming on channel 27 that so many people rely on and turn to for information and entertainment.”
The partnership comes after the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s closure earlier this year due to federal funding cuts, which impacted public broadcasters nationwide.
The WBGU programming was at risk after federal funding cuts of $1.1 million to the Bowling Green PBS station. That federal funding made up more than 40% of the station’s budget.
The federal cuts created an unsustainable long-term financial model, and BGSU announced in January that WBGU would no longer be able to carry PBS programming after June 30, 2026.
“This will make sure you don’t lose access to public programming. It’s incredibly important,” Drew Beadling, media contact for WGTE, said of the value of public television.
“It’s been under assault over the last few years,” Beadling said. “Tax dollars have been stripped away.”
But the partnership between WGTE and WBGU will provide uninterrupted programming, he said.
As WBGU’s existing PBS broadcasting arrangement concludes, this partnership will provide WBGU viewers continued access on channel 27 to the PBS programming they rely on. WGTE Public Media, northwest Ohio’s established public media organization, operating both PBS and NPR services, is well-positioned to support WBGU’s mission of serving the Bowling Green community and beyond.
“At WGTE, our mission has always been to serve our community. This partnership is a natural extension of that commitment,” said Dale Thornton, interim president and CEO of WGTE Public Media. “We believe this is the right step for both audiences, our donors, and the communities we are privileged to serve together. We are proud to assume this responsibility and look forward to what this means for public media in northwest Ohio in the foreseeable future.”
Thornton acknowledged that WGTE was also affected by the federal cuts – taking a hit of $1.2 million, which is about 21% of the station’s budget.
“We’ve been fortunate to have very supportive membership,” which has helped the station stay afloat financially, Thornton said. “We have been leaning more heavily on membership,” and those members have responded generously.
WGTE has approximately 9,300 members, and broadcasts its signal in southeast Michigan, and northwest Ohio from Indiana to Cleveland. The partnership will expand the WGTE footprint to WBGU’s 4,000 members who stretch as far south as Dayton.
Thornton said WGTE will devote time to understanding the needs of WBGU members.
“We think this is a win-win situation,” he said.
Both WGTE Public Media and Bowling Green State University believe this collaboration represents the best path forward for their respective PBS audiences.
WBGU will continue to remain a broadcasting unit at BGSU with limited operations, focused on livestreaming services, including commencement, athletic and arts events and more. WBGU will also continue to identify new learning opportunities for students while using its broadcast capabilities in continued service to the community.
Local studio programming, such as “The Journal” and “BGSU Brain Game,” will be lost – at least for now – due to the federal cuts. But some other productions, such as a documentary on Kelleys Island being worked on now, will continue to provide experiential learning for BGSU students.
In the near future, current WBGU members will receive additional information from WGTE and WBGU about the new agreement and their PBS membership.
About WGTE Public Media
Founded in 1952, WGTE Public Media is a four-time Emmy Award–winning public media organization serving northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. Owned by the Public Broadcasting Foundation of Northwest Ohio, WGTE operates PBS member station WGTE-TV (channel 30) and NPR member station WGTE-FM (91.3) from its studios in Toledo. Rooted in education and discovery, WGTE delivers quality programming, community educational opportunities and local productions that enlighten, enrich and engage the communities it serves. Learn more at wgte.org.
About WBGU-TV
Since 1964, WBGU-TV (channel 27) has served 19 counties across northwest Ohio with educational and community-focused programming. As a service of Bowling Green State University, WBGU-TV also provides learning experiences and opportunities for students interested in broadcast communications and video production careers. As its legacy continues to evolve, WBGU-TV will remain a broadcasting and video production unit within the university and will identify new learning opportunities for students while leveraging innovative ways to continue serving the community. Learn more at wbgu.org.
