Arizona PBS Change the future with
The future of media begins here
The future of high-quality, community-focused content and information begins now with Arizona PBS — and with your generous support.
Media consumption is changing as audiences increasingly turn to digital platforms and diverse creators over traditional outlets. At the same time, a growing digital divide is preventing people with limited technology from accessing reliable, up-to-date relevant news and vital information online. Arizona PBS is dedicated to bridging these gaps and expanding its role as an indispensable public good for Arizonans of all ages.
For more than 60 years, Arizona PBS has been a trusted source for lifelong learning, delivering world-class programming, in-depth news and educational outreach. As a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) owned and operated by Arizona State University, Arizona PBS holds itself to the highest standards of integrity, transparency, credibility, inclusion and impartiality.
The partnership between Arizona PBS and ASU is a catalyst for impact. Support for Arizona PBS is a critical priority of Changing Futures.
A legacy of trust
“People know PBS is fair and balanced, without the sensationalism you find in some media,” says Scott Woelfel, general manager of Arizona PBS. “PBS is a lifeline to what’s going on in the world.”
In fact, PBS has been named the most trusted media organization in nationwide surveys conducted by the organization for more than two decades. Additionally, in a 2024 poll by YouGov, a public opinion and data analytics company, PBS ranked third among the most trusted news sources, behind only The Weather Channel and British Broadcasting Corporation.
Arizona PBS reaches 80% of homes across the state and serves an average weekly audience of 1.8 million across its multimedia platforms with news, science, arts and children’s programming. More than a public television station, Arizona PBS is a community partner and a champion for engaged citizens, serving as one of the state’s leading storytellers, fostering civil dialogue, celebrating a range of perspectives and providing essential educational tools — truly Arizona’s classroom.
ASU’s Changing Futures® campaign will enable Arizona PBS to modernize our broadcast technology and deliver innovative content strategies, paving the way for more cutting-edge, trusted programming in more households and stronger connections with people across Arizona and around the world.
Arizona PBS: Expanding our impact on children’s education
Arizona PBS pilots innovative learning programs to support children’s classroom success. Our “Super Why” summer reading camps have shown significant improvements in literacy, with gains up to 60% in print knowledge and 46% in phonological awareness.
NextGen TV Education Outreach will build on children’s literacy programs and PBS LearningMedia by enabling young learners to explore show themes through digital games and interactive activities.
“Arizona PBS has a strong presence across Arizona and a deep understanding of local needs,” says Kimberly Flack, senior director of education and community impact. “Our mission is to bring exceptional educational content directly into homes, empowering families with learning tools that inspire children’s confidence.”
Through Changing Futures, Arizona PBS hopes to create sustainable funding for reading camps and innovative educational initiatives.
By updating technology and infrastructure at Arizona PBS, Changing Futures will create access to new content and new audiences.
Democratizing information for the future
Bold technology investments will lay the groundwork for thriving futures.
Technology is democratizing information access — making it easier than ever for people to access media on their own terms. “Broadcasters once controlled what you watched and when you watched it, but the internet transformed that by putting content at your fingertips,” says Woelfel.
Arizona PBS is ready to adopt digital tools that will make the stories and insights it shares more accessible, keeping loyal viewers engaged while expanding reach. Updating Arizona PBS’ media infrastructure will unlock greater information access, allowing the station to elevate how it’s able to serve Arizonans across the state, from facilitating more timely content creation to expanding broadcast signal reach and accessibility. Arizona PBS will replace an aged broadcast tower, antenna and transmitter so we can both futureproof our broadcasting hardware and transmit signals over longer distances. Because of this initiative, rural areas with limited internet access and cell phone coverage — including underserved Indigenous communities — will receive an advanced broadcast signal for the very first time, making it possible for residents in those areas to access our programming and emergency warnings.
“Once all that technology is in place, there are so many things that we can enable, like educational initiatives in tribal communities that are not served by broadband,” Woelfel explains. “This is something that commercial stations and cell phone companies aren’t willing to invest in because they don’t see a profit, but this is something that Arizona PBS does to serve the community.”
A new digital age
Digitizing decades of media assets will greatly expand Arizona PBS’ content offering, making a vast collection of media content more accessible to viewers and creators, like an Arizona PBS “Library of Congress.” Working closely with partners at ASU and in the private sector, we will develop a versatile technology solution that allows us to seamlessly store and search our comprehensive catalog of broadcasting footage. This will not only preserve decades of valuable archival content but also create many exciting opportunities for new and customizable programming.
“Our new digital asset management system will empower our community to personalize their own viewing experience,” Woelfel adds. “It’s putting the power of programming in their hands, redefining how they connect with Arizona PBS.”
Digitizing assets is a critical first step to changing the future of public media, creating new opportunities for innovation, viewer choice, and broader engagement.
The programs shared by Arizona PBS cover critical topics, including those that impact the health and wellbeing of Arizona families.
Cultivating new voices and audiences
Dynamic programming plans will pave the way for growth to new audiences.
Arizona PBS will leverage new technologies to launch forward-thinking programming plans, maximizing the ability to reach more people—especially those often overlooked in the media. Our podcast garage and network will establish a dedicated space for community members to receive expert training in podcast production and record their podcasts in the same location, cultivating authentic voices for distribution across a newly created Arizona PBS Podcast Network.
“Arizona PBS is ready to elevate our ability to reach new audiences and include their unique perspectives in our journalism,” says Woelfel. “Our new podcast training center and network will grow our digital footprint so we can amplify and identify underrepresented voices.”
Arizona PBS will enable ASU Health to achieve its goal of improving health outcomes in Arizona through a new multi-platform ASU Health channel. Arizona PBS will develop programming that translates the university’s pioneering medical advances into real-world benefits for individuals and families. It will also feature prominent health information and news from across the country and around the world, empowering people with the knowledge they need to take control of their health.
a better future Support Arizona PBS and shape
By supporting Changing Futures, you can empower Arizona PBS to extend the power of public television to many more people. State-of-the-art media technologies will help us reach more people with bold, high-caliber journalism, while visionary programming plans will bring timely news and information where it is most needed so we can help build vibrant and engaged communities.
Join us in bringing cutting-edge, high-quality programming to life, uplifting Arizona voices and connecting communities in our state and across the globe.
Change futures by supporting
Advance technology for good Transform global education
We must update our decades-old broadcast technology to ensure that Arizona PBS can not only continue delivering news and information across our state but also extend our signal to reach more remote communities. By modernizing our tower, antenna and transmitter, we will have the hardware necessary to keep pace with technological advancements and meet the information needs of more Arizonans for many years to come.
Arizona PBS holds decades of valuable media content, but much of it is trapped in tapes, reels, and other legacy formats. Through digital asset management, we will digitize and manage these assets, unlocking new opportunities for our rich media archives to reach more people and empowering consumers to customize their programming in new ways.
The digital divide in our state and across the nation means that many students lack access to reliable internet and computers, severely limiting their ability to reach their academic potential. Arizona PBS’ NextGen TV Education Outreach to Low-Income Students and Families will use cutting-edge broadcast technology to deliver educational content directly to homes, empowering underserved students and transforming educational equity.
Reshape our relationship with the planet
Technological innovations can help us solve global challenges, but these breakthroughs won’t make a difference unless many people learn about and adopt them. Arizona PBS will spotlight life-changing advances in health, sustainability and design through a new national show on technology and innovation. It will feature prominent voices from across Arizona and all around the country. This program will bring forwardthinking solutions to a national stage, inspiring the public and fostering a better tomorrow for all.
Arizona PBS
Empower community resilience
Arizona PBS is fighting to protect democracy and strengthen local journalism. To combat polarization and misinformation, we are dedicated to expanding “Arizona Horizon,” our long-running public affairs program, through podcasts, newsletters and events. By embracing new platforms, we will unite communities, empower voters and create a more informed and engaged citizenry for a brighter future.
Arizona’s growing Hispanic community is underserved by local media, creating an information gap that leaves many Spanish speakers disconnected from news that affects their daily lives. Arizona PBS will close this gap by expanding Spanish-language content across TV, podcasts and digital platforms, creating a more inclusive, informed, and engaged Arizona.
Build the future of health
Many Arizonans lack clear, accessible information about health care innovations that can improve their lives. Arizona PBS’ Multi-Platform ASU Health Channel will address this disparity by delivering content on health advancements and resources from experts at ASU Health and around the globe, empowering people to make more informed health decisions so they can experience improved quality of life.
Inspire tomorrow’s game changers
The media landscape is dramatically shifting, with traditional broadcast channels losing ground to digital platforms that decentralize content creation. Arizona PBS is leveraging these changes to nurture local content creators and amplify their stories by establishing a podcast garage and network. This initiative will provide a physical space for podcast training and production and empower more people to produce and distribute their own content through a new Arizona Podcast Network, including our state’s underrepresented communities in media creation more than ever before.
About us
Arizona PBS is one of the nation’s leading public media organizations, with four broadcast channels and a growing array of digital platforms. A trusted community resource for nearly 60 years, our station fosters lifelong learning through quality programming, in-depth news coverage and critical educational outreach services. Our signal reaches 80 percent of homes in Arizona, delivering news, science, arts and children’s programming to 1.8 million households each week.
ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.
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