Description
WPBS/WNPI-TV is licensed as St. Lawrence Valley Educational Television Council, Inc. and was founded in 1958 as a non-profit educational corporation established under an absolute Charter from the NYS Board of Regents.
For the first 13 years, the Council produced educational programs that were broadcast by WWNY-TV, a local commercial station. In August 1971, WNPE/WNPI-TV began operation as a public television station. Two transmitters were installed which serve a broadcast area throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario. In 1978, the staff and equipment outgrew their facilities on Champion Hill and moved to the existing location on Arsenal Street in Watertown, New York. In September 1998, the FCC granted permission for WNPE to change its call letters to WPBS-DT.
Today, WPBS-DT employs the equivalent of 26 full-time employees. WPBS-DT is the producer of nationally syndicated programs and is widely recognized for it's children's programming, which is commercial-free, educational and entertaining.
As part of a Ready To Learn grant program, WPBS-DT conducts workshops and distributes booklets to childcare providers and parental groups and broadcasts continuing education programming and college telecourses through established relationships with the Jefferson County BOCES and Jefferson Community College respectively.
WPBS-DT produces Whiz Quiz, a high school academic quiz programming featuring competitors from among 32 high schools, and in 2001 Whiz Quiz Canada was added for international flavor.
A producer of national programs for PBS stations, WPBS has delighted viewers with Xpedition Outdoors, Fishing Behind the Lines, Rod & Reel, Rod & Reel Streamside, Cabin Country, From a Country Garden, The Artist's World, Camp Willie, Discovering Pets, Fly Fishing Destinations, The Gardener, and Classical Stretch.
For nearly one-half century, WPBS-DT has been providing excellence in public television to you, our viewers, with programs of the highest quality - in that they are educational, entertaining, and informational
