Q: Where do you get your funding?
A: The most important source of funding for PBS Fort Wayne is you, our viewers. We get most of our funding for programming and operations through local resources. Government funding at the state and federal level has been staying steady, but not keeping pace with the costs of programming, utilities and the other overhead it takes for PBS39 to keep bringing you the programs you want to watch, either over the air or via your pay TV provider. Nearly 64% of our overall budget is made up by viewers, donors, program sponsors and production underwriting.
When you make a pledge of support and donate to PBS Fort Wayne, your gift to PBS Fort Wayne stays right here and goes to work for you in the form of programming, production of local shows and services that help make your public TV experience a richer one.
Another resource for us are the businesses and organizations that sponsor programs, from the nationally-known icon series from PBS to programs and documentaries produced by PBS Fort Wayne. If you’re a business or organization who wants to support our mission of bringing the best that TV has to offer home to a loyal audience, the program underwriting would be an excellent way of helping us serve thousands of your friends and neighbors throughout our region. You can learn more by clicking here and seeing what our Corporate Support Department has to offer you and your business.
Q: I watch PBS Fort Wayne and PBS programs using Cable TV/Satellite TV/Another Platform or Streaming Service. Don’t you get a part of the fees I pay for my subscription?
A: In a word, no. PBS Fort Wayne does not get any money back from area cable companies, satellite providers or other pay-tv service carriers or subscription services. Many cable and satellite providers have to carry at least one of our channels, and many only handle the bare minimum of what they have to carry to stay compliant with FCC regulations. You might be interested to know that the retail sale of products related to shows that PBS Fort Wayne carries, such as licensed merchandise like toys, books apparel and other things, when bought outside PBS Fort Wayne’s pledge, do not benefit the station that serves you.
Q: I have noticed that I get audio on some of my channels that does not match the video. Why is that?
A: PBS Fort Wayne often has additional data in the program broadcast that can be accessed through a viewer’s TV or other equipment connected to that TV, such as a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), or, even still, a VCR. This data might be the Descriptive Video Service (DVS) which describes what is happening on the screen for our sight-impaired viewers, or on some shows, it may be audio broadcast in Spanish. Most often, this happens by someone enabling the SAP (Second Audio Program) channel on your TV, DVR or VCR.
PBS Fort Wayne’s Local Programs
Q: How can I buy a DVD of a program that I have seen on PBS Fort Wayne?
A: You can contact our Membership Services Department at 260.484.8839 Monday through Friday during our normal business hours of 8:30am – 5:00pm. You can email us at: membership@wfwa.org too.
Most locally produced shows such as episodes of HealthLine, Matters Of The Mind or PrimeTime, as well as our locally produced documentaries, are available for purchase for $19.95 ($14.95 for the DVD plus $5.00 shipping and handling). They are also available for streaming at pbs.org and by using the PBS app, too. Most nationally produced shows are available directly through PBS. Click here to see their online shopping site: http://www.shoppbs.org
Remember: You can also stream for the most recent shows for free - local and national - that have aired on PBS Fort Wayne at https://pbs.org or by using the PBS app.
Q: Where can I watch a program you produce such as Matters Of The Mind, HealthLine, Life Ahead, arts IN focus, PrimeTime and others?
A: At PBS Fort Wayne, we archive and make our local weekly programs available to watch online, anytime, for free. These shows, from our weekly series in addition to other productions, can be found online at https://pbs.org or by using the PBS app.