If you have cable TV in your area, you might be wondering what happened to the PBS channels. The answer may surprise you. PBS is a non-profit organization that serves over 350 non-commercial TV stations across the country. The organization receives federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other sources, as well as donations from viewers. Many cable TV alternative services do not carry Viacom channels, like MTV or Nickelodeon. DirecTV Now and YouTube TV have partnered with PBS.
The PBS Kids channel was a children’s channel that was launched on January 16, 1997. The channel broadcast a variety of educational shows to its audience. This included films, music, and educational documentaries. The network also had its own children’s channel, PBS YOU, which operated from 2001 to 2005. It was superseded by Sprout in October 2005, and then relaunched on January 16, 2017.
The state network of PBS stations is composed of member stations, each of which produces its own content. In fact, the PBS network consists of a subchannel of public affairs programs. Its member stations produce a variety of content including news and documentary programs. The Buffalo member station WNED-TV operated the ThinkBright TV channel from 2002 to 2011, and several stations in upstate New York carried it. Several state networks offer public affairs subchannels, which cover state government, legislative/judicial proceedings, and other public issues. Many PBS stations also carried MHz Worldview, a network produced by MHz Networks, until 2020. Since then, many of them have switched to First Nations Experience and the World Channel.
The PBS evening schedule features a variety of programming. Some programs are devoted to the fine arts, while others are dedicated to drama, home improvement, and interviews. The evening schedule has an array of programs including drama, nature, and independent films. The evening schedule also features a variety of educational programs, including popular series such as Downton Abbey. A PBS subscription service allows people to watch a variety of educational programs.