Every day, we showcase the stories and voices that make our communities unique, strengthening our connections to each other and deepening our pride in the place we call home.

 

Read our Annual Report

Watch our ‘State of the Station’

 

  • We’re working to make WQED the “go-to” community resource: meaningfully connecting both neighbors and neighborhoods through shared experiences.
  • We’re reimagining the content and services we offer people in Pittsburgh and across southwestern Pennsylvania.
  • We’re working to become more relevant to more people across the many communities we serve.

 

Get Your I ā¤ WQED Sticker

WQED history city declaration signage

WQED-TV began broadcasting in 1954, becoming America’s first community-sponsored television station – a forerunner to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Seventy years later, we’re called to build on the legacy of our founders’ pioneering educational experiment and redefine how public media serves our communities.

Camera operators from the 1960s at WQED
Children using large colorful magnifying glasses

WQED is more than a broadcaster.

Expect to see WQED ā€œshow upā€ in ways that don’t look like a television or radio station. We’re fortunate to be able to add new initiatives—community events and screenings, new digital series, online educational resources, and much more—while continuing to provide the high-quality television and radio programs you count on.

Our Education team serves as community connector, bringing together public schools, libraries, and community organizations to provide a true learning ecosystem that supports educators, students, and families.

Montage of photos including presentations and students learning how to shoot video

ā€œAs we experiment with new content, services and funding models, WQED will stay true to our roots and play to our strengths. Platforms and story formats will change, but we remain committed to creating compelling content and experiences that drive engagement, elevate public discourse, and stimulate big ideas. We will emerge stronger, more independent, and even better aligned with this region—but we cannot do it without you!ā€

— Jason Jedlinski, President & CEO

We’ve identified four strategic priorities:

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We will:

  • Ensure that all audiences see themselves reflected in our content
  • Improve the diversity of WQED’s staff, boards, programs, hosts, etc.
  • Amplify efforts helping marginalized people
  • Focus on serving communities struggling with economic mobility
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We will:

  • Expand partnerships and engagement with local educational, cultural and health-focused organizations
  • Ensure our programs support key community needs, without duplicating efforts​
  • Proactively connect with Pittsburgh expats and boomerangs, suburban families, and other growth cohorts​
  • Identify ways to work with social influencers and other digital audience drivers
Collage of photos including a backstage interview, Baratunde Thurston, and a mother with her children

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We will:

  • Reorient our teams to move faster and focus on community outcomes
  • Experiment with new ways WQED can “show up” beyond one-way broadcasts
  • Test new funding models while growing corporate/foundation support
  • Recruit diverse hosts/personalities as part of successful planning

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We will:

  • Develop new funding streams to focus on expanding original local programming, offerings and services that enrich our connection with the community and create meaningful experiences for our members.
  • Change our mindset from creating content for audiences to creating with our communities
Photo montage with children playing, Rick Sebak, and Chris Fennimore
Fred Rogers photographed with a little girl in a wheelchair
WQED will continue offering the programs you love, while also experimenting with new products and services — inspiring more of our neighbors to understand, appreciate and work to improve the world beyond their immediate experience.

ā€œPublic television has a responsibility to reveal how we are different and what we have in common: to celebrate our diversity and our cooperation. It must continue to try to clarify the world not only by showing us what is, but also by creating a context for understanding.ā€

— Fred Rogers, celebrating WQED’s 25th Anniversary, 1979