Top 5 reasons to support public broadcasting

1. ENSURE PUBLIC BROADCASTING IS HERE FOR YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBOURS

For more than six decades, Buffalo Toronto Public Media has been broadcasting in Southern Ontario. It’s been called many things over those years – Channel 17, WNED, PBS, NPR – but no matter its name, it’s been there for you and your neighbours, broadcasting highquality programming on its PBS station, NPR radio station, and 24/7 classical radio station. WNED PBS, WBFO, and WNED Classical were founded on the idea that by making trusted news, cultural and educational programming, and high-quality entertainment, commercial-free and available to all regardless of income, it would enrich, educate, inspire, and entertain our communities on both sides of the border. Membership remains Buffalo Toronto Public Media’s largest, most reliable source of funding. It is the individual donations of thousands of members that come together to make possible programming such as PBS Newshour and Masterpiece on WNED PBS, All Things Considered and Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me! on WBFO, and the Oasis of Sanity and Joann’s Classical Corner on WNED Classical.

2. STREAM PBS PROGRAMMING WHENEVER YOU’D LIKE

Qualifying members of any of Buffalo Toronto Public Media’s stations can take advantage of its on-demand

streaming service, WNED PBS Passport. Canadian members can stream many of their favourite WNED PBS and PBS shows, such as All Creatures Great and Small, Victoria, Finding Your Roots, The Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross, and the Ken Burns Collection including Country Music, Jazz, and the Civil War – and many more!

WNED PBS Passport is a benefit of becoming a supporting member of WNED PBS, WBFO, and/ or WNED Classical and it provides extended access to an on-demand library of quality local and premiere PBS programming. More series and episodes are constantly being added as PBS gains rights in Canada. Qualifying memberships start at $5/month or $60/year and Canadian dollars are taken at par.

3. SUPPORT TRUSTED NEWS SOURCES THAT DELIVER FACTS AND ANALYSIS WITHOUT HYPERBOLE

PBS has again been voted the number one most trusted news source, and it’s clear why. Programs such as PBS Newshour, Amanpour & Co., and Frontline, bring news and information to its viewers with context and analysis and without the sensationalism often seen on commercial news stations.

“Through an abiding commitment to exceptional journalism, editorial integrity, and diverse storytelling, public television is a destination for the kind of educational media that strengthens communities and changes lives,” said PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger.

WBFO, Buffalo Toronto Public Media’s NPR station, is just as committed to dogged reporting and providing trusted information to its listeners. Canadians listen to the station at 88.7 but they also stream it through their smart speakers, the WBFO app, and on wbfo. org to hear news about their neighbours in WNY as well as national and international reporting from NPR.

4. SUPPORT PBS KIDS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING

Parents consistently rate PBS KIDS programming as the most educational media brand for children. With Mister Rogers Neighborhood, Sesame Street, and Reading Rainbow as its foundation, parents know they can trust its modern shows such as Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Molly of Denali, and Curious George. They know their young children will learn from PBS KIDS programming and there won’t be commercial

interruptions because it’s public broadcasting. Public media members ensure that high-quality, educational programming is available on WNED PBS for all children, regardless of their family’s ability to afford a membership.

5. SUPPORT CULTURAL PROGRAMMING THAT ONLY AIRS ON PUBLIC BROADCASTING

Public broadcasting is home to programming that is rich in culture, broadening our horizons by showing us how vast and varied our world is. Whether it’s listening to Sacred Classics on WNED

Classical Sunday mornings, enjoying Great Performances or Masterpiece on WNED PBS, or relaxing to Blues on WBFO Saturday and Sunday evenings, public broadcasting is unique in its commitment to preserving and celebrating performances, no matter where they originate. Public broadcasting’s mission allows it to provide time for shows like Austin City Limits, As Time Goes By, and The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song. Supporting Buffalo Toronto Public Media stations keeps these cultural programs coming into the future.

To become a member today, visit wned.org/membership.

SUPPLIED Jenna Coleman stars as a young Queen Victoria in the Masterpiece series Victoria, now available for on-demand streaming for WNED PBS members.

SUPPLIED Curious George, an animated series based on the popular Margret and H.A. Rey books, has been taking its young audience on adventures on WNED PBS KIDS since 2006.

SUPPLIED Veteran journalist Judy Woodruff anchors PBS Newshour, which set the standard for serious, long-form journalism and evolved from The Robert Macneil Report in 1975.