Northwest Public Broadcasting

Public Broadcasting Servicesnwpb.org

Northwest Public Broadcasting (NWPB) is a non-profit PBS and NPR member station serving Washington and Idaho with local news, radio, streaming, podcasts, and educational programming funded by donations and CPB support.

Company typePrivate
Founded1922
HeadquartersPullman, United States
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2C
OfferingDigital Commerce or Content

What Northwest Public Broadcasting does

Northwest Public Broadcasting (NWPB) is a non-profit public media organization operating as a PBS and NPR member station serving the Pacific Northwest region, primarily Washington and Idaho. The station delivers local and regional news, public affairs reporting, educational programming (PBS Kids, Explore Together), cultural content, and classical and jazz music through a multi-platform distribution footprint that includes over-the-air broadcast television, FM radio, the watch.nwpb.org streaming platform, and dedicated iOS and Android mobile applications. Editorial output spans news verticals (politics, environment, wildfires, health, business), arts and culture coverage, solutions journalism through InsightsNW, and Spanish-language news via NWPB Noticias. Original podcast production includes Ghost Herd, Traverse Talks, and How We Ended Up Here, with the KOHO 101.1 FM Morning Run serving Wenatchee Valley listeners.

The underlying technology is conventional public broadcasting infrastructure: broadcast television and radio transmitters, a digital streaming CMS at watch.nwpb.org, mobile applications, and digital content management for podcasts and newsletters (Field Notes). NWPB's editorial product includes locally produced shows such as NWPB Weekly News Now, NWPB Presents, Access Northwest, and Our Neighbors' Stories, layered on top of national PBS and NPR programming supplied through its network affiliations.

NWPB's business model is the traditional public broadcasting model: recurring member donations, viewer/listener contributions, corporate underwriting, and federal operational funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). A supplementary recurring revenue stream comes from NWPB Passport, a member-only streaming subscription priced at $5/month or $60/year that provides access to extended PBS programming. The go-to-market motion is community-led — audience engagement through local journalism, community events, email newsletters, and social media — rather than commercial sales. The organization appears to be independently governed with no parent company or holding entity identified.

Northwest Public Broadcasting firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Northwest Public Broadcasting
Legal name: Northwest Public Broadcasting
Website: https://nwpb.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1922
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: Northwest Public Broadcasting (NWPB) is a non-profit PBS and NPR member station serving Washington and Idaho with local news, radio, streaming, podcasts, and educational programming funded by donations and CPB support.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Northwest Public Broadcasting industry classification

Industry

Product category: Public Broadcasting Services
NAICS: Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)
SIC: Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)
akta.pro primary industry: National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB)
akta.pro secondary industries: National Public Television Networks & Member Stations (PBS-style) (MPABADAA), Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB)

Keywords

Public broadcasting services
Regional news coverage
Educational media programming
Classical music radio
PBS member station

Where Northwest Public Broadcasting is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Pullman
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Markets served

Northwest Public Broadcasting business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

Membership and Donations: NWPB operates as a public media organization supported primarily through memberships, viewer/listener donations, and contributions from the community. This is the traditional public broadcasting revenue model based on audience support.
NWPB Passport Streaming Subscription: NWPB Passport is a streaming service offering exclusive, extended PBS programming. Available to NWPB members at $5/month or $60/year. This provides supplemental recurring revenue from engaged viewers seeking additional content.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Monthly	NWPB Passport member subscription

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Northwest Public Broadcasting product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Northwest Public Broadcasting is a non-profit public media organization that delivers local and regional journalism, PBS and NPR programming, classical and jazz music, and educational content to listeners and viewers across the Pacific Northwest via broadcast television, radio, and digital streaming channels. Its portfolio includes the NWPB Passport on-demand streaming subscription, the NWPB mobile app, original podcasts, Spanish-language news (NWPB Noticias), and community-focused solutions journalism.

Product overview

Northwest Public Broadcasting (NWPB) is a public broadcasting station operating as a multi-platform media organization. The station offers a unified portfolio of products spanning broadcast television (featuring PBS programming and local shows like NWPB Weekly News Now and NWPB Presents), radio broadcast services (classical music, jazz, and KOHO 101.1 FM Morning Run), and digital streaming via NWPB Passport and the NWPB mobile app. The station also produces original podcasts including Ghost Herd, Traverse Talks, and How We Ended Up Here. Children's programming is delivered through PBS Kids and the Explore Together family education program. Spanish-language content is available through NWPB Noticias. The station's journalism includes solutions-focused reporting through InsightsNW, and special programming such as America at 250 commemorative content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

NWPB Radio: Radio broadcasting service offering classical music, jazz, news and radio shows
NWPB Classical
NWPB Passport
InsightsNW
Field Notes

Products and services

NWPB Television Television broadcast service featuring PBS programming and local shows including NWPB Weekly News Now, NWPB Presents, Access Northwest, Our Neighbors' Stories, Our Hanford History, and PBS Kids content for Pacific Northwest viewers.
NWPB Radio (Classical & Jazz) Radio broadcast service offering classical music programming (NWPB Classical), jazz music (KOHO 101.1 FM), and NPR national news content to listeners across the Pacific Northwest.
NWPB Passport Subscription streaming service offering exclusive, extended PBS programming available to NWPB members at $5/month or $60/year, providing on-demand access to PBS content via watch.nwpb.org.
NWPB App Mobile application for iOS and Android devices enabling users to watch PBS shows, listen to NPR news, and read regional news coverage on mobile devices.
KOHO 101.1 FM Morning Run Weekday morning radio show from 6-9 AM featuring local conversation and music, providing a classic radio experience for Wenatchee Valley listeners.
Ghost Herd Podcast True story podcast exploring family, fraud, land and power in the American West, distributed via NWPB and major podcast platforms.
Traverse Talks Podcast Insightful conversations exploring culture, identity and art, hosted by Northwest Public Broadcasting's Sueann Ramella.
How We Ended Up Here Podcast Election-focused podcast providing context and information about issues and candidates appearing on ballots, going beyond headlines to explain why news matters in the community.
PBS Kids Educational games and videos from Curious George, Wild Kratts, and other PBS KIDS shows, providing age-appropriate content for children, accessible through broadcast and digital platforms.
Explore Together / Exploremos Juntos Community program for kids ages 2-8 and their families featuring hands-on STEAM activities at community events, with both English and Spanish content.
NWPB Noticias (En español) Spanish-language news section serving Northwest communities with local, national, and cultural content in Spanish.
InsightsNW (Solutions Journalism) Solutions journalism initiative examining how communities respond to problems, analyzing responses while looking at lessons learned, limitations of solutions, and evidence of effectiveness.

Companies that use Northwest Public Broadcasting

Customer profile

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Northwest Public Broadcasting technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Northwest Public Broadcasting partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

PBS (Public Broadcasting Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWPB operates as a PBS member station, receiving access to PBS programming, national broadcasts, and shared content resources. This partnership provides the majority of NWPB's television programming including popular PBS shows, documentaries, and educational content.
NPR (National Public Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWPB distributes NPR national news content and programming as an NPR member station. This provides access to national journalism and public radio programs that complement NWPB's regional coverage.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Northwest Public Broadcasting competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

KQED: KQED is the PBS and NPR member station for the San Francisco Bay Area and a flagship public broadcaster. It is comparable to NWPB as a multi-platform public broadcaster with TV, radio, digital, and original content, though operating at significantly larger scale.
WETA (Washington, D.C.): WETA is the PBS member station serving the Washington, D.C. metro area and is a major producer of PBS programming. It is comparable to NWPB as a PBS-affiliated non-profit broadcaster with member-supported funding, though WETA operates at significantly larger scale and produces national programming.
Minnesota Public Radio (MPR): Minnesota Public Radio is a major regional public radio network with classical, news, and podcast operations. It is comparable to NWPB in business model and content mix, though MPR operates at a much larger geographic and audience scale.

Direct peers

Idaho Public Television: Idaho Public Television is the PBS member station for the state of Idaho. It is comparable to NWPB as a regional PBS affiliate with member-supported funding, educational programming focus, and overlapping geographic coverage in Idaho.
KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio: KUOW is an NPR member station serving the Puget Sound region of Washington State. It is comparable to NWPB's radio operations as a regional NPR affiliate operating under the same member-supported public radio model and overlapping Pacific Northwest audience.
KCTS 9 (Seattle): KCTS 9 is a PBS member station serving the Seattle and Western Washington market. It is comparable to NWPB as a regional PBS affiliate with member-supported funding and educational programming, with overlapping broadcast territory in Washington State.
OPB Podcasts Network: OPB's podcast network includes original shows such as 'The Unmarked Path' and others. It is comparable to NWPB's original podcast efforts (Ghost Herd, Traverse Talks, How We Ended Up Here) as a regional public broadcaster producing independent podcast IP.
Oregon Public Broadcasting: Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) is a PBS and NPR member station serving Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. It is the most directly comparable peer to NWPB in terms of regional geography, public media affiliations, multi-platform distribution (TV, radio, digital, podcasts), and non-profit member-supported revenue model.

Regional players

Vermont Public: Vermont Public is a PBS and NPR member station serving Vermont with TV, radio, and digital operations. It is comparable to NWPB as a multi-platform regional public broadcaster with member-supported funding, though in a different geographic market.
Colorado Public Radio: Colorado Public Radio is a regional NPR and classical music broadcaster serving Colorado. It is comparable to NWPB as a non-profit regional public broadcaster relying on memberships and donations with classical, jazz, and NPR news programming, though operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Northwest Public Broadcasting financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Northwest Public Broadcasting leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Northwest Public Broadcasting funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Northwest Public Broadcasting M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Northwest Public Broadcasting

What does Northwest Public Broadcasting do?

Is Northwest Public Broadcasting a public or private company?

Northwest Public Broadcasting is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Northwest Public Broadcasting founded?

Northwest Public Broadcasting was founded in 1922. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is Northwest Public Broadcasting based?

Northwest Public Broadcasting is headquartered in Pullman, United States, in the North America region.

How does Northwest Public Broadcasting make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. Membership and Donations are the primary driver. The others are NWPB Passport Streaming Subscription.

Who are Northwest Public Broadcasting's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are KQED, WETA (Washington, D.C.) and Minnesota Public Radio (MPR). Direct peers are Idaho Public Television, KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio, KCTS 9 (Seattle), OPB Podcasts Network and Oregon Public Broadcasting. Regional players are Vermont Public and Colorado Public Radio.

Does Northwest Public Broadcasting have an API?

No public API is recorded for Northwest Public Broadcasting.

What industry is Northwest Public Broadcasting in?

Northwest Public Broadcasting's product category is Public Broadcasting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABADAB, National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style), with a secondary code of MPABADAA, National Public Television Networks & Member Stations (PBS-style). Its NAICS code is 5161 and its SIC code is 4832.