WHRO Public Media

What WHRO Public Media does

WHRO Public Media is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public media organization headquartered at 5200 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia, operating under the legal entity Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association, Inc. (HRETA), which is owned by 21 public school systems across Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and Northeastern North Carolina. Founded in 1961 as Virginia's first non-commercial educational television station, WHRO now operates four digital television subchannels (WHRO HD, Create, Kids, World), nine radio frequencies spanning NPR news/talk, classical, and oldies formats, and a multi-platform digital streaming service (WHRO+) — making it a regional broadcast and content distribution infrastructure rather than a software or technology company in the conventional sense.

The organization's core products are organized across three business surfaces: (1) Broadcast & Digital Media, anchored by TV 15, WHRV FM (NPR), WHRO FM (classical), WFOS (Time Machine Radio), the WHRO+ Passport streaming platform, and award-winning original series such as Curate 757, Another View, and the At a Crossroads investigative series; (2) Education, delivered through WHRO Education's 30 SOL-aligned digital courses, the statewide eMediaVA repository (184,266 educators and students served in 2020), the VA TV Classroom pandemic response program built with the Virginia Department of Education, and the GreenBeats environmental van program; and (3) Investigative Journalism, operated through the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism (VCIJ), acquired in May 2022 and supported by a ProPublica Local Reporting Network grant, with an 18-journalist newsroom as of May 2026.

WHRO's revenue model is a multi-stream nonprofit structure: recurring individual donations and memberships (sustaining donors at a minimum $8/month receive WHRO+ Passport access), corporate underwriting (distinct from advertising), major gifts and foundation grants (Evelyn Y Davis Foundation, Hampton Roads Community Foundation, the Goode Family, Pulitzer Center), federal funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, content production partnerships with PBS for national distribution, and ancillary earned revenue from community events (TowneBank Spelling Bee, Hampton Roads Pride) and merchandise. Customer segments are diversified across 26,000+ individual members, the 21 co-owning K-12 school divisions, corporate underwriters, and federal/state education partners, with no single commercial customer dependency.

Name

WHRO Public Media

Legal name

Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association, Inc.

Website

https://whro.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Short description

WHRO Public Media is a Norfolk, Virginia-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) public media organization owned by 21 public school systems, operating television, radio, and digital streaming services, K-12 digital learning products, and an 18-journalist newsroom for Hampton Roads and surrounding regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH)

Keywords

• Public broadcasting
• Educational media
• Digital learning
• Investigative journalism
• Community radio

Headquarters

HQ city

Norfolk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Memberships: WHRO relies on contributions from individuals who become members. The organization offers various donation tiers with thank-you gifts, including WHRO+ Passport access for sustaining donors.
2. Corporate Underwriting: Organizations can support WHRO through underwriting opportunities rather than traditional PSAs. Corporate sponsors receive recognition in exchange for financial support.
3. Foundation and Major Gifts: WHRO receives significant contributions from foundations including The Evelyn Y Davis Foundation, Hampton Roads Community Foundation, and major donor families. Donors giving $5,000 or more are publicly acknowledged.
4. Corporation for Public Broadcasting: WHRO receives federal funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports public media organizations nationwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

WHRO Public Media operates a multi-platform public media organization delivering broadcast television (four channels), multiple radio frequencies, and digital streaming services to Southeastern Virginia, the Eastern Shore, and Northeastern North Carolina. The organization also provides K-12 educational digital learning courses, a statewide digital repository (eMediaVA), investigative journalism through VCIJ, and community programming, funded primarily through individual donations, memberships, and foundation support.

Product overview

WHRO Public Media is a multi-platform public media organization offering a unified portfolio of broadcast television, radio, and digital education services. The core broadcast infrastructure includes WHRO TV 15 with multiple sub-channels (WHRO HD, WHRO Create, WHRO Kids, WHRO World, FNX) and multiple radio stations (WHRV FM NPR News, WHRO FM Classical, WFOS Time Machine Radio, and others). The digital products include WHRO+ streaming service with Passport, and WHRO Education's digital learning platform with 30+ online courses and eMediaVA repository. Programming brands include award-winning series like Curate/Curate 757, Another View, and At a Crossroads. The Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism (VCIJ) provides watchdog journalism. Education outreach includes VA TV Classroom, GreenBeats Environmental Van, Work Like A Girl, and annual competitions like the TowneBank Spelling Bee. The organization is owned by 21 public school systems in Hampton Roads and serves Southeastern Virginia, Eastern Shore, and Northeastern North Carolina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WHRO TV 15 (Television Broadcasting) Multi-channel television broadcast service including WHRO HD (PBS programming), WHRO Create (lifestyle), WHRO Kids (children's content), and WHRO World (documentaries/international). Available over-the-air and on Cox, Charter, and FIOS platforms across Hampton Roads.
• WHRO+ Streaming (Passport) Subscription streaming service offering on-demand access to PBS classics, international series, homegrown shows, and archival content. Requires minimum $8/month membership for WHRO+ Passport access.
• WHRO FM (Classical Radio) 90.3 WHRO FM broadcasts classical music format, serving Hampton Roads communities including Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach.
• WHRV FM (NPR News Radio) 89.5 WHRV FM broadcasts NPR news and talk programming, serving Hampton Roads with news, public affairs, and cultural content.
• WFOS (Time Machine Radio Network) Oldies format radio network on 88.7 and 99.3 FM, serving Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake areas.
• WHRO Education - Digital Learning Courses Catalog of 30 textbook-independent, award-winning, customizable online courses for K-12 education. Media-rich, SOL-aligned courses including Algebra 2, English 9, Environmental Science, and Math Analysis. Adaptable to Virginia schools' existing LMS.
• eMediaVA WHRO's statewide digital repository providing searchable learning assets. In 2020, 184,266 educators and students across Virginia accessed content through this platform.
• VA TV Classroom Television classroom programming created in partnership with Virginia Department of Education, providing SOL-aligned instruction for grades K-7 during the pandemic. Featured Learn and Grow (K-3) and Continue to Know (4-7) shows.
• Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism (VCIJ) at WHRO Watchdog journalism operation acquired by WHRO in May 2022. Produces investigative reports on issues including Flock Security systems, government surveillance, and environmental topics. Partnered with ProPublica Local Reporting Network.
• TowneBank Spelling Bee Annual regional spelling bee competition for middle school students, produced and televised by WHRO since 2007. Winner advances to Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.
• Dimensions Magazine Monthly membership magazine mailed to 26,000 members, featuring radio and TV schedules, behind-the-scenes content, education and outreach stories, and community events.
• NHK WORLD-JAPAN Livestream Livestream of NHK WORLD-JAPAN programming available on WHRO's video platform, expanding international content offerings for viewers.
• Work Like A Girl Part of WHRO's American Graduate: Getting to Work initiative. Raises awareness of skilled career opportunities for young women without requiring college degrees.

Quantifiable outcome

• VCIJ at WHRO's coverage of Flock Security surveillance systems led to public discourse and was recognized with Excellence in Journalism Award from Virginia Trial Lawyers Association.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Colonial Williamsburg FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 July 2026WHRO partnered with Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and PBS for America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together, a two-hour national broadcast celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence. WHRO is credited as produced in association with WHRO Public Media.
• PBScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 4 July 2026WHRO produces content for national PBS broadcast. The America Made in Virginia special will air live nationwide on PBS on July 4, 2026. WHRO+ content is distributed through PBS platforms.
• VA250coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 July 2026WHRO partnered with VA250 organization for America's 250th birthday celebration content, producing the national broadcast America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together.
• Virginia Stage CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022WHRO's GreenBeats Environmental Van Program is a collaboration between WHRO and Virginia Stage Company, creating an innovative immersive educational experience centered on WHRO's popular GreenBeats animated musical video series.
• Smartmouth BrewingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreated Strawberry Fields Gose beer as a limited-release collaboration for WHRO's Time Machine Radio launch. 20,000 beer cans distributed regionally.
• Landmark CommunicationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Landmark Communications to produce and televise The Virginian-Pilot Spelling Bee, continuing annually since 2007.
• Virginia Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHRO worked closely with VDOE to create VA TV Classroom providing SOL-aligned instruction to students K-7 during the pandemic. WHRO shared compiled content with other Virginia Public Broadcast Stations (VPM, WBRA, WETA).
• The Nature ConservancyminorOthersVCIJ at WHRO has reported on The Nature Conservancy's conservation projects in southwest Virginia, including investigative coverage of environmental hazards and conservation efforts.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WHRO
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WHROTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/whropublicmedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whro
• Instagraminstagram.com/WHRO
• TikToktiktok.com/@whropublicmedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about WHRO Public Media