WTTW in Chicago

What WTTW in Chicago does

WTTW is Chicago's PBS member station, operated by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Window to the World Communications, Inc. (WWCI) under EIN 36-2246703, founded in 1955 and headquartered at 5400 N. Saint Louis Avenue, Chicago with 251–500 employees. The organization produces and distributes local news (Chicago Tonight, Chicago Tonight: Voices), children's programming (WTTW Kids 24/7), drama/playlist curation (Patience, Grantchester, etc.), and original documentaries (Chicago Stories, Firsthand, Geoffrey Baer Tours franchise, Chicago by 'L', Chicago from the Air, 10 That Changed America, Chicago Mysteries, Beyond Chicago from the Air) via over-the-air broadcast on channel 11, cable/satellite carriage, and a multi-device streaming footprint.

Its core technology layer is a conventional broadcast-and-streaming video platform: a geo-fenced live stream of the WTTW broadcast, a subscription-gated on-demand service (WTTW Passport, $5/month or $60/year, with 1,500+ episodes) available via web, iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung/Android TV, and Chromecast, plus a dedicated PBS Kids 24/7 channel. Distribution is executed through PBS network affiliation for national syndication and direct distribution for the Chicago DMA.

Revenue is generated through a non-commercial mix: tiered individual memberships ($25 Kids Club through $1,000 Satellite Council plus planned giving via the Newt Minow Legacy Circle), corporate underwriting (BMO Harris Bank, Peoples Gas, ITW, Walsh Construction, UI Health), and foundation grants (Negaunee, Grainger, Feinberg, Walter E. Heller, Pritzker Military Museum & Library). Member benefits include Passport streaming access, The Guide magazine, behind-the-scenes tours, exclusive screenings, and community events such as WTTW Kids Learn & Play at Chicago Public Library branches. Audience segments span Chicago-area viewers, families with children, premium streaming subscribers, and major individual/corporate donors.

Name

WTTW in Chicago

Legal name

Window to the World Communications, Inc.

Website

https://wttw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

WTTW is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) PBS member station producing local news, children's programming, and original documentaries for broadcast, cable, and multi-device streaming distribution across the Chicago metropolitan area. The organization serves Chicago-area viewers, families, and streaming subscribers (WTTW Passport) and is funded by tiered individual memberships, corporate underwriting, and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Television Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

National Public Television Networks & Member Stations (PBS-style) (MPABADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ), News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK)

Keywords

• Public television broadcasting
• PBS member station
• Streaming video service
• Educational children's content
• Local news coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership and Subscription Revenue: WTTW generates revenue through various membership tiers including WTTW Passport ($5/month or $60/year), WTTW Member ($40), Kids Club ($25), Producer's Circle ($150-$500), and Satellite Council ($1,000). These provide members with exclusive benefits, streaming access, and event invitations.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable contributions from individual donors, including one-time gifts, planned gifts, vehicle donations, stock gifts, IRA gifts, and donor-advised fund contributions. The Newt Minow Legacy Circle recognizes planned giving supporters.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Revenue from corporate supporters and foundation partners who fund specific programming and content series. Major sponsors include BMO Harris Bank, Peoples Gas, The Negaunee Foundation, The Grainger Foundation, and others.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WTTW is Chicago's PBS member station, broadcasting free over-the-air television (Channel 11) and streaming WTTW and PBS programming through wttw.com, the PBS app, and a Passport subscription service. Its core output is local news (Chicago Tonight), award-winning local documentaries (Chicago Stories, Firsthand, Geoffrey Baer tours), educational children's programming, and curated PBS dramas and primetime series, supported by a tiered individual membership program and corporate/foundation underwriting.

Product overview

WTTW is a PBS member station in Chicago offering a multi-platform content portfolio centered on broadcast and streaming television. The core offering is the main WTTW channel broadcasting local news (Chicago Tonight), PBS drama series, children's programming (WTTW Kids 24/7), and documentaries. Key products include WTTW Passport ($5/month subscription for on-demand streaming of PBS and WTTW content on streaming devices), the free WTTW Live Stream for real-time viewing, and branded documentary series sub-products including Chicago Stories (local history), Geoffrey Baer Tours (neighborhood exploration content), 10 That Changed America, Chicago Mysteries, Chicago by 'L', and Firsthand (contemporary social issue documentaries). The station also offers food programming (Check, Please!, cooking shows), membership programs with various benefit tiers, and community events. Content distribution spans over-the-air broadcast, the WTTW website, PBS apps on streaming platforms (Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung, Android TV, Chromecast, iOS/Android), and email newsletters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WTTW News: Local news division of WTTW covering Chicago-area stories
• WTTW Kids
• WTTW Passport
• WTTW Passport
• Chicago Tonight
• Geoffrey Baer Tours
• 10 That Changed America
• Chicago by L
• Chicago from the Air
• Chicago Mysteries
• Chicago Stories
• Firsthand

Products and services

• WTTW (Main Channel 11) Chicago's PBS member station broadcast free over-the-air on Channel 11, carrying local news (Chicago Tonight), PBS primetime dramas and documentaries, and locally produced series such as Chicago Stories, Firsthand, and the Geoffrey Baer tours for Chicago-area viewers.
• WTTW Passport

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning local journalism recognized through Emmy awards for Check, Please! and other productions

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chicago Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership hosting WTTW Kids Learn & Play events at Chicago Public Library branches including Brighton Park, Woodson Regional, Chinatown, Beverly, Roden, Bucktown-Wicker Park, Harold Washington, Richard J. Daley Bridgeport, Uptown, Dunning, Logan Square, and Independence branches.
• Illinois Institute of TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for WTTW's Chicago Stories screenings including The Birth of Gospel documentary screening and community conversation events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KQED: KQED is the San Francisco Bay Area PBS member station and a direct peer in scale and mission, operating local news, KQED Passport streaming, and a similar diversified revenue model anchored by memberships, corporate sponsorships, and foundation support.
• Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB): OPB is a regional PBS member station group operating local news, OPB Passport streaming, and content distribution in the Pacific Northwest — a direct peer in operating model and revenue structure though smaller in market size.
• WFMT (Chicago classical music): WFMT is the Chicago classical music radio station co-located with WTTW under Window to the World Communications — a direct peer in ownership structure, audience overlap, and shared membership/fundraising operations.
• WGBH (GBH): GBH is Boston's major-market PBS member station, a direct peer to WTTW with comparable structure: locally produced news and documentaries, GBH Passport streaming, and similar corporate sponsorship and membership revenue model serving a top-tier US metro.
• WETA: WETA is the Washington, DC area PBS member station, a direct peer with comparable local news, Passport streaming, and national co-productions (e.g., PBS NewsHour partnership), funded through a similar membership/sponsor/foundation model serving a major market.
• WNET: WNET is the New York metro PBS member station and a direct peer — also produces flagship local news (PBS NewsHour), operates Passport-style streaming, and runs comparable local documentary and cultural programming funded by a similar mix of memberships, sponsors, and foundation grants.
• KCET: KCET is the Los Angeles-area PBS member station and a direct peer — also produces award-winning local documentaries, operates a Passport-equivalent streaming service, and relies on a comparable membership/sponsor revenue model in another top-3 US metro.

Regional players

• ABC7 Chicago (WLS-TV): WLS-TV is Chicago's ABC owned-and-operated local news station and a regional peer in Chicago local news, sharing WTTW's geographic market for news audience and corporate sponsorship competition, though operating a commercial rather than public media model.

Broad incumbents

• NPR (National Public Radio): NPR is the public radio counterpart to PBS — a broad incumbent in public media with a comparable nonprofit membership/sponsor model and overlapping Chicago audience (WBEZ is the local NPR affiliate in Chicago).
• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): PBS is the national network of which WTTW is a member station; comparable as the umbrella organization that distributes WTTW's content nationally, co-produces programming, and operates the shared PBS app/Passport platform infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wttw
• YouTubeyoutube.com/wttwchicago
• Facebookfacebook.com/wttw11
• Instagraminstagram.com/wttwchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wttw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 WTTW in Chicago