WOSU Public media

What WOSU Public media does

WOSU Public Media is a non-commercial, member-supported public media organization headquartered at 1800 N. Pearl St. in Columbus, Ohio, operating as a licensee of The Ohio State University. Founded in 1922 (originally as WEAO, the sixth educational radio station in America), WOSU serves over two million citizens across Central Ohio through a multi-platform distribution network that includes broadcast television (WOSU TV on channel 34.1), two radio stations (89.7 NPR News and Classical 101), digital streaming at wosu.org, a mobile application available on iOS, Android, and Amazon devices, and a portfolio of podcasts including All Sides, Snollygoster, and StoryCorps Columbus. Original local productions such as Broad & High (arts and culture), Columbus Neighborhoods (community documentary series), Columbus on the Record (politics), and the science-focused QED with Dr. B (co-produced with COSI) complement PBS national programming distributed through the affiliate relationship.

The organization's business model is funded primarily through member donations, with supporting revenue from corporate underwriting (notably from the American Electric Power Foundation, Battelle, and the Bath & Body Works Foundation), a recurring subscription product called WOSU Passport that provides extended streaming access to PBS and WOSU content for donors, periodic pledge drives and capital campaigns (including a recently exceeded $12M capital campaign tied to its 15+HIGH District headquarters relocation in 2021), and ancillary services such as facility rentals. Audience segments include the general Central Ohio listening and viewing public, K-12 and early childhood educators and families served through WOSU Classroom, and arts and culture enthusiasts served through Classical 101.

WOSU holds FCC broadcast licenses and is affiliated with NPR and PBS as member/affiliate stations, providing regulatory and content-distribution advantages. The organization operates primarily as a regional public broadcaster but has expanded into national content distribution through the QED with Dr. B series and statewide journalism collaboration via The Ohio Newsroom. Following the retirement of long-serving General Manager Tom Rieland at the end of 2023, Anthony Padgett was named as his successor. Recent years have brought Regional Emmy Awards, a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, and consistent recognition from the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors, indicating sustained editorial quality.

Name

WOSU Public media

Legal name

WOSU Public Media

Website

https://wosu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

WOSU Public Media is a non-commercial, NPR/PBS-affiliated broadcaster in Columbus, Ohio that serves over 2 million Central Ohio residents through radio, television, digital streaming, mobile apps, and podcasts, and is funded primarily via member donations, corporate underwriting, and the WOSU Passport subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612)

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

Keywords

• Public broadcasting services
• Community radio broadcasting
• Educational media programming
• Public television content
• Digital streaming media

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership and Donations: WOSU is a member-supported organization that relies on donations from viewers and listeners. The station offers donor portal access and various giving programs including Leadership Giving, Planned Giving, and The Storytellers Trust.
2. Corporate Underwriting: WOSU receives financial support from corporate underwriters, with support for programs such as QED with Dr. B coming from organizations like the American Electric Power Foundation, Battelle, Bath & Body Works Foundation, and others.
3. WOSU Passport Subscription: WOSU offers Passport, a subscription service that provides extended access to PBS and WOSU content including full episodes of Masterpiece and other programs.
4. Fundraising and Pledges: The station conducts periodic pledge drives and fundraising campaigns, with support options including car donations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WOSU Public Media operates as a multi-platform public media organization serving Central Ohio through broadcast radio (89.7 NPR News and Classical 101), broadcast television (WOSU TV), subscription streaming (WOSU Passport), podcasts, educational resources (WOSU Classroom), and a mobile application. The organization distributes both national NPR/PBS programming and original local content including Columbus Neighborhoods, Broad & High, Columbus on the Record, and QED with Dr. B.

Product overview

WOSU Public Media operates as a multi-platform public media organization with a diversified portfolio of broadcast, digital, and educational products. The core offering consists of radio broadcasting (89.7 NPR News and Classical 101), television broadcasting (WOSU TV with original productions and PBS content), and subscription streaming (WOSU Passport). These are supplemented by digital products including a mobile app, podcast portfolio, and WOSU Classroom educational resources. The main products function together as an integrated media ecosystem: broadcast radio and TV provide live and scheduled content, WOSU Passport extends on-demand access for donors, the mobile app enables cross-platform access to all content streams, and WOSU Classroom extends the organization's reach into educational settings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 89.7 NPR News: NPR-affiliated news radio station providing local and national news coverage
• Classical 101
• WOSU TV
• WOSU Classroom
• WOSU Passport

Products and services

• 89.7 NPR News

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• COSI (Center of Science and Industry)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2021WOSU partners with COSI to produce QED with Dr. B, a weekly primetime science-focused television series. This collaboration represents a unique national partnership as COSI is described as the first and only science museum in the country to co-produce a primetime science television show for adults.
• NPR (National Public Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOSU is an NPR member station, carrying NPR News programming and participating in the NPR network. The station produces local news content that supplements national NPR coverage and contributes to public radio journalism.
• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOSU is a PBS affiliate station, distributing PBS programming including Masterpiece, NOVA, FRONTLINE, PBS NewsHour, and PBS KIDS content. The station also produces original local content distributed through PBS platforms.
• The Ohio State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOSU is a licensee of The Ohio State University. The university provides institutional support and the station serves as a community resource near the OSU campus, with student workers and academic partnerships.
• Ohio PBS StationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOSU Classroom joins other Ohio PBS stations as a host station and partner for the Ohio Educational Technology Conference (OETC), a statewide collaboration dedicated to empowering educators with practical, innovative technology tools.
• The Ohio NewsroomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOSU partners with public radio stations statewide to launch 'The Ohio Newsroom,' a collaborative statewide news initiative to expand local journalism coverage across Ohio.
• League of Women Voters of Metropolitan ColumbusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWOSU partnered with the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Columbus to host voter registration drives.
• Columbus Metropolitan ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWOSU partnered with the Columbus Metropolitan Club to present author Michael Tomasky's 'Democracy in Crisis' series.
• NETA (National Educational Telecommunications Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWOSU Public Media leadership participated in the NETA Annual Conference and CPB Thought Leader Forum, taking national stage presence.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• KQED: San Francisco Bay Area NPR and PBS member station with multi-platform distribution and substantial original local journalism. Comparable to WOSU in operating model, scale of original production, and reliance on membership revenue, although serving a larger metro.
• WUNC Public Radio (North Carolina): North Carolina's primary NPR news/talk station operated by the University of North Carolina. Comparable to WOSU's 89.7 NPR News as a state-affiliated NPR member station focused on regional journalism and statewide collaboration.
• WETA: Washington D.C.-area public broadcasting station affiliated with PBS and producing original local content like PBS NewsHour. Directly comparable as a PBS-affiliated station producing nationally distributed public affairs programming for a large U.S. market, mirroring WOSU's mix of local NPR/PBS service.
• South Carolina ETV (SCETV): South Carolina's statewide public television and radio network with strong educational programming focus. Comparable to WOSU's WOSU TV and WOSU Classroom offerings, particularly in the public-media-meets-education dimension of its mission.
• WTTW / WTTW11 Chicago: Chicago PBS member station producing extensive original local programming and educational content. Highly comparable to WOSU as a PBS-affiliate producing original series (Broad & High / Columbus Neighborhoods vs. Chicago Tonight-style content) for a comparable Midwestern U.S. metro market.
• WGBH (WGBH Educational Foundation): Boston-based NPR and PBS member station operating radio, TV, digital, and educational content via WGBH. Directly comparable to WOSU as a similarly sized multi-platform public media organization serving a major U.S. metro with a comparable mix of original local production and national programming distribution.
• Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB): Oregon statewide NPR and PBS affiliate operating radio, TV, and digital platforms. Comparable to WOSU in multi-platform public media operations, although serving a wider geographic region than WOSU's Central Ohio focus.
• Minnesota Public Radio (MPR / APM): Minnesota-based public radio network including classical programming, affiliated with NPR and producer-distributor of national content via American Public Media. Comparable to WOSU's Classical 101 and 89.7 NPR News operations and its similar reliance on membership support.
• Michigan Public Media (WUOM / WVGR): Michigan's statewide public radio network affiliated with NPR, operated by the University of Michigan. Comparable to WOSU as a university-licensee public radio operation with strong state-level journalism partnerships.
• Vermont Public (VPR / Vermont PBS): Vermont's combined public radio and television service, operated under unified public media governance. Comparable to WOSU in operating both radio and television under one public media umbrella with member-support and underwriting revenue models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WOSU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvhI63j18r0aAhfxQJ11EQg
• Facebookfacebook.com/wosupublicmedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wosu-public-media
• Instagraminstagram.com/wosupubmedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 WOSU Public media