WSKG-FM

What WSKG-FM does

WSKG Public Media (operating as WSKG-FM) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public broadcasting organization founded in 1961 and headquartered at 601 Gates Road in Vestal, New York, with a satellite office in Ithaca. It operates as a member station of both NPR and PBS, running ten broadcast outlets across the Southern Tier of New York and Northern Tier of Pennsylvania — covering 21 counties via FM radio frequencies (WSKG news and WSKG Classical on multiple transmitters), television broadcast channels 46.1/30.1, and four subchannels (PBS Kids, Create TV, World Channel). The underlying technology is conventional over-the-air broadcast radio and TV transmission infrastructure augmented by 24/7 live streaming on wskg.org, the PBS video streaming app across Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, and mobile, plus NPR One distribution. Core products include WSKG Radio (news/talk), WSKG Classical, WSKG TV (PBS-affiliated with local programming), WSKG Passport (a streaming member-benefit product delivering on-demand PBS and WSKG video), WSKG Education services, and locally produced WSKG News reporting.

WSKG's business model is a hybrid of three revenue streams typical of community public broadcasting: (1) individual listener/viewer donations and memberships, structured as recurring annual giving with the WSKG Passport tier starting at $60/year providing the primary concrete member benefit; (2) corporate underwriting and sponsorships, where local businesses and national public media partners receive on-air acknowledgment in exchange for program support; and (3) federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The go-to-market motion is community-led: audience acquisition and retention run through over-the-air broadcast, live streaming, donation appeals, community event participation (e.g., Elmira Pride Festival), and an active social media footprint across Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, X, and email newsletters. There is no advertising-driven model and no equity ownership — the station is governed by an independent Board of Trustees with a community advisory board.

The organization serves a horizontal, geographically-defined customer base of general public listeners and viewers in the Southern Tier of New York and Northern Tier of Pennsylvania. Its value proposition centers on non-commercial local journalism, NPR national and international news, PBS educational and documentary programming, classical music, and children's educational content — services it frames as filling coverage gaps left by commercial media in rural and small-city markets. The customer base is a long-tail of individual donors/members rather than enterprise accounts; select_customers is empty in the source data, confirming no B2B revenue concentration.

Name

WSKG-FM

Legal name

WSKG Public Media

Website

https://wskg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WSKG Public Media is a nonprofit NPR and PBS member station operating ten broadcast outlets across the Southern Tier of New York and Northern Tier of Pennsylvania, delivering news, classical music, educational programming, and PBS content via radio, TV subchannels, and digital streaming to local listeners and viewers supported by member donations, underwriting, and CPB funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG), Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ), Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication (MPAIAEAG)

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• Public television programming
• Local news coverage
• Educational media services
• Classical music radio

Headquarters

HQ city

Vestal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership and Donations: Listener-supported public media model where members contribute financially, typically through annual donations or monthly giving, in exchange for benefits like WSKG Passport access to on-demand content.
2. Underwriting/Sponsorships: Corporate underwriters support programming in exchange for on-air recognition and acknowledgment. Sponsors include local businesses and national public media partners.
3. Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) Funding: Federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, supports public broadcasting operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WSKG-FM (operating as WSKG Public Media) is a nonprofit public broadcasting organization that produces, aggregates, and distributes radio and television programming across the Southern Tier of New York and Northern Tier of Pennsylvania. Its core offerings include FM news radio (WSKG Radio), classical music radio (WSKG Classical), PBS-affiliated television (WSKG TV with PBS Kids, Create TV, and World subchannels), and a streaming membership benefit (WSKG Passport) providing on-demand access to PBS and WSKG video content.

Product overview

WSKG-FM is a public media organization operating as a unified broadcast platform offering multiple content delivery channels. The core offerings include WSKG TV (main PBS television channel with local programming), WSKG Radio (news radio station across multiple FM frequencies), and WSKG Classical (classical music programming). Members receive WSKG Passport as a streaming benefit for on-demand PBS and WSKG content. Television programming extends across subchannels including PBS Kids (children's educational content), Create TV (lifestyle programming), and World Channel (documentary and science content). The organization also provides educational services through dedicated education programming. All content is available via the organization's websites and streaming apps, with WSKG Passport specifically requiring a $60+ annual membership for access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WSKG TV

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSKG operates as a PBS and NPR member station, receiving programming content including documentaries, news shows like PBS NewsHour, children's programming, and access to PBS video streaming platforms. This is the primary programming partnership for the TV station component.
• NPR (National Public Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSKG broadcasts NPR news programming as a member station, providing access to national and international news coverage, podcasts, and related content. The station participates in NPR ONE platform distribution.
• PBS KidscoreTechnology or IntegrationPBS Kids is the children's educational programming block available 24/7 on WSKG's digital subchannel 46.2/30.2, providing educational content for children and caregivers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WHYY: Philadelphia-based public media organization operating both NPR member radio stations and a PBS television station with member-supported funding model — directly comparable in scale, dual radio/TV structure, and regional public-media mission to WSKG.
• WGBH / GBH: Boston-based public broadcaster operating NPR and PBS stations with the same member-supported, multi-format content model — comparable to WSKG as a combined radio/TV public media organization serving a defined regional market.
• WETA: Washington DC-area public broadcaster operating PBS television and classical/WGBH-radio-adjacent services with member-supported funding — directly comparable dual-format public-media operating model to WSKG.
• WMHT: Capital District (Schenectady/Albany) New York public media organization operating multiple TV and FM radio stations as a PBS/NPR affiliate — comparable regional upstate-NY public media footprint with similar member-supported model.
• WCNY: Syracuse-based upstate New York public broadcaster operating Classic FM, NPR news radio, and PBS television — directly comparable in size, mission, and upstate-NY regional focus to WSKG's Southern Tier operation.
• Vermont Public: Vermont statewide public radio and television network serving rural communities with NPR and PBS programming — comparable rural, multi-county public-media operation with similar member-supported funding model.
• WVIA Public Media: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre NE Pennsylvania public broadcaster serving the Northern Tier of PA — directly comparable geographic peer with overlapping coverage area and same PBS/NPR member-station structure.
• WNED PBS: Buffalo/Western New York public television station and NPR radio affiliate — comparable upstate NY public-media peer with similar member-supported revenue model and multi-channel sub-channel strategy.
• WQLN PBS: Erie, Pennsylvania public television station operating PBS member programming and Passport streaming — comparable small-market public broadcaster in PA with member-supported model similar to WSKG.

Broad incumbents

• NPR (National Public Radio): National public radio network that produces and distributes programming consumed by WSKG — comparable as the parent content network in the NPR member-station system, governing programming, NPR One distribution, and content standards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wskg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WSKG
• Facebookfacebook.com/wskgpublicbroadcasting
• Instagraminstagram.com/wskgpubmedia
• Pinterestpinterest.com/wskg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wskg-public-broadcasting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries10 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 WSKG-FM