KLRN Public Television

What KLRN Public Television does

KLRN Public Television is a non-profit PBS member station operated by the Alamo Public Telecommunication Council under an FCC broadcast license, serving San Antonio and South Central Texas. Founded around 1962 (with broadcasting attributed to 1970 in source materials) and headquartered at 501 Broadway, San Antonio, the station operates four digital broadcast channels — 9.1 KLRN TV (drama, music, arts, news), 9.2 World (documentary and news), 9.3 PBS Kids (children's education), and 9.4 Create (lifestyle) — complemented by a streaming platform at video.klrn.org offering live broadcast, on-demand video, and the KLRN Passport extended-access benefit for members. The station produces local original programming including KLRN News, On The Record public affairs, Texas Dance Halls, Terra Verde, San Antonio Files, The Beat, Business of Business, and Salud.

The station's technology stack combines multi-channel over-the-air digital broadcast with the PBS Video App, PBS Kids mobile apps, and PBS LearningMedia — a standards-aligned educational platform curated for local teachers. Distribution extends to cable carriage (including Grande Communications) and satellite services, providing multi-platform reach across free-to-air, streaming, and educational channels within the regional market.

KLRN's revenue model is distributed across four streams: individual sustaining memberships and donations (the primary stream), corporate sponsorships and underwriting, the KLRN Endowment Fund Inc. for planned giving and bequests, and in-kind contributions including vehicle and real estate donations. The organization is governed by a 32-member board of directors and led by President & CEO Arthur Rojas Emerson, EVP/CFO Patrick Lopez, VP Institutional Advancement Lauren Esquivel, and VP Education Melissa Galvan. No private equity, venture capital, or public-market ownership interests are present.

Name

KLRN Public Television

Legal name

Alamo Public Telecommunication Council

Website

https://klrn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KLRN Public Television is a non-profit PBS member station operating four broadcast channels (9.1 KLRN TV, 9.2 World, 9.3 PBS Kids, 9.4 Create) plus streaming and PBS LearningMedia educational services for the San Antonio and South Central Texas market, funded primarily through individual memberships, corporate underwriting, and planned giving.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Television Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG), Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG), Educational & Curriculum-Aligned Learning Channels (K–12) (MPABAKAD), K–12 Instructional Video & Multimedia (EDAGALAA)

Keywords

• Public television broadcasting
• Educational media services
• Community broadcasting station
• Nonprofit media organization
• Local television programming

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership/Donations: Recurring membership support from individual viewers, including annual donations, tribute gifts in memory or honor of individuals, and general donation appeals. Primary revenue stream for public media.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate support and sponsorship arrangements with businesses operating in the San Antonio market and broader service region.
3. Planned Giving/Endowment: KLRN Endowment Fund Inc. accepts planned gifts, bequests, and endowment contributions that provide perpetual funding. Principal remains untouched with only earnings distributed.
4. In-Kind Donations: Accepts donations of cars, real estate, and other property as non-cash contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KLRN Public Television is a non-profit PBS member station that operates four over-the-air digital broadcast channels (9.1 KLRN TV, 9.2 World, 9.3 PBS Kids, 9.4 Create) serving San Antonio and South Central Texas with educational, news, and entertainment programming. The station provides free-to-air broadcasting complemented by a digital streaming platform with live and on-demand video, a membership benefit program (KLRN Passport) for extended content access, and PBS LearningMedia educational resources for classrooms and teachers.

Product overview

KLRN Public Television operates as a multi-channel public broadcasting station serving San Antonio, Texas with four broadcast channels (KLRN TV, KLRN World, PBS Kids, and Create), complemented by digital streaming services including Watch On Demand and Watch Live platforms. The station provides a membership benefit program called KLRN Passport for extended on-demand access, and supports educational initiatives through PBS LearningMedia. Original local programming includes News, On The Record, Texas Dance Halls, Terra Verde, San Antonio Files, and The Beat.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KLRN Passport: A membership benefit providing extended on-demand access to PBS programs such as Victoria, Poldark, Country Music, NOVA, Nature and others.
• PBS Kids
• KLRN News
• On The Record
• The Beat

Products and services

• KLRN TV (Channel 9.1) Main broadcast television channel offering drama, music, arts, news and more programming to the San Antonio, Texas region over free digital over-the-air broadcast.
• KLRN World (Channel 9.2) National platform channel that examines issues and provides in-depth documentary and news content, available free over-the-air in the San Antonio viewing area.
• PBS Kids (Channel 9.3) Children's programming channel featuring fun and educational shows for young audiences, available free over-the-air and via PBS Kids digital platforms.
• KLRN Create (Channel 9.4) Lifestyle programming channel featuring cooking, gardening, travel and home improvement content, available free over-the-air in the San Antonio region.
• KLRN Video Streaming (Watch On Demand) Streaming video platform providing on-demand access to PBS and KLRN original programming at video.klrn.org, available to viewers online.
• Watch Live Streaming Live streaming service allowing viewers to watch KLRN broadcast content in real-time online at video.klrn.org/livestream.
• KLRN Passport Member benefit offering extended on-demand access to quality PBS programs such as Victoria, Poldark, Country Music, NOVA, Nature and other exclusive content for supporting members.
• PBS LearningMedia Free standards-aligned educational platform providing videos, interactives, and lesson plans for teachers, curated by KLRN and PBS for classroom use.
• Studio Rental Broadcast studio facility rental service offered to external producers and organizations at KLRN's San Antonio headquarters.
• PBS Video App Mobile application for accessing PBS and KLRN video content on smartphones and tablets, distributed through app stores.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free television access for all viewers with antenna reception

Named customers2 records

Segments3 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKLRN operates as a PBS member station, receiving national programming and content including NOVA, Nature, Masterpiece, and other PBS series. KLRN produces local original content including news programming, local documentaries (Terra Verde, Texas Dance Halls, San Antonio Files), and community-focused shows.
• PBS LearningMediacoreTechnology or IntegrationPBS LearningMedia is a free educational resource platform aligned to standards. KLRN curates and promotes these resources for local teachers and schools in the San Antonio area.
• Alamo Public Telecommunications CouncilcoreOthersThe Alamo Public Telecommunications Council holds the FCC license for KLRN and is governed by a 32-member board of directors. Named corporate officers include Arthur Rojas Emerson (President & CEO), Patrick Lopez (Executive VP/CFO), Priscilla Lowrance (Board Secretary), Lauren Esquivel (VP Institutional Advancement), and Melissa Galvan (VP Education).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KLVU (KLRU, now KLVU): PBS member station serving Austin and Central Texas. Directly comparable to KLRN as a same-state PBS affiliate with multi-channel broadcasting and education programming focus in an adjacent geographic market.
• KERA: PBS member station serving the Dallas-Fort Worth market, also in Texas. Operates multiple channels and a Passport-equivalent membership program, making it the closest in-state comparable to KLRN in mission, funding model, and product set.
• KUHT (Houston PBS): PBS member station serving the Houston market, the largest Texas TV market. Comparable to KLRN as a fellow Texas PBS affiliate with multi-channel broadcast, educational outreach, and member-supported revenue model.

Others

• NPR: Public radio network with a parallel member-station funding model (individual donations, corporate underwriting, CPB support). Comparable to KLRN in non-profit public-media mission and revenue mechanics, though in audio rather than television.
• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): National network that KLRN is affiliated with. Not a direct competitor but the central counterpart that supplies national programming and operates the Passport and LearningMedia platforms that KLRN distributes locally.

Broad incumbents

• WNET: PBS member station serving New York City. Comparable in product (multi-channel PBS, Passport, local originals, education) but at substantially larger scale and broader reach than KLRN.
• WTTW: PBS member station serving Chicago. Comparable in structure (multi-channel PBS, Passport, local originals, education) but at significantly larger scale than KLRN and with a deeper national content distribution footprint.
• WETA: PBS member station serving Washington, DC, and a major producer of PBS NewsHour. Operates the same PBS member station model with multi-channel broadcast and Passport membership as KLRN, but at a larger scale and production footprint.
• WGBH: Flagship PBS station serving Boston and a major producer of national PBS programming (NOVA, Frontline). Comparable to KLRN as a PBS member station but operates at significantly larger scale and produces content redistributed nationally.
• KCET: PBS member station serving Los Angeles and Southern California. Directly comparable PBS member station model with multi-channel broadcast, local original programming, and member-supported revenue, operating in a much larger market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/klrn
• Facebookfacebook.com/klrntv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 KLRN Public Television