Nashville Public Television

What Nashville Public Television does

Nashville Public Television, Inc. (dba Nashville PBS, WNPT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public television station founded in 1962, operating as an independent member of the PBS network and serving nearly 2.4 million viewers across Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky. The station broadcasts four over-the-air channels: WNPT (main), WNPT2/WORLD, WNPT3/PBS KIDS 24/7, and WNPT4/Create, and in 2024 added an ATSC 3.0 next-generation broadcast channel in partnership with Sinclair. Digital distribution spans the PBS App on all major connected TV platforms (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast, VIZIO SmartCast), plus YouTube, Hulu, cable/satellite providers, and the station's own video.wnpt.org streaming platform, with Nashville PBS Passport offering a $5/month or $60/year premium tier for extended on-demand access.

Nashville PBS produces Emmy Award-winning original local programming including Tennessee Crossroads, Volunteer Gardener, A Word on Words, Next Door Neighbors, A Slice of the Community, and Aging Matters, alongside national PBS content. Educational reach includes over 100,000 students annually through PBS Learning Media, the Tennessee PBS At-Home Learning Collaborative (with the Tennessee Department of Education and all six Tennessee public TV stations), and PBS KIDS platforms. The bimonthly Nashville PBS Magazine, printed by historic local publisher R.H. Boyd, supports donor and community engagement.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit model: individual memberships and recurring donations ($5-$125/month), corporate underwriting and business sponsorships, planned giving (bequests, charitable remainder trusts), and federal CPB support — the latter currently being replaced at $1.3 million following federal funding changes. The go-to-market motion is primarily community-driven through membership acquisition, donor cultivation, corporate sponsorship sales, and educational outreach events. President & CEO Becky Magura has led a 2024 full rebrand from NPT to Nashville PBS, channel expansion, and a three-year strategic plan since her September 2021 appointment.

Name

Nashville Public Television

Legal name

Nashville Public Television, Inc.

Website

https://wnpt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nashville PBS is a 501(c)(3) public television station operating four broadcast channels plus digital streaming to nearly 2.4 million viewers in Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky, funded by memberships, corporate underwriting, and donor contributions.

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

Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH), State/Regional Public Broadcasting Networks & Consortia (MPABADAC)

Keywords

• Public television broadcasting
• Educational programming
• Nonprofit media
• Original video production
• Community broadcasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership and Donations: Tax-deductible donations from viewers, monthly sustaining gifts, one-time contributions, and membership program. Membership gifts are tax-deductible to extent allowed by law. Includes EFT and credit card installment programs.
2. Corporate Underwriting/Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship agreements for programming underwriting, event sponsorships, digital marketing integrations, and community engagement packages. Revenue-focused role targeting corporate partners in middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky.
3. Planned Giving: Bequests, charitable remainder trusts, and other planned giving vehicles for major donors.
4. Business Sponsorship: Sponsorships from businesses including event sponsorships and ongoing corporate partnerships.
5. Federal/Public Broadcasting Support: Federal support including CPB funding. Currently facing replacement of $1.3 million in lost federal support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nashville Public Television (Nashville PBS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public television station that broadcasts educational, cultural, news, and civic programming across four over-the-air channels (WNPT, WNPT2/WORLD, WNPT3/PBS KIDS, WNPT4/Create) plus digital streaming via the PBS app and connected devices. The station produces original local programming such as Tennessee Crossroads and Volunteer Gardener, offers the Nashville PBS Passport premium membership benefit, publishes a bimonthly Nashville PBS Magazine, and provides studio rental services, reaching nearly 2.4 million viewers in Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky.

Product overview

Nashville Public Television operates as a multi-channel broadcast and digital media organization with four over-the-air channels (WNPT main channel, WNPT2 WORLD, WNPT3 PBS KIDS, WNPT4 Create TV) plus the ALL ARTS digital channel. The core offering includes a digital streaming platform (video.wnpt.org) accessible via the PBS App and connected devices (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast, VIZIO SmartCast). Nashville PBS Passport provides premium membership benefits with extended content access. The station produces original local programming including Tennessee Crossroads, Volunteer Gardener, A Word on Words, Next Door Neighbors, A Slice of the Community, Aging Matters, and Learning to Read. Additional offerings include the bimonthly Nashville PBS Magazine, studio rental services, and educational resources through PBS Learning Media and PBS KIDS platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nashville PBS Passport Premium membership benefit providing extended access to past seasons of PBS shows, early releases of new series, and exclusive content. Available for $5/month or $60/year via the PBS app and PBS.org.
• Nashville PBS Magazine
• Studio Rental Professional studio rental services for production needs at Nashville PBS facilities.
• Nashville PBS Video Streaming Platform Digital streaming platform at video.wnpt.org offering live TV, on-demand shows, and My List functionality across multiple devices.
• ALL ARTS Digital Channel 24/7 digital channel featuring world-class arts and culture programming, available free online and via connected TV apps, in partnership with WNET, NY.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaching nearly 2.4 million viewers throughout Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• WNET (New York)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership for 24/7 ALL ARTS digital channel launched in early 2025. WNET provides arts content for the channel available online.
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNashville PBS is an independent nonprofit organization and member of the PBS network. PBS is a private nonprofit corporation made up of 350 member stations serving all 50 states. Nashville PBS focuses on serving the Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky regions and provides PBS services customized to the local community.
• Tennessee Public Television CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTPTC is made up of six public broadcast television stations in Tennessee: Memphis (WKNO), Martin/Lexington/Jackson (WLJT), Nashville (WNPT), Cookeville (WCTE), Knoxville/Sneedville (East TN PBS), and Chattanooga (WTCI). Becky Magura serves as Chair of TPTC.
• R.H. BoydminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHistoric Nashville publishing company (family-operated since 1896) printing Nashville PBS bimonthly magazine. Partnership reflects commitment to local vendors and cultural relevance.
• Tennessee Department of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNashville PBS serves as liaison for Tennessee PBS At-Home Learning Collaborative in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education and all six Tennessee Public Television Stations.
• Tennessee Association of BroadcastersminorOthersState broadcast industry association membership
• National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA)minorOthersNational association for public television educational programming
• Association of America's Public Television Stations (APTS)minorOthersNational association representing public television stations

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• WTVF (NewsChannel 5 Nashville): Nashville's CBS affiliate and dominant local commercial broadcaster. Competes for the same Middle Tennessee advertising and audience pool as Nashville PBS but operates a commercial news-led model.

Direct peers

• WCTE (Cookeville PBS): Upper Cumberland Tennessee PBS member station and co-member of the Tennessee Public Television Council alongside Nashville PBS. Operates as a regional public broadcaster with similar funding mix (CPB, memberships, underwriting) and educational mission.
• WLJT (Lexington/Martin/Jackson PBS): West Tennessee PBS station covering the Lexington, Martin, and Jackson DMA as part of the same Tennessee Public Television Council. Closest structural peer with comparable size, channel lineup, and funding model.
• East Tennessee PBS (Knoxville/Sneedville): Knoxville-area PBS member station and Tennessee Public Television Council peer. Direct peer serving a different Tennessee region with comparable public broadcasting mission and revenue mix.
• WTCI (Chattanooga PBS): Southeast Tennessee PBS station and fellow TPTC member. Operates with similar four-channel digital strategy, educational programming, and community underwriting model.
• WKNO (Memphis PBS): West Tennessee PBS member station and fellow Tennessee Public Television Council member. Comparable public television operator with similar broadcast, digital, and educational programming model serving a different Tennessee region.

Broad incumbents

• WNET (New York): Major New York PBS station and active partner of Nashville PBS through the 2025 ALL ARTS digital channel partnership. Comparable public broadcasting operator with extensive original content production.
• WGBH (Boston PBS): One of the largest and most prolific PBS member stations nationally, producing content distributed across the entire PBS network including to Nashville PBS. Comparable in operating model but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• WETA (Washington DC PBS): Washington DC-area PBS station and a leading PBS content producer (including PBS NewsHour). Operates with comparable public broadcasting mission and content production model but serves a national capital region audience.

Others

• Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB): Federal funding entity for U.S. public broadcasting. Not a competitor but a critical upstream financial partner for Nashville PBS whose loss of $1.3M in CPB support is a key revenue pressure point.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/npt8
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@nashvillepbs
• Facebookfacebook.com/nashvillepublictelevision
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nasvhillepbs
• Instagraminstagram.com/nashvillepbs

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Nashville Public Television