Woub Public Media

What Woub Public Media does

WOUB Public Media is a public broadcasting station founded in 1957 and operated by Ohio University's College of Arts and Sciences in Athens, Ohio. It serves communities across southeastern Ohio through a multi-platform distribution footprint that includes two PBS-affiliated television stations (WOUB-TV and WOUC-TV), one AM radio station (WOUB 1340 AM), and five FM radio stations (WOUB-FM, WOUC-FM, WOUH-FM, WOUL-FM, WOUZ-FM), plus online streaming via the WOUB On Demand platform and active social channels on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, and RSS. The organization produces and distributes local news, sports coverage, cultural programming, educational content, and public affairs coverage for the Appalachian region, with specific editorial properties including The Housing Squeeze (investigative series), Gridiron Glory (high school football), Foothill Features (regional cultural programming), and The Learning Lab (educational resources). It is an affiliate member of the NPR Network and PBS, and participates in the Statehouse News Bureau consortium for state government coverage; Report for America provides partial funding for community journalism positions.

Name

Woub Public Media

Legal name

WOUB Public Media

Website

https://woub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WOUB Public Media is a public broadcasting station operated by Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, serving southeastern Ohio through TV, radio, and digital platforms with local news, sports, cultural, and educational programming since 1957.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), 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

National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB), Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles) (MPAIAEAL), Public Broadcasting Content Distribution & Interconnection (Sat/IP feeds) (MPABADAI)

Keywords

• Public broadcasting services
• Local news coverage
• Community radio stations
• Educational programming content
• Television broadcasting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WOUB Public Media operates multiple television stations (WOUB-TV, WOUC-TV) and radio stations (WOUB-AM 1340, WOUB-FM, WOUC-FM, WOUH-FM, WOUL-FM, WOUZ-FM) that broadcast local news, sports, cultural programming, and educational content to southeastern Ohio audiences. The organization also distributes content via its WOUB On Demand streaming platform, podcasts, and dedicated content series including Radio Free Athens, The Learning Lab, Gridiron Glory, Foothill Features, and The Housing Squeeze. Operating as an NPR and PBS affiliate, WOUB is funded through donations, memberships, corporate underwriting, and Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) grants rather than commercial advertising.

Product overview

WOUB Public Media is a public broadcasting station affiliated with Ohio University, operating as a multi-platform media organization offering television (WOUB-TV, WOUC-TV), radio (WOUB-AM, WOUB-FM, WOUC-FM, WOUH-FM, WOUL-FM, WOUZ-FM), and digital content. The organization provides local news, sports, and cultural programming alongside PBS and NPR content. Key products include WOUB On Demand for streaming video, Radio Free Athens community radio, The Learning Lab educational services, Gridiron Glory sports coverage, and Foothill Features cultural programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Learning Lab: Educational programming and learning resources
• Gridiron Glory
• Foothill Features
• The Housing Squeeze

Products and services

• WOUB-TV Primary television station broadcast channel offering local news, sports, culture coverage and PBS programming to audiences in southeastern Ohio.
• WOUC-TV Television station broadcast channel serving the southeastern Ohio region with news and entertainment content.
• WOUB On Demand Streaming platform providing on-demand access to television content, series, and documentaries for online audiences.
• WOUB Radio Network (AM/FM) Multi-station radio broadcast network (WOUB-AM, WOUB-FM, WOUC-FM, WOUH-FM, WOUL-FM, WOUZ-FM) covering multiple frequencies and regions across southeastern Ohio with NPR programming and local content including Radio Free Athens community programming.
• Radio Free Athens (RFA) Community radio program broadcast on WOUB 1340 AM featuring music and interview content from volunteer hosts and Ohio University students.
• The Learning Lab Educational programming and resources provided by WOUB for community learning, serving learners of all ages with educational content.
• Gridiron Glory High school football coverage program featuring regional sports content and dedicated coverage of high school athletics in southeastern Ohio.
• Foothill Features Local cultural programming covering stories from the foothills region of southeastern Ohio, highlighting regional culture and community stories.
• The Housing Squeeze Investigative news series examining housing affordability issues in southeastern Ohio, providing in-depth journalism on critical local issues.
• WOUB Public Media Podcasts Podcast content including Modern Science, Radio Free Athens, and Conversations from Studio B available via RSS feed for on-demand audio listening.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NPR NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationWOUB is an affiliate member of the NPR Network, receiving national news programming, podcasts, and journalism resources distributed through NPR's network infrastructure.
• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service)coreTechnology or IntegrationWOUB operates PBS-affiliated TV stations (WOUB-TV, WOUC-TV), broadcasting national public television programming including documentaries, drama series, and educational content.
• Ohio UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOUB is operated by Ohio University's College of Arts and Sciences. The university provides operational support, facilities at the Athens campus, student workers, and academic integration through journalism and broadcasting programs.
• Statehouse News BureauminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWOUB participates in the Statehouse News Bureau, a consortium of Ohio news organizations that share coverage of state government and legislative proceedings from Columbus.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• NPR: National public radio network that WOUB is affiliated with. Comparable as a public-media content distributor, but operates at national scale while WOUB is a regional affiliate; also a key upstream programming partner.
• KQED: One of the largest NPR/PBS affiliate organizations in the U.S., serving the San Francisco Bay Area with TV, radio, and digital properties. Comparable in NPR/PBS dual-affiliation and multi-platform strategy, but operates at a significantly larger scale and in a major metro market.
• WGBH: Major Boston-area public broadcaster (NPR/PBS affiliate) and national content producer. Comparable NPR/PBS dual-affiliation and educational-programming focus, but operates as a national content producer rather than a regional station network.

Direct peers

• NET (Nebraska Public Media): Statewide Nebraska PBS/NPR public broadcasting network operating TV and radio stations. Comparable as a multi-station public broadcaster with similar CPB funding reliance, university/educational roots, and rural-market focus.
• WOSU Public Media: Ohio State University-operated public media station also affiliated with NPR and PBS, serving central Ohio. Directly comparable as a university-operated, dual TV/radio public broadcaster within the same state and funding ecosystem (CPB, memberships, underwriting).
• ideastream Public Media: NPR and PBS affiliate serving Northeast Ohio (Cleveland/Akron) with WVIZ-TV and WCPN/WKSU radio. Comparable multi-platform public broadcaster operating in a different Ohio region with similar NPR/PBS dual-affiliation and funding structure.
• WFPL News Louisville: Louisville Public Media's NPR-affiliated news station with a comparable local-news-driven mission, member-supported funding model, and multi-platform (radio + digital) distribution approach serving a regional audience.
• WESA (Pittsburgh's NPR Station): NPR member station serving the Pittsburgh region with comparable public-radio programming, local news focus, and member-donation revenue model. Directly comparable operating model in a mid-sized adjacent Rust Belt/Appalachian market.

Others

• Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB): Federal nonprofit that funds WOUB and all U.S. public media stations. Not a competitor but a critical upstream enabler of WOUB's revenue model and a key ecosystem participant whose funding decisions directly affect WOUB's operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/woub
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@woubpbs
• Facebookfacebook.com/WOUBPublicMedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/woub-public-media

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Woub Public Media