WSIU

Public Broadcasting Serviceswsiu.org

WSIU Public Broadcasting is a member-supported non-profit NPR and PBS affiliate operated by Southern Illinois University Carbondale, delivering local news, radio, television, podcasts, and educational content to southern Illinois residents.

Company typePrivate
Founded1958
HeadquartersCarbondale, United States
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What WSIU does

WSIU Public Broadcasting is a member-supported, non-profit public media organization founded in 1958 and headquartered at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Carbondale, Illinois. The station is owned and operated by SIU Carbondale as a government/state-affiliated entity and serves as both an NPR member station and a PBS affiliate, broadcasting across radio (FM 91.9 HD1, classical and news formats), television (PBS, Create TV, World Channel, PBS KIDS 24/7), live streaming, podcasts, and mobile applications.

Its core products include WSIU TV Broadcasting with locally produced shows such as CapitolView, Illinois Backroads, Scholastic Hi-Q, and InFocus; WSIU Radio Broadcasting featuring NPR news programming, classical music, and jazz; WSIU Podcasts (including WSIU Newscasts, The 21st Show, and Reading Baseball); the SIRIS accessibility radio service; and the PBS LearningMedia educational platform. Add-on services include PBS Passport extended streaming (for $60+/year or $5+/month members) and the NPR+ Podcast Bundle.

WSIU's revenue model is fundamentally donation- and membership-driven, with supplemental streams from corporate underwriting, recurring subscription tiers (PBS Passport, NPR+), and vehicle/property donations processed through the SIU Foundation. The go-to-market motion is community-led: the station relies on listener/viewer support, pledge drives, and community events, acquiring content through its NPR and PBS affiliations and distributing via broadcast radio, television, streaming platforms, and a mobile app across the southern Illinois region.

WSIU firmographics

Firmographics

Name: WSIU
Legal name: WSIU Public Broadcasting
Website: https://wsiu.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1958
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: WSIU Public Broadcasting is a member-supported non-profit NPR and PBS affiliate operated by Southern Illinois University Carbondale, delivering local news, radio, television, podcasts, and educational content to southern Illinois residents.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

WSIU industry classification

Industry

Product category: Public Broadcasting Services
NAICS: Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)
SIC: Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)
akta.pro primary industry: University/College-licensed Public Broadcasting (TV & Radio) (MPABADAD)
akta.pro secondary industries: National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB), National Public Television Networks & Member Stations (PBS-style) (MPABADAA), Public Broadcasting Production Units & Studios (In-house/Member) (MPABADAF)

Keywords

Public broadcasting
Radio broadcasting
Television broadcasting
Community media
Educational programming

Where WSIU is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Carbondale
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

WSIU business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Member Donations: Direct listener/viewer donations and membership support, the primary revenue source for public broadcasting
Underwriting: Corporate sponsorships and underwriting messages from businesses
PBS Passport Subscription: Annual streaming access to extended PBS video content for members contributing $60+ annually or $5+ monthly
Vehicle and Property Donations: Vehicle donation program and real estate donation program for supporters

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Monthly	PBS Passport - Extended streaming access

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

WSIU product offering

Product offering

Core offering

WSIU is a member-supported public media organization that operates NPR member radio and PBS-affiliate television broadcasting services out of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It delivers local and national news, classical music, jazz, educational programming, and community content via FM radio, TV broadcast, podcasts, and digital streaming platforms, supported by listener/viewer donations, underwriting, and the PBS Passport member benefit.

Product overview

WSIU is a member-supported public media organization affiliated with Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The organization operates as a unified multi-platform broadcasting operation offering TV and radio broadcasting services alongside digital products. The core offerings include WSIU TV Broadcasting (PBS programming with local shows), WSIU Radio Broadcasting (NPR news and classical music on FM 91.9), and WSIU Podcasts. Premium add-on services include PBS Passport for extended video streaming and NPR+ Podcast Bundle. Community-focused services include the Community Calendar, SIRIS accessibility services, PBS LearningMedia educational resources, and the WSIU Mobile App for cross-platform access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

WSIU TV Broadcasting Television broadcasting service offering PBS programming, Create TV, World Channel, and PBS KIDS 24/7, including local shows such as CapitolView, Illinois Backroads, Scholastic Hi-Q, InFocus, and Exploring the Heartland, targeted at southern Illinois viewers.
WSIU Radio Broadcasting Radio broadcasting service airing NPR news programs, classical music, jazz, and local news updates on FM 91.9 HD1, available to listeners in the southern Illinois region.
WSIU Podcasts Audio podcast content including WSIU Newscasts, WSIU InFocus Radio News, The 21st Show, Reading Baseball, Simoncast, Radio Players Presents, In The Author's Voice, Inside the Blanket Fort, and WSIU Almanac.
WSIU Local News Coverage In-depth local and regional news coverage including Illinois news, SIU news, politics, health, arts, business, sports, and science & technology reporting for southern Illinois audiences.
PBS Passport Member-benefit video streaming service providing extended access to PBS video content, available with annual membership ($60+ one-time or $5+ monthly).
SIRIS (Southern Illinois Radio Information Service) Radio reading service for individuals with print disabilities, providing audio access to reading materials and information across the southern Illinois region.
PBS LearningMedia Educational resource platform for parents and educators featuring curriculum-aligned content from PBS, distributed in partnership with WSIU.
Community Calendar Online calendar of community events in southern Illinois including arts, classes, fairs, festivals, fundraisers, kids and family activities, and nature events.

Companies that use WSIU

Customer profile

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

WSIU technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

WSIU partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

NPR (National Public Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSIU is an NPR member station, carrying NPR news programming including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and national news coverage.
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSIU carries PBS television programming including Create TV, World Channel, and PBS KIDS 24/7. Provides PBS Passport streaming access to members.
Southern Illinois University (SIU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSIU is operated by Southern Illinois University Carbondale as part of the university's community service and educational mission.
Illinois Arts Council AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides funding and support for arts and cultural programming on WSIU.
Collette (Travel Partner)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWSIU TV partners with Collette travel for travel programming and content featuring destinations like Tuscany tours.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

WSIU competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

WTTW (Chicago): Major PBS member station serving Chicago and the broader Illinois market. Comparable PBS affiliate with similar programming and underwriting model, but operates at materially larger scale.
WILL (Illinois Public Media): University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's public broadcasting station carrying NPR and PBS programming. Highly comparable as a Big Ten university-licensed NPR/PBS affiliate operating TV, radio, and digital services in Illinois.
WEIU (WEIU-TV / Eastern Illinois University Public Media): Eastern Illinois University-licensed PBS affiliate serving east-central Illinois. Closely comparable to WSIU as another small Illinois university-licensed public television station.
WBEZ (Chicago Public Media): Chicago-based NPR member station producing flagship content like 'The 21st Show' (a show WSIU also carries). Closely comparable NPR affiliate serving an Illinois market with news, talk, and digital distribution.
WUSI Public Broadcasting: Sister SIU System public broadcasting station licensed to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (formerly an SIU Carbondale property). Effectively a direct operating peer within the same university system.
WVUT (Vincennes University): Vincennes University-licensed PBS affiliate serving southwestern Indiana. Comparable small, university-licensed PBS station in the broader rural Midwest public-media ecosystem.
WTVP (Peoria Public Media): Community-licensed PBS station serving central Illinois. Comparable PBS affiliate operating radio/TV/digital services in Illinois with similar member-donation and underwriting revenue model.

Broad incumbents

PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): National PBS network that supplies WSIU's core television programming. Sets programming, distribution standards, and Passport framework that directly drive WSIU's TV business.
NPR (National Public Radio): National NPR network that supplies WSIU's core radio programming. Network affiliation defines much of WSIU's radio schedule and audience proposition.

Regional players

WGCU (Florida Gulf Coast University Public Media): University-licensed NPR/PBS affiliate in southwest Florida. Comparable university-affiliated public-media operation with similar multi-platform model, but serving a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

WSIU financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

WSIU leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

WSIU funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

WSIU M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WSIU

What does WSIU do?

Is WSIU a public or private company?

WSIU is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was WSIU founded?

WSIU was founded in 1958. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is WSIU based?

WSIU is headquartered in Carbondale, United States, in the North America region.

How does WSIU make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Member Donations are the primary driver. The others are underwriting, PBS Passport Subscription and vehicle and Property Donations.

Who are WSIU's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are WTTW (Chicago), WILL (Illinois Public Media), WEIU (WEIU-TV / Eastern Illinois University Public Media), WBEZ (Chicago Public Media), WUSI Public Broadcasting, WVUT (Vincennes University) and WTVP (Peoria Public Media). Broad incumbents are PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) and NPR (National Public Radio). WGCU (Florida Gulf Coast University Public Media) is listed as a regional player.

Does WSIU have an API?

No public API is recorded for WSIU.

What industry is WSIU in?

WSIU's product category is Public Broadcasting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABADAD, University/College-licensed Public Broadcasting (TV & Radio), with a secondary code of MPABADAB, National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style). Its NAICS code is 5161 and its SIC code is 4832.