Cascade Public Media

What Cascade Public Media does

Cascade Public Media is a Washington-state nonprofit public media organization founded in 1954 as KCTS in Seattle, operating today under the unified consumer brand Cascade PBS. It delivers national PBS programming (Masterpiece, NOVA, Ken Burns documentaries, PBS NewsHour, Frontline), original local TV series (Mossback's Northwest, The Nosh with Rachel Belle, Nick on the Rocks, Out and Back with Alison Mariella Désir, Black Arts Legacies, The Newsfeed), award-winning investigative journalism via the Crosscut newsroom, podcasts (Mossback, Your Last Meal, Northwest Reports, This Changes Everything), and live events anchored by the annual Ideas Festival, all served from a new First Hill headquarters that opened in March 2024.

The underlying technology stack comprises over-the-air broadcast infrastructure (KCTS 9 Seattle/Western Washington; KYVE 47 Yakima/Central Washington), a multi-platform streaming application (Cascade PBS App on Roku, mobile, and OTT) built with digital product agency Phase2 and including a dynamic recommendation engine, podcast distribution across major listening platforms, and content distribution through a partnership with Alaska Airlines for in-flight entertainment, alongside content management systems supporting both PBS-sourced and locally produced programming.

The business model is a community-supported nonprofit funding stack: recurring memberships and donations from 100,000+ members in the Western U.S. and Canada (with Cascade PBS Passport at a $5/month streaming tier as the marquee add-on), corporate sponsorship and underwriting, planned giving and legacy gifts, non-cash donations (vehicles, stock), events revenue, and historical federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — the latter of which was completely eliminated by congressional action in July 2025, removing $3.5 million of annual budget and triggering a September 2025 restructuring that cut 16 positions (12% of staff) and ended long-form written journalism in favor of expanded daily short-form video news.

Name

Cascade Public Media

Legal name

Cascade Public Media

Website

https://cascadepublicmedia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cascade Public Media is a Seattle-based nonprofit public media organization operating Cascade PBS, delivering PBS programming, original local series, investigative journalism (Crosscut), podcasts, and live events to 100,000+ members across the Pacific Northwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Television and Nonprofit Media

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG), 24/7 National & International News Channels (MPABAIAA)

Keywords

• Public television broadcasting
• Nonprofit media services
• Local journalism
• Video streaming
• Community engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

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: Community-supported model with more than 100,000 members in Western U.S. and Canada contributing annual donations and membership fees
2. Corporate Sponsorship and Underwriting: Corporate partners underwrite programming and events in exchange for recognition and branding
3. Government Grants (CPB): Federal funding from Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which was completely defunded in July 2025 resulting in $3.5 million annual budget loss
4. Streaming Subscriptions (Passport): $5/month membership giving access to extended streaming library of PBS content
5. Planned Giving and Legacy Donations: Legacy Circle planned giving program for long-term donor relationships
6. Vehicle and Stock Donations: Non-cash asset donations including vehicle donations and gifts of stock
7. Events: Revenue from events including Ideas Festival and community programming

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cascade Public Media operates Cascade PBS, a nonprofit public media platform that delivers PBS national programming, original local television series, investigative journalism, podcasts, and live community events to the Pacific Northwest. Content is distributed via over-the-air broadcast (KCTS 9, KYVE 47), the Cascade PBS streaming app, podcasts, and in-person events such as the Ideas Festival.

Product overview

Cascade Public Media operates Cascade PBS, a unified nonprofit public media platform serving the Pacific Northwest. The core platform combines PBS national programming (drama, documentaries, science, arts, news) with original local content including TV series (Mossback's Northwest, The Nosh, Out & Back, Nick on the Rocks, Black Arts Legacies), investigative journalism (Crosscut), podcasts (Mossback, Your Last Meal, Northwest Reports, This Changes Everything), live events (Ideas Festival), and streaming access via Cascade PBS Passport membership. Content is distributed across broadcast TV (KCTS 9/KYVE 47), streaming apps, podcasts, in-person events, and Alaska Airlines in-flight entertainment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KCTS 9: PBS member station providing national PBS programming and local content
• Crosscut
• Cascade PBS Passport
• Mossback's Northwest
• The Nosh with Rachel Belle
• Nick on the Rocks
• Out & Back with Alison Mariella Désir
• Black Arts Legacies
• The Newsfeed
• Ideas Festival
• KYVE 47

Products and services

• Cascade PBS (Unified Platform) Unified public media platform combining PBS national programming, original local TV series, independent investigative journalism, podcasts, and community events for the Pacific Northwest including Western and Central Washington and British Columbia.
• Cascade PBS Passport Membership-based streaming benefit at $5/month providing extended on-demand access to PBS favorites and a global catalog of TV series and films.
• Cascade PBS Streaming App Mobile and streaming application available on Roku and other streaming platforms, providing on-the-go streaming of PBS national programming and Cascade PBS local content.
• KCTS 9 Broadcast Station Over-the-air public television broadcasting to Seattle and Western Washington on channels 9 analog and digital, carrying PBS national programming and local Cascade PBS content.
• KYVE 47 Signal Secondary broadcast television signal serving Yakima and central Washington regions, carrying Cascade PBS programming.
• Crosscut Investigative Journalism Award-winning local investigative journalism covering politics, equity, climate, culture, and business in Washington State, integrated into Cascade PBS.
• Cascade PBS Ideas Festival Annual flagship live event featuring forums, discussions, film screenings, and conversations with journalists, storytellers, creators, and national leaders shaping Pacific Northwest culture.
• Cascade PBS Podcasts Collection of original podcast series including Mossback, Your Last Meal, Northwest Reports, This Changes Everything, Civic Cocktail, Crosscut Escapes, Black Arts Legacies, and Cascade PBS Ideas Festival.
• Mossback's Northwest Local historical/cultural documentary series exploring Pacific Northwest history, featuring host and writer Knute Berger, covering topics including Boeing, D.B. Cooper, Seattle's wartime history, and regional personalities.
• The Nosh with Rachel Belle Local food-focused series and podcast exploring gastronomic culture, recipes, and food-related stories from the Pacific Northwest.
• Out & Back with Alison Mariella D\u00e9sir Environmental justice and outdoor recreation series exploring the intersection of environment, community, and outdoor culture in the Northwest.
• Nick on the Rocks Science/geology series featuring Nick Zentner as narrator, exploring geological features and science topics of the Pacific Northwest.
• Black Arts Legacies Documentary/podcast series celebrating Black artists and cultural contributions in the Seattle/Pacific Northwest region.
• The Newsfeed Local news show providing current events coverage from multiple angles including immigration, labor issues, and local politics, hosted by Paris Jackson.
• Crosscut Now Short-form video news series produced by the Cascade PBS newsroom, airing on television and online, offering hourly updates from noon to midnight on KCTS 9.
• Wolf Land Documentary 71-minute original documentary following 'wolf-protecting cowboy' Daniel Curry working with rural landowners to find common ground on wolf conservation, debuted at Seattle International Film Festival.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alaska AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 4 April 2024Partnership to bring Pacific Northwest content onboard as in-flight entertainment. Expanding library of local programs available for streaming during flights including Mossback's Northwest, The Nosh with Rachel Belle, Out and Back with Alison Mariella Désir, documentaries like Priced Out and Asahel: The Curtis Collection, and Your Last Meal podcast.
• Seattle International Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCascade PBS debuted documentary Wolf Land as official selection at Seattle International Film Festival in May 2025. Film follows 'wolf-protecting cowboy' Daniel Curry working with rural landowners.
• Phase2coreTechnology or IntegrationDigital product agency that collaborated with KCTS 9 to develop the Roku streaming application, creating enhanced viewing experience with dynamic recommendation engine.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): National distributor and brand licensor for Cascade PBS's programming slate. Not a competitor, but the structural counterparty that supplies core content and shapes funding/distribution dynamics.
• WGBH / WGBX: Boston's flagship PBS station and a major national content producer (Frontline, NOVA, American Experience). Operates a much larger production/distribution footprint but shares the same PBS member-station business model and nonprofit mission.

Direct peers

• KQED: San Francisco Bay Area PBS/NPR member station operating a comparable nonprofit public media model with national PBS programming, local journalism, podcasts, and membership-driven funding. Most direct comparable given overlapping West Coast urban-market structure.
• Minnesota Public Radio / American Public Media: Large regional public-media organization combining radio, digital, and events under a member-supported nonprofit structure, comparable in mission and revenue mix (membership + underwriting + grants).
• WETA: Washington, D.C.-area PBS member station producing PBS NewsHour and local programming under a community-supported nonprofit model with comparable membership, underwriting, and digital streaming operations.
• WITF: Central Pennsylvania PBS/NPR member station with a similar mix of broadcast, local journalism, podcasts, and community events funded by memberships and underwriting.
• Detroit Public TV (DPTV): Mid-sized PBS member station operating KCTS-style broadcast plus local journalism and events under community-supported nonprofit funding; broadly comparable in scale and operating model.
• KPBS: San Diego PBS/NPR member station with a comparable mix of national PBS content, local journalism, podcasts, and membership-based funding serving a single regional market.
• OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting): Pacific Northwest public media organization operating TV/radio stations, original local journalism, and digital streaming under a community-supported nonprofit structure directly comparable to Cascade PBS.

Others

• NPR (National Public Radio): National public-media audio network and ecosystem peer. Not a direct competitor (Cascade is TV/digital-led), but shares the public-media funding environment, member-supported model, and political exposure to federal defunding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CascadePBS
• Facebookfacebook.com/CascadePBS
• Instagraminstagram.com/cascadepbs
• Xx.com/cascadepubmedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Cascade Public Media