PBS39

What PBS39 does

PBS39 operates as a community-owned nonprofit public broadcasting organization serving the Greater Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1967 and operating under the corporate entity WLVT Lehigh Valley Telecommunications Corporation, Inc., the organization runs a multi-platform media portfolio that includes a PBS-affiliated television station (WLVT-TV), an NPR news radio station (91.3 WLVR), and the digital news platform LehighValleyNews.com. It is headquartered at the Univest Public Media Center on the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem, PA, and serves the Eastern Pennsylvania and Western New Jersey region with roughly 101–250 employees.

The product portfolio centers on broadcast television and radio infrastructure paired with multi-platform streaming distribution. Linear broadcast channels deliver PBS national programming — including MASTERPIECE, NOVA, Ken Burns documentaries, and PBS Kids — alongside locally produced content. PBS39 Passport, a membership-based on-demand streaming benefit, extends content access via the PBS app across Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, iOS, and Android, plus web browsers. The organization also operates educational initiatives (Scholastic Scrimmage, Production U, Storytime, Summer Series, Arte y Español), event programming (First Fridays, Good Neighbors awards), and production studio rental services at its SteelStacks facility.

PBS39's revenue model is donation- and membership-driven rather than commercial. Recurring memberships start at $5/month for PBS39 Passport access; sustaining tiers range from $10 to $100/month, and Leadership Society starts at $100/month or $1,000/year. One-time gifts are accepted from $75 to $1,000+. Additional revenue comes from underwriting and corporate sponsorships (with donors giving $5,000 or more annually publicly disclosed) and grants. The organization has publicly noted that federal funding for local public media has been eliminated, materially shifting reliance toward individual donors and corporate underwriters. Customer segments are horizontal and geographic: general public viewers, families/educators, and news consumers within the regional service area.

Name

PBS39

Legal name

WLVT Lehigh Valley Telecommunications Corporation, Inc.

Website

https://wlvt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

PBS39 (Lehigh Valley Public Media) is a community-owned nonprofit broadcaster operating PBS television (WLVT-TV), NPR radio (91.3 WLVR), and digital local news (LehighValleyNews.com) for viewers, families, and news consumers across the Greater Lehigh Valley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Broadcasting Services

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public/Nonprofit Radio Networks (NPR-style) (MPABABAB), Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH), Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

Keywords

• Public television broadcasting
• Community news media
• Educational programming
• NPR radio station
• Nonprofit media services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethlehem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership and Donations: Primary revenue stream from community members who pay annual dues or make one-time donations. Members receive PBS39 Passport access as a benefit. The organization emphasizes that federal funding cuts make community donations vital for operations.
2. Underwriting and Sponsorships: Accepts gifts, grants, and sponsorships from individuals and organizations. Corporate underwriters appear on digital platforms and broadcasts but have no control over content, in compliance with FCC guidelines. Donors giving $5,000 or more per year are publicly disclosed.
3. Federal and Foundation Grants: Government and foundation funding supports operations. The website notes that federal funding for local public media organizations has been eliminated, making other revenue sources more critical.
4. Membership Applications and Transactions: Revenue generated from membership applications requiring disclosure of contact and payment information. Credit card processing for membership dues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PBS39 operates public television broadcasting (WLVT-TV), public radio (91.3 WLVR), and a digital local news platform (LehighValleyNews.com) serving the Greater Lehigh Valley. The organization distributes PBS national programming, produces local shows, offers educational content, and provides a membership-based on-demand streaming benefit called PBS39 Passport.

Product overview

PBS39 is the public television station of Lehigh Valley Public Media (LVPM), a community-owned nonprofit media organization operating a multi-platform portfolio. The core offerings include PBS39/WLVT television broadcasting with local and national PBS content, PBS39 Passport (a membership-based on-demand streaming benefit), live TV streaming via the PBS39 Video App and PBS.org platform, and the PBS Kids educational programming block. LVPM also operates 91.3 WLVR (NPR news radio) and LehighValleyNews.com (nonprofit digital news), alongside educational programs (Scholastic Scrimmage, Storytime, Arte y Español, Production U), studio rentals, and events. The Ken Burns documentary collection represents premium content available through Passport membership. The organization is headquartered at the Univest Public Media Center on the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem, PA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PBS39 Passport: Membership benefit providing extended on-demand access to PBS programming including Masterpiece catalog, Ken Burns documentaries, and local productions
• 91.3 WLVR
• LehighValleyNews.com

Products and services

• PBS39/WLVT Television Broadcasting Over-the-air public television broadcasting service providing local shows, PBS national programming, and children's educational content to viewers in the Greater Lehigh Valley region.
• 91.3 WLVR Public Radio All-day NPR news radio station serving the Lehigh Valley, providing national and local news, public affairs programming, and community journalism content.
• LehighValleyNews.com Digital News

Quantifiable outcome

• Community media coverage across television, radio, and digital news platforms serving the Greater Lehigh Valley

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

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• KQED: KQED is the PBS and NPR member station for the San Francisco Bay Area, operating public television, public radio, and a major digital newsroom (KQED News). Closely comparable as a multi-platform, donation-driven public broadcaster with a strong local journalism focus.
• Vermont Public: Vermont Public operates PBS and NPR services for Vermont with broadcast, radio, and digital news properties. Comparable as a regional public broadcaster combining television, radio, and digital journalism under a single nonprofit entity with member-supported funding.
• KCET: KCET is the PBS member station serving Southern California (Los Angeles), operating broadcast television and a robust digital platform. Comparable as a regional PBS affiliate with community programming and donor-supported operations.
• WETA: WETA is the PBS member station serving the Washington, D.C. area, producing nationally distributed programming (PBS NewsHour) while operating local broadcast and digital properties. Comparable as a PBS affiliate with both local service and national production scale.
• WHYY: WHYY is the PBS and NPR member station serving the Philadelphia region, making it the closest geographic and operational peer to PBS39. It operates the same three-platform model (public television, NPR radio, and digital news via WHYY.org) with a comparable community nonprofit fundraising approach.
• WTTW: WTTW is the PBS member station serving Chicago, with multiple channels and an affiliated NPR station (WBEZ Chicago is now merged). Comparable as a metropolitan-area PBS broadcaster with educational programming and a membership-driven funding model.
• Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB): OPB operates public television, public radio, and digital news across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Closely mirrors PBS39's three-platform model (TV, radio, digital news) with a community-funded nonprofit operating structure.
• WGBH: WGBH is the PBS and NPR member station in Boston and one of the largest producers of public broadcasting content nationally (Frontline, NOVA, American Experience). Highly comparable multi-platform nonprofit broadcaster with deep community and educational programming ties.
• Houston Public Media (KUHT): Houston Public Media operates KUHT (PBS) and KUHF (NPR) for the Houston market as a university-licensed public broadcaster. Comparable as a multi-platform public broadcasting organization with educational programming emphasis.
• WNET: WNET is a major PBS member station serving the New York metro area, operating multiple public television channels and digital properties. It is a directly comparable PBS member station with national content production capabilities and a multi-platform nonprofit model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PBS39
• Facebookfacebook.com/PBS39Channel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pbs-39-wlvt-tv
• Instagraminstagram.com/pbs39channel
• Xx.com/PBS39Channel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 PBS39