Idaho Public Television

What Idaho Public Television does

Idaho Public Television is the statewide PBS member station serving Idaho, incorporated as the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Friends of Idaho Public Television, Inc. and headquartered in Boise. Originating as KUID at the University of Idaho on September 6, 1965, the station now broadcasts across five digital channels that reach nearly 100% of Idaho households plus surrounding communities, and runs education specialists physically based in all 44 Idaho counties. The audience served is horizontal: PreK-12 Idaho families, K-12 educators (delivered through free professional development and PBS LearningMedia), the Idaho Legislature (via Idaho in Session coverage), and general Idahoans interested in state politics, outdoor recreation, history, and culture (Idaho Reports, Outdoor Idaho, Idaho Experience, Idaho Science Journal, Dialogue).

Content and technology. The product surface is a hybrid of local flagship productions (Idaho Reports, Outdoor Idaho, Idaho Experience, Idaho in Session, Idaho Science Journal, Science Trek, Dialogue, Idaho Jobs Explained), PBS national programming, the American Graduate workforce initiative, the KNOW VAPE anti-vaping campaign, Youth Vote Idaho civic education, and PBS KIDS via a dedicated children's livestream. Distribution spans three layers: linear broadcast television on five digital channels; live streaming through IdahoPTV Livestream and the PBS App; and on-demand streaming via the IdahoPTV Passport membership tier ($5/month or $60/year) and the public video.idahoptv.org library. The underlying technology stack is conventional public-broadcast architecture — PBS App/Passport/LearningMedia integrations, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Constant Contact, Wufoo, SecureAllegiance (PCI-compliant donations), Google Analytics, and Double the Donation — with no disclosed proprietary ML/AI components.

Business model. Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit stack: recurring individual donations via GEM ($5+/month) and Passport; annual major gifts through the Leadership Circle ($1,000+/year); corporate sponsorship of local productions; foundation grants from private, family, and corporate foundations (Albertsons-Safeway, Micron Foundation, J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, Idaho Power Foundation, The Simplot Company Foundation); federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; and an endowment that has disbursed in aggregate over $5.7 million since establishment. Donor tax treatment is a structural feature: contributions qualify for the Idaho Education Tax Credit (up to 50% or $1,000 for married couples, $500 for individuals) on gifts of $2,000 or more. Operational credibility is supported by a 4-star Charity Navigator rating and a Candid Platinum Transparency Seal, plus PCI DSS and COPPA compliance.

Name

Idaho Public Television

Legal name

Friends of Idaho Public Television, Inc.

Website

https://idahoptv.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Idaho Public Television is a statewide PBS member station providing educational programming and Idaho-focused local productions across five digital broadcast channels, PBS app streaming, and an on-the-ground education-specialist presence in all 44 Idaho counties, serving families, educators, and the general Idaho audience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Public/Nonprofit Children’s Educational Broadcasters (MPABAKAF), Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH)

Keywords

• Public television broadcasting
• Educational programming
• PBS member station
• Digital streaming media
• Community education outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Boise

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Membership: Tax-deductible contributions from individual donors including monthly GEM program, annual gifts, and major gifts through Leadership Circle ($1,000+). Donors receive benefits including Channels magazine, IdahoPTV Insider, and Passport access.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: On-air and online acknowledgment messages for corporate partners investing in local productions such as Outdoor Idaho, Idaho Experience, Science Trek, and Idaho Reports.
3. Foundation Grants: Grants from private, family, and corporate foundations supporting mission-based projects in early childhood education, literacy, STEAM, workforce development, Idaho history, and conservation.
4. Government Funding (CPB): Funding from Corporation for Public Broadcasting supporting public television operations and programming.
5. Planned Giving and Endowment: Bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities, IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, and endowment fund contributions supporting long-term sustainability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Idaho Public Television is a statewide PBS member public broadcasting station that produces and broadcasts local educational and informational programming, streams content across five digital channels, and delivers free educational resources and community outreach to families, educators, and civic audiences across Idaho. Its core output includes locally produced programs (e.g., Outdoor Idaho, Idaho Reports, Idaho Experience), children's content via PBS KIDS, live and on-demand streaming, and statewide community engagement initiatives such as professional development for educators and anti-vaping awareness.

Product overview

Idaho Public Television is a statewide public broadcasting network operating as a member station of PBS. The platform operates as a multi-channel broadcast and streaming network offering a unified portfolio of local productions (Idaho Reports, Outdoor Idaho, Idaho Experience, Idaho Science Journal, Idaho Jobs Explained, Idaho in Session, Dialogue, Science Trek), children's programming via PBS KIDS, and the Walter Presents international drama franchise. Access to content is provided through multiple channels: traditional broadcast TV, live streaming (IdahoPTV Livestream, PBS KIDS Livestream), on-demand streaming (Watch On Demand, IdahoPTV Passport), and the PBS App. Community engagement is supported through education services (PBS LearningMedia, professional development), health campaigns (KNOW VAPE), workforce development (American Graduate: Jobs Explained), civic education (Youth Vote Idaho), and the Iconic Idaho photo contest. Revenue is generated through viewer donations, corporate sponsorship, and foundation grants, with support infrastructure including donor management systems and the GEM monthly giving program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• American Graduate: Jobs Explained: Workforce development initiative exploring career pathways for youth, led by The WNET Group with CPB support
• KNOW VAPE
• IdahoPTV Education
• IdahoPTV Passport

Products and services

• IdahoPTV Passport

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches nearly 100% of Idaho households across five digital channels
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Fred Rogers ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company behind children's programming including Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, supporting early childhood education content.
• GBH Educational FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational foundation supporting development of educational content and resources for public media.
• Idaho State Board of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency overseeing education in Idaho, partner for American Graduate initiative and workforce development content.
• Idaho Workforce Development CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState council supporting workforce development, partner for American Graduate: Jobs Explained career exploration content.
• Idaho State Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState education agency, partner for Journey to Education production and education resources.
• Idaho's Health DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic health agencies in Idaho, partners for KNOW VAPE campaign addressing youth vaping crisis.
• University of IdahomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState land-grant university, partner for educational content and professional development.
• Boise State School of Public ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity department focused on public service education and research collaboration.
• Idaho STEM Action CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency coordinating STEM education initiatives, partner for Science Trek and STEM programming.
• Idaho National LaboratorymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal research laboratory in Idaho, partner for science and technology content.
• WNET GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic media company leading American Graduate initiative with CPB support, partner for Jobs Explained content.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WETA Public Broadcasting: Large PBS member station in the Washington DC area producing flagship PBS programs (e.g., PBS NewsHour). Comparable in PBS nonprofit structure but operates at materially larger scale and in a national content role rather than a single-state local broadcaster.
• KQED: Major PBS/NPR member station serving the San Francisco Bay Area with extensive local news and original productions. Comparable nonprofit public broadcaster but operates at much larger scale and in a media-rich urban market.
• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): National parent network providing programming, distribution (PBS app, Passport), and brand to which IdahoPTV is a member station. Comparable as the broader ecosystem operator but operates at national scale across 330+ member stations.

Direct peers

• Oregon Public Broadcasting: PBS member station serving Oregon with broadcast, digital news, and education programming. Closely comparable in scale, public broadcasting nonprofit structure, and mission mix to IdahoPTV.
• WyomingPBS: Statewide PBS member station serving Wyoming with educational programming, local productions, and rural outreach - a near-twin in scale, mission, and funding mix to IdahoPTV.
• MontanaPBS: University-licensed PBS station serving Montana with a similar rural-focused, education-and-public-affairs mission and comparable statewide broadcast footprint to IdahoPTV.
• Nebraska Public Media: University and state-licensed PBS/NPR member serving Nebraska with education, local productions, and statewide broadcast infrastructure. Strong structural parallel to IdahoPTV in rural statewide focus and nonprofit public broadcasting model.
• KBTC Public Television: PBS station in Washington state providing broadcast television, education services, and local productions - directly comparable in nonprofit public broadcasting model and PBS member station operations.

Regional players

• Nevada Public Radio: Public broadcasting licensee serving Nevada with journalism and cultural programming. Comparable as a state-level public media nonprofit but operates in radio rather than television, with different distribution economics.

Others

• Corporation for Public Broadcasting: Federal funding entity that channels appropriations to IdahoPTV and other local public media stations. Not a competitor but a critical upstream funder and policy stakeholder in the same industry.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/outdooridaho
• Facebookfacebook.com/idahoptv
• Instagraminstagram.com/outdooridahoptv

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Idaho Public Television