Arkansas PBS

What Arkansas PBS does

Arkansas PBS (legal name: Arkansas TV) is a public broadcasting network serving the state of Arkansas, operating as the designated PBS member station since 1966. The organization distributes educational, informational, and entertainment programming through six FCC-licensed television stations (KETS covering Little Rock/Russellville/Forrest City/Yancy/Gaither, KEMV in Mountain View, KETG in Arkadelphia, KAFT in Fayetteville, KTEJ in Jonesboro, and KETZ in El Dorado), supplemented by digital streaming via the PBS App, a dedicated YouTube channel, an on-demand platform, and the Passport member-benefit subscription add-on. It serves two primary audiences: the general Arkansas public, which receives locally-produced civic, health, educational, and cultural content, and K-12 educators, who access professional development resources through the ArkansasIDEAS platform.

ArkansasIDEAS is an online learning management system offering 600+ professional development courses with 94,000+ registered users and 4.6MM+ credit hours awarded, operated in strategic partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education's Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to deliver curriculum-aligned content for Arkansas teachers. The platform includes LinkedIn Learning integration and offers micro-credentials as a distinct product module. Original local programming spans public affairs (Arkansas Week), sports (Arkansas TV Sports), career pathways (ARCAN), children's education (Mystery League), documentary (Passage, Living History, Unveiled), outdoor and conservation (Naturally Wild with Steve Wildman Wilson, Arkansas Wildlife Podcast), and culinary arts (Arkansas Taste Kitchen), with content partnerships involving UAMS, University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Revenue mechanics follow the standard public media model: recurring membership and viewer donations facilitated through the Arkansas PBS Foundation (myarkansaspbsfoundation.org), plus corporate programming sponsorships and underwriting. The Passport subscription provides a member-funded streaming add-on. The organization employs approximately 70 staff at its Conway, Arkansas headquarters and is state-affiliated public media rather than privately or venture-owned, operating under FCC regulatory oversight with no disclosed private equity, venture capital, or individual ownership.

Name

Arkansas PBS

Legal name

Arkansas TV

Website

https://myarkansaspbs.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Arkansas PBS (Arkansas TV) is a public broadcasting network serving Arkansas through six FCC-licensed TV stations, multi-platform digital streaming, and the ArkansasIDEAS K-12 educator professional development platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Broadcasting

NAICS

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

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH)

Keywords

• Public television broadcasting
• Educational programming
• Professional development
• Streaming content
• Children's educational content

Headquarters

HQ city

Conway

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

Revenue model

1. Membership and Donations: Public support from viewers through membership programs and donations, facilitated through the Arkansas PBS Foundation.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Programming sponsorships and underwritten content from corporate partners.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arkansas PBS is a public broadcasting network serving Arkansas through statewide broadcast television (6 FCC-licensed stations) and digital streaming platforms. It produces original local programming covering news, history, health, education, and culture, and operates the ArkansasIDEAS learning management system delivering 600+ professional development courses to K-12 educators in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education. The organization is supported by viewer memberships, donations, and corporate underwriting.

Product overview

Arkansas PBS operates as a multi-platform public broadcasting service offering television and digital content through a unified portfolio of products. The core viewing experience includes Live TV streaming, On Demand access, and the PBS App for cross-platform viewing, with Passport as a member add-on for extended content access. The original programming slate features locally-produced series including news (Arkansas Week), sports (Arkansas TV Sports), documentary (ARCAN, Passage, Living History), education (Mystery League), culinary arts (Arkansas Taste Kitchen), and wildlife/conservation content (Naturally Wild, Arkansas Wildlife Podcast). The educational division operates ArkansasIDEAS, a professional development platform providing 600+ courses and micro-credentials for K-12 educators in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education, with LinkedIn Learning integration for expanded course offerings. PBS KIDS programming extends reach to children's audiences. Together, these products serve Arkansas residents through broadcast television, streaming video, online learning, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ArkansasIDEAS: Arkansas's most utilized K-12 teacher professional development resource, offering online courses and training for educators in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education.

Products and services

• Arkansas TV Live TV Live streaming broadcast of Arkansas PBS programming including original local content and PBS national programming, available via over-the-air broadcast and digital streaming to Arkansas viewers.
• Arkansas TV On Demand On-demand video streaming platform for accessing Arkansas PBS original programming and selected PBS content on a flexible schedule.
• Arkansas PBS Passport Subscription-based streaming benefit offering extended access to PBS on-demand content, additional episodes, and bonus content for Arkansas PBS members, managed through the Arkansas PBS Foundation.
• ArkansasIDEAS Online professional development platform for K-12 Arkansas educators providing 600+ courses, video resources, and micro-credentials in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education and integrated with LinkedIn Learning.
• ArkansasIDEAS Micro-Credentials Digital credentials recognizing specific professional competencies and skills achieved by educators through ArkansasIDEAS coursework.
• PBS App Cross-platform streaming application for accessing PBS and Arkansas PBS content on iOS, Android, smart TVs, and web browsers with live TV, on-demand content, and PBS Kids programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94,000+ registered users on ArkansasIDEAS platform
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide online, statewide professional development resources and courses for K-12 Arkansas educators through the ArkansasIDEAS platform. The division co-develops curriculum-aligned professional development content.
• UAMS (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth programming partnership producing 'Arkansas Talks Health' programs featuring UAMS experts discussing health topics including Alzheimer's, dementia, and healthy aging.
• University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 'Arkansas Taste Kitchen' cooking program demonstrating affordable, healthy meal preparation, developed with culinary arts program expertise.
• Arkansas Game and Fish CommissionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildlife and conservation content partnership including 'Arkansas Wildlife Podcast' and 'Naturally Wild with Steve Wildman Wilson', featuring Commission representatives.
• LinkedIn LearningsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with LinkedIn Learning courses, available to ArkansasIDEAS registered users for expanded professional development content.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alabama Public Television (APT): Statewide public television network covering Alabama with educational programming and K-12 resources. Similar broadcast infrastructure scale and educational service orientation to Arkansas PBS.
• Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB): State public broadcasting network operating multiple transmitters across Mississippi with educational programming and K-12 educator resources. Closely mirrors Arkansas PBS's statewide public media + educator professional development model.
• Iowa PBS: Statewide public broadcasting network serving Iowa with broadcast transmitters, educational programming, and K-12 educator professional development resources similar in structure and scale to Arkansas PBS.
• Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB): State-affiliated PBS member station operating transmitters across Louisiana with educational content and teacher resources. Comparable in geographic scope, regulatory status, and educational mission to Arkansas PBS.
• Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA): State-affiliated PBS member station serving Oklahoma with a similar multi-transmitter broadcast footprint, locally produced programming, and educational outreach. Highly comparable in scale, mission, and operating model to Arkansas PBS.
• Tennessee Public Television (WLJT / TPT): Tennessee's statewide public television service operating transmitters across the state with educational programming. Comparable in single-state footprint, public broadcasting mission, and educator outreach.

Broad incumbents

• WGBH (Boston): One of the largest PBS member stations and a major national content producer (Frontline, NOVA, American Experience). Operates in the same public media category but at much larger scale with national program distribution.
• KQED (San Francisco): Large PBS and NPR member station in the Bay Area with significant digital and educational services. Comparable public media mission but much larger scale and budget than Arkansas PBS.
• WETA (Washington, DC): Major PBS member station serving the DC metro with nationally distributed programming (PBS NewsHour). Operates in the same public broadcasting space but with significantly larger audience and production scale.

Others

• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): The national network organization of which Arkansas PBS is a member station. Sets programming standards, distributes national content, and operates the PBS App; comparable as the parent ecosystem rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/arkansaspbs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/arkansaspbs
• Facebookfacebook.com/ArkansasPBS
• Instagraminstagram.com/arkansas_pbs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arkansaspbs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Arkansas PBS