“What I love about our partnership with KBTC is that we are aligned In our missions and goals. KBTC’s 2016 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE programming is unique like Lakewold REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY Gardens and working together is a win- win for Lakewold Gardens, KBTC and the community.” Stephanie Walsh, Executive Director Lakewold Gardens

KBTC Public Television is an active member of the community – spreading awareness, celebrating diversity and illuminating the paths of social discourse and growth. We seek to engage viewers as citizens.

LOCAL 2016 KEY LOCAL VALUE SERVICES IMPACT

KBTC reaches 1.8 KBTC is committed to KBTC convened million TV Households. serving South Puget Community events We are the only Sound and Western including screenings and broadcaster in Pierce Washington by providing discussions of topics in County. high quality content that addition to educational

we acquire and produce programs for underserved Our Community about our community that youth focused on engagement activities engages, inspires, and increasing math and reach over 5 thousand educates; literacy skills. families. Our partnership

activities provide By convening gatherings Partnered with community opportunities to explore, to explore and discuss groups and provided learn and play in issues of importance to activities for children and settings some children the community we serve – families including PBS may not have a chance we go where they are; Play dates, Spring & to visit. Summer Camps, & Family

Through Ready to Learn Nights. Northwest Now, our partnerships with weekly public affairs community organizations Our local flagship program produces more whose purpose is to program Northwest Now than 30 on-air and online ensure young learners get continued examining programs yearly. They a good start in life and are issues and concerns of take place in the studio prepared for school. vital importance to our and the community! community!

2016 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT IN THE COMMUNITY

KBTC is the South Sound’s Public Broadcasting Station. Operating out of Tacoma, Washington, KBTC is the only television broadcaster in Pierce County with programming services that reach throughout western Washington.

We are committed to telling local stories that aren’t being told anywhere else, serving underserved and diverse audiences, and connecting viewers with the people and ideas that shape our community. KBTC is available to 1.8 million TV households and 4.3 million viewers in western Washington, British Columbia and Oregon.

Our 2016 accomplishments represent unique partnerships with educational institutions, local non- profits and social service organizations, content producers, viewers, and members.

PROGRAMMING

KBTC is the only fully digital, high definition broadcasting production facility in western Washington south of King County (Seattle). At KBTC we believe that western Washington viewers deserve a choice. Our digital broadcast service includes four programming streams:

KBTC-1 (HD) is our primary, high definition service which includes a variety of PBS, APT, NETA, Executive Programming, Acorn, and BBC favorites as well as KBTC documentaries, specials, and series such as Northwest Now.

KBTC- 2 (HD) provides viewers with access to NHK World, an all English language public media television channel filled with international news, business, technology and science information; and lifestyles, culture and travel programs produced and presented from Japanese and Asian perspectives.

KBTC- 3 (SD) provides news, public affairs, and entertainment from around the world, including Al Jazeera English, Beijing TV, Deutsche Welle, euroNews, France 24, SABC News International, to name but a few. The channel also includes independent producers and original MHz Network productions. MHz Worldview on KBTC-3 serves as a liaison in bringing programs and understanding from around the world to western Washington audiences.

KBTC- 4 (SD) is one of our partnerships. TVW covers state government and politics and is available on the web and Comcast Cable. That leaves a large number of viewers without access. KBTC broadcasts the 24/7 TVW programming to serve these viewers.

2016 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT IN THE COMMUNITY

KBTC Public Television is committed to telling local stories that are not being told anywhere else, serving underserved and diverse audiences, and connecting viewers with the people and ideas that shape our community.

We believe in telling meaningful stories that have the power to educate and inspire others to become more active, engaged members of their communities.

Viewers can count on interesting guests, provocative topics, great storytelling, since 2012, Tom Layson has served as KBTC’s Producer and host of Northwest Now, our weekly Friday night public affairs program.

Tom and his guests go beyond headlines to provide context to issues of interest and concern to the citizens of western Washington, and provide access to national and local civic leaders and newsmakers. The show also covers arts & culture and is based in the field as well as the studio.

HIGHLIGHTS

This season included interviews with candidates for public office and analysis of the results on election night. Tom can be counted on to deeply probe topics that are current, such as minimum wage, immigration policies, police officer safety, the achievement gap, local economic development plans for the Tacoma and Pierce County and controversial topics such as the building of a LNG plant in Tacoma.

Northwest Now programs are streamed on demand on kbtc.org. In addition to the program itself, additional conversations and online only content are available.

A special KBTC documentary broadcast this year, Of Race and Reconciliation chronicles the Chinese experience in America around the year 1885. That was the year the Chinese residents of Tacoma were forcefully expelled from the city against the backdrop of increasingly alarming and even violent tensions between American citizens caught in an economic downturn and Chinese immigrants seeking opportunity in “Gum San,” or the Land of the Golden Mountains they had heard about in America. 2016 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT STORIES OF IMPACT

Celebrating Diversity!

KBTC celebrates culture and diversity. Working in partnership with the University of Washington – Tacoma we bring diverse groups together to learn about the lives, stories and challenges of people from different backgrounds. We use films as a springboard to broader discussions. These events are offered during national Heritage month celebrations.

Keep Learning!

Spring and Summer camps are offered in two Tacoma Public Schools and Metro Parks. Working together with educators, parents, families and children, these camps invite children to keep learning during school breaks. PBS KIDS programs are used throughout the day along with activities from our education partners.

Let’s Play!

KBTC partners with the Children's Museum of Tacoma to bring a hands-on activity for early learners each month. Each session features a different PBS KIDS show, and includes science experiments, letter scavenger hunts, and more. The events are free as part of the museum's pay- as-you-go admission.

2016 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT STORIES OF IMPACT

Ready to Learn Tacoma!

KBTC received a Ready to Learn grant from PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to bring PBS KIDS transmedia content to children in the Hilltop and Salishan neighborhoods of Tacoma.

More than 5,000 families were reached through community events and educational programs.

We work to provide wrap-around services for children 2-8 years of age and their families with a focus on increasing math and literacy skills.

Our community partners include: • Tacoma Public Schools • Tacoma Housing Authority • Peace Community Center • Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound • Children’s Museum of Tacoma • Metro Parks Tacoma • Pierce County Library HILLTOP • Write@253

Other activities include PBS Play dates, Spring Break Camp at McCarver Elementary School, Lister Summer Camp, and Summer Meal Program in Salishan.

One mother shared “My kids Hezekiah and Monet Coleman were blessed to be able to attend KBTC Spring Break Camp this year”. SALISHAN Teachers have also shared positive feedback about students’ engagement and learning in these activities!

2016 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT SUMMARY

“We’re excited to partner with KBTC. We love our community, just like KBTC. We’re passionate about the local community, local stories, public affairs, everything that’s vibrant about the South Sound and we’re passionate about our partnership with KBTC.” Josh Dunn, Publisher South Sound

Magazine

KBTC in the Community

• Giving children a chance to be “My father watches PBS all of the successful through Ready to time. He used to tell me when I was Learn a kid, “I’ll pay you $5 bucks if you Spring & Summer Camps for • sit down and watch this.” Now I children look back and think those were • Convening screenings of some of the best times I had with programs to foster and my dad. He wanted me to have encourage dialogue and knowledge and really cared about celebrate diversity what I knew or didn’t know in the • Connecting through events and world. I know it is because of him planned meet-ups and PBS that I went to college”. • Examination of local issues and - A member of KBTC concerns on Northwest Now • Celebrating the arts through storytelling • Partnering with like-minded, mission oriented organizations

KBTC Public Television is proud to serve communities in western Washington, and our neighbors in Oregon and Canada!

KBTC’s mission is to engage viewers, communities and supporters by delivering media experiences that educate, inspire and entertain!