Program areas at DPTV
Broadcast: Detroit Educational Television Foundation operates wtvs Detroit Public Television (dptv), which continues to operate as the only locally-owned, independent, non-profit Television station in metropolitan Detroit, broadcasting on five digital channels: 56.1, 56.2 (Detroit pbs kids), 56.3 (create), 56.4 (world), and 56.5 (Michigan learning channel). The Foundation also manages WRCJ 90.909.9 FM and hd-1, Detroit's only Public radio station dedicated to classical and jazz music. Viewership and Public trust for Detroit Public television:dptv is the only Public Television station in the Detroit market and Michigan's most-watched Public station, regularly viewed by some nearly 2 million people in southeast Michigan and throughout canada.public Television has been named the most trusted institution in america for 19 years in a row (source: marketing & research resources, january 2023). WRCJ 90.909.9 FM is listened to by more than 150,000 listeners in southeast Michigan each week and is streamed worldwide on wrcjfm.org.
Engagement & outreach: Detroit Public Television and 90.909.9 WRCJ are committed to creating positive outcomes in southeast Michigan. We provide on-air and online resources, special events, and social media dialogue with a goal of fostering knowledge, collaboration and action. In addition to the productions above, examples of successful community engagement activities this year included: sesame street in communities' workshops for caregivers are conducted regularly at partner organizations throughout Detroit and expanded to offer "Public" meet-ups each month. The series supports parents and caregivers in setting the Foundation for healthy development in children. Workshops cover a range of topics to be responsive to parent needs and concerns, offering tools in both english and spanish. Be my neighbor day was held as an in-person event in october 2022. Dptv hosted an outdoor event 370 guests across two timed sessions. The free event included an active demonstration by inpact and a story that included yoga movements throughout. Daniel tiger participated in a dance party on stage, and dptv partners passed out resources to families. Four buses picked up families from brilliant Detroit houses and brought them to the event. Pnc bank helped dptv to collect almost 300 pairs of socks during the event which were distributed to families at partner head start locations. U.s. and the holocaust: dptv partnered with the zekelman holocaust center to host an in-person event to explore the issues raised in the national pbs documentary series and how they relate to the local community. The event included a panel discussion with historians, a second-generation survivor, and a leading voice of the interfaith community on crucial topics raised in the documentary.well beings town hall: dptv and pbs books partnered with well beings, pbs newshour student reporting labs and weta to host a town hall led by youth, for youth, to raise awareness about mental health challenges specific to the lgbtqia+ community, address stigmatizations that can prevent care and support, and create safe space for dialouge and sharing of resources. Walk to freedom: one Detroit and american black journal covered the commemortation of the 60th anniversary of two historic events in the civil right movement: the 1963 walk to freedom and the march on Washington for jobs and freedom. Coverage included a town hall event and segments which ran in one Detroit and american black journal's regular news programming. Additional coverage is planned for fy24.detroit we dey: american black journal hosted a watch party around a new short film directed by Detroit filmaker, ozi uduma, as part of pbs's "homegrown: future visions" film short series. The film delves into the unique stories, experiences and cultural contributions of Detroit's nigerian community and highlights the community's resilience immigrating to a new country and holding onto its cultural heritage. A conversation with the filmmaker also aired in one Detroit programming.the erie situation: great lakes now brought together pbs stations in six cities and three states which border lake erie and one along lake superior to simultaneously broadcast the film "the erie situation'. The film, produced by david ruck and plastic oceans, that explores the issue of algal blooms, helps residents understand what is at stake and what is possible. Community conversations: as part of the one Detroit bureau's commitment to community-driven storytelling, dptv engages with Detroit neighborhoods at the grassroots level through regular community conversations about the real issues and stories of Detroit. Free mobile apps for dptv and WRCJ have been downloaded by over 29,000 users. Community conversations: as part of the one Detroit bureau's commitment to community-driven storytelling, dptv engages with Detroit neighborhoods at the grassroots level through regular community conversations about the real issues and stories of Detroit. Free mobile apps for dptv and WRCJ are enjoyed by more than 29,000 total users.
Production & content creation:the production team continues to produce in the wixom studios as well as taking dptv's hd production truck on the road to capture important conferences, events, and concerts. Below are productions by category. Arts and culture: Detroit performs: live from marygrove is a weekly Television series that includes a digital presence. The series is now recorded at the marygrove conservancy theater and features detroiters performing with a different arts and cultural partner curating each episode. This format assures a diverse lineup of musicians, artists, storytellers, actors and other performance artists, all presenting original material. This past year, Detroit performs recorded a special episode at the Detroit opera, with a behind the scenes look and to promote the opera's show "fountain of tears". Sphinx finals concert: dptv partnered with the sphinx organization to livestream and broadcast the 26th annual sphinx finals competition concert. The sphinx competition offers young black and latinx classical string players a chance to compete under the guidance of an international renowned panel of judges and to perform with established professional musicians in a competition setting. Live streaming and broadcast services: dptv regularly provides production services to connect events with larger audiences. Clients in fy23 included "mackinac policy conference", "Detroit jazz festival", "library of congress national book festival", and "kevin's song annual conference on suicide". 90.909.9 WRCJ: Detroit's only classical and jazz radio station produced concert broadcasts by the Detroit opera and the Detroit symphony orchestra, and recorded concerts from Michigan philharmonic and ann arbor symphony orchestra. In addition, each week 90.909.9 WRCJ hosts an hour of classical concerts from Michigan state university which features faculty artists, student ensembles, and guests from around the world, captured in performance at cook recital hall, fairchild theatre and wharton center cobb great hall on the msu campus. Children and education:detroit pbs kids is a digital broadcast channel (56.2) and online service that provides children's programming 24/7 and is consistently one of the most watched pbs kids channels in the country. Additionally, Detroit pbs kids provides significant programming to the community, including community events, workshops, and meet-ups reaching approximately 4,600 kids in fy23. The Michigan learning channel (mlc) launched as a statewide partnership between all Michigan pbs stations in january 2021. It is a 24/7 broadcast channel, streaming service and robust website with on-demand video and supplemental materials, operated through dptv. The mlc offers instructional programs that are standards aligned and follow the Michigan Educational calendar. In fy23, dptv produced "read, write, roar! For preschool", and "the career center" broadcast shows which aired on the channel. An estimated 500,000 viewers watch each month across the state. 70,000 summer activity books and 15,000 literacy books were distributed to families and schools statewide.education newsletters: the Michigan learning channel sends a monthly newsletter to educators (31,962 subscribers) providing curriculum driven, classroom ready resources for grades pre-k through 12. The Detroit pbs kids team sends a monthly newsletter to families (29,891 subscribers), providing fun activities and learning opportunities for kids of all ages. Ready to learn: through the ready to learn initiative, dptv provides free, evidence-based Educational media and supporting learning resources that help educators, caregivers, and parents build early science and literacy skills for america's children, especially those from low-income communities. The dptv main channel 56.1 broadcasts pbs kids programming for 7 hours each weekday, providing trusted Educational programs for children. Professional learning opportunities for teachers were hosted by the Michigan learning channel and included literacy essentials in partnership with maisa, mlc virtual webinars to show teachers how to use the mlc, and math mights professional development, providing new strategies to help students feel more confident and excited about math. Leadership and Public policy: one Detroit weekly series: dptv's weekly news and Public affairs show "one Detroit" emphasizes on-location interviews and field reports of authentic stories from the people of Detroit. The series captures the character, culture and concerns of metro Detroit, taking viewers beyond the headlines toward a deeper level of understanding of what the future might and could hold for its 4 million residents. American black journal: a weekly series of news and information from an african american perspective. Specials this year included virtual screenings and panel discussions with partners that included black churches, the charles wright museum and historically black fraternities and sororities in conjunction with "making black america", a national pbs series released in fall 2022.mackinac policy conference: for thirteen years, dptv and the Detroit regional chamber have partnered together to make the state's most important conversations at the mackinac policy conference available to all michiganders. In may 2023, the conference received a reach of 153,352 people via social media, had 9,327 broadcast views and was streamed digitally 39,246 times. Future of work townhalls have been offered through one Detroit and have brought together special guests to discuss different aspects of the ever-changing working world. The monthly townhalls began in april 2022, running through june 2023. Through a partnership with the Detroit economic club, one Detroit co-hosted an additional five workforce focused town halls. Energy and environment great lakes bureau: dptv continued its year-round reporting on great lakes issues with multiplatform environmental content. Great lakes monthly series: this series, covering crucial issues affecting the well-being and future of the great lakes produces a new episode each month, airing on 32 stations around the country in the last year. Each 30-minute episode reports on the latest developments affecting the world's greatest system of freshwater with in-depth coverage of environmental, economic and political issues that impact the lakes and the people who use, cherish and protect them. Previous episodes air weekly on dptv's main channel, and twice a week on the Michigan learning channel. Last year, this program reached an estimated 2,007,598 viewers.great lakes curriculum: great lakes now provides a unique opportunity for learning about science, technology, engineering and math. Original, free lesson plans and at-home activities are based on videos from the award-winning "great lakes now" Public Television series. New lessons and activities, authored by a former science teacher, debut each month and are available on the national pbs learning media platform. Great lakes now watch parties: watch parties continue to be a successful engagement opporutnity, connecting audiences to partners and people featured in the monthly episodes through a "sneak peek" prior to the airing on the new episode. Last year, approximatly 32,000 people viewed these virtual events. Other initiativespbs books: pbs books hosted a variety of author talks and virtual events, free for the Public, while providing resources to over 1,800 libraries. The series of author talks included author talk connections to pbs national content including "u.s. and the holocaust", "making black america", "iconic america and more. Pbs books also hosted five finding your roots national conversations, which alone had 573,000 impressions on social media and 91,457 video views. Pbs books supports libraries and pbs stations nationwide in their effort to cultivate communities of learning, culture, and conservation.