PBS 45 & 49 Announces New Name and Stakes Its Claim in the Western Reserve

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On October 1, PBS 45 & 49 officially became Western Reserve Public Media.

With a focus on the future and a respect for the past, PBS 45 & 49 launched a new identity as Western Reserve Public Media effective Wednesday, Oct. 1. The new name better reflects the organization’s regional coverage, which unifies the major metropolitan areas of northeast Ohio — Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Youngstown/Warren — and emphasizes the broad range of services that Western Reserve Public Media provides to the region.

Under this new umbrella identity, the channels PBS 45 & 49 became Western Reserve PBS and continues to operate as the primary broadcast service of the organization. Additional standard definition channels will be named to reflect the Western Reserve concept. Western Reserve Public Media also represents the full range of the organization’s broadcast, Internet, new media, education, print services and more.

“One of the defining characteristics of PBS 45 & 49 has been its production of local programming and its support of regional independent producers,” said Trina Cutter, president and CEO. “As Western Reserve Public Media, we want to super-serve the region with these important endeavors through our own productions and through production partnerships.”

The Western Reserve name dates back to the late 1700s, when the state of Connecticut gave up its claim to western lands but specifically “reserved” a strip of land bordering upon Lake Erie and Pennsylvania, which became known as the Connecticut Western Reserve. “Because we have two public television stations — WNEO and WEAO — that span such a large geographic area, and because of the many different channel positions and extended services that we provide to the community, we chose to streamline our name,” Cutter said. “The historic region of the Western Reserve is the one common denominator that unifies nearly all of our viewing area.”

The organization’s telephone numbers remain the same. The new Web address is WesternReservePublicMedia.org. For more information, call 330-677-4549 and 1-800-554-4549.

About Western Reserve Public Media

Regional Productions 2007-2010

Collaborations

Educational Services

Higher Education Cooperation Fact Sheet

Western Reserve PBS Viewing Area

Frequently Asked Questions

What Happened to PBS 45 & 49?
While our brand identity has changed, we are still the same organization you’ve known for over 33 years. We have the same staff of employees and the same broadcast schedule — only the name has changed. Our new brand identity is Western Reserve Public Media and the channels PBS 45 & 49 are now Western Reserve PBS, which will continue to operate as the primary broadcast service of the organization.

Our 501(c)(3) corporation name, Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio, Inc., has not changed, nor have our call letters, WNEO/Youngstown and WEAO/Akron. The corporation is a consortium of The University of Akron, Kent State University and Youngstown State University.

Will the Programming Be Different?
No. You can count on your favorite PBS 45 & 49 programs to be your favorite Western Reserve PBS programs.

Why Did PBS 45 & 49 Change Its Name?
Western Reserve Public Media better reflects the organization’s regional coverage, which unifies the major metropolitan areas of northeast Ohio — Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Youngstown/Warren. The historic region of the Western Reserve is the one common denominator that unifies nearly all of our viewing area. We also wanted to emphasize the broad range of content and services that Western Reserve Public Media provides to the region. In addition to broadcast television, our services include Internet and print content, professional development for educators, community outreach and more.

What Is the “Western Reserve”?
The Western Reserve name dates back to the late 1700s, when the state of Connecticut gave up its claim to western lands but specifically “reserved” a strip of land bordering upon Lake Erie and Pennsylvania, which became known as the Connecticut Western Reserve. Western Reserve is now a common descriptor for northeast Ohio’s geography and the area includes a large portion of our viewing area.

Why Aren’t You Using Your Channel Numbers Anymore? What Channel Is Western Reserve PBS On?
The television landscape has changed over the last 15 years to the point where channel designations aren’t as meaningful as they used to be; however, WNEO is still channel 45 in the Youngstown market and WEAO is still channel 49 in the Cleveland/Akron/Canton market. Together, we now simply call them Western Reserve PBS. Most cable companies in northeast Ohio carry WNEO and WEAO in channel positions different from our over-the-air broadcast positions. You will continue to find us in the same place on your system if you’re a cable subscriber. A list of our cable positions is available at www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org/cable.htm.

Where Will I Find Your Channels After the Digital Transition?
Our over-the-air broadcast channel positions (channels 45 and 49) will remain the same after the digital transition. Additional standard definition channels will be named to reflect the Western Reserve concept.

What About The Members Who Supported PBS 45 & 49?
All current members of PBS 45 & 49 are now current members of Western Reserve PBS. They won’t miss a beat.

Is This Name Change the Result of Merger With Other Organizations?
No. Western Reserve Public Media has neither acquired other organizations nor been acquired by another organization.

How Does This Affect Your Relationship With Wviz, Ideastream in Cleveland?
Nothing has changed. WVIZ is licensed to the city of Cleveland. We have always had a cordial relationship with WVIZ and have collaborated with them in many ways. For example, WVIZ manages the Ohio Government Channel and the Statehouse News Bureau for Western Reserve PBS as well as the other six public television stations in the state. Aside from the “common carriage” programs that the Public Broadcasting Service requires Western Reserve PBS and WVIZ to air at the same time on the same day, we go to great lengths to ensure that our broadcast schedules are not duplicated.

Where Is Western Reserve Public Media Now Located?
Our office and transmitter locations have not changed. The operations center and administrative offices are housed at 1750 Campus Center Drive in Kent, Ohio. We also operate five transmitters: WNEO and WNEO-DT transmitters (broadcast channel position 45), located in Salem, serve greater Youngstown and western Pennsylvania. WEAO and WEAO-DT transmitters (broadcast channel position 49), located in Copley, serve the greater Cleveland-Akron-Canton area. W58AM (broadcast channel position 58) is located in and serves low-lying areas of the Mahoning Valley. Our Western Reserve Production Hub, opened in July 2008, is located in the United Building on the corner of Main and Market streets in downtown Akron.

Whom Do I Contact With Questions?
For more information, contact Western Reserve Public Media at 330-677-4549 and 1-800-554-4549 or visit us online at www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org.