It’s the mission of Basin PBS to ensure that the power of media is used to advance education, culture and community throughout our Permian Basin home. We are here to empower West Texas’ most powerful resource… you.

KPBT-TV/Basin PBS is the sole resource for public television and related media in the Permian Basin region of West Texas

We serve a large area covering Odessa-Midland Texas, the Trans Pecos region of west Texas and southeastern New Mexico with educational programs that would otherwise be unavailable.

As a community licensee, Basin PBS is dedicated to turning its resources towards the needs of the communities we serve, utilizing our resources to help our neighbors be better, smarter citizens.

During 2014, KPBT/Basin PBS provided these vital local services:

Basin PBS focused on broadening our members view and knowledge of the world this year through community events. Area children were invited to Explore the Outdoors with Arthur, interacted with Peg + Cat and Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat. Community and station members were invited to engage & broaden their awareness through Community Cinema events.

We also worked closely with the Midland County Library, the Museum of the Southwest, and the Ellen Noel Art Museum to host events to engage the kids in our area.

KPBT/Basin PBS local services had deep impact in the Permian Basin area.

KPBT/Basin PBS believes that it is our duty to help our viewers explore the world around them and learn the endless possibilities that it may hold for them. While less than 1% of those in the Permian Basin may ever travel into space we offered a peek into the lives of female astronauts with our Community Screening Makers Women in Space. We also participated with the Museum of the Southwest for the second year of Family Friday, a hands on learning engagement for kids.

2014 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY

“Basin PBS plays an essential role in our community. Whatever the programing, PBS offers every individual a chance to experience a wide range of educational opportunities through their vast public broadcast of well informed and knowledgeable series.

- J. Don Wallace-Midland College

LOCALVALUE

2014 KEY

LOCALIMPACT

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KPBT/Basin PBS is the Permian Basin's only resource for public television and related educational media for a large and diverse area of West Texas. Our members are as varied as the West Texas landscape and with their support we have flourished since becoming a community owned station nine years ago. In 2014, Basin PBS purchased the historic Ritz Theater, in downtown Midland, and began working with architects to create a permanent home for the station and venue for our members. We also increased our community outreach with events to provide opportunities for our members to engage and increase awareness.

Community Events

Community Cinema, featuring culturally relevant topics including, Women in Comedy, which bring to light the barriers women faced and continue to face working in comedy and American Denial that asks the question if our hidden biases about race affect reality.

Explore the Outdoors, gave our young viewers (ages 3-8 targeted) an opportunity to explore the

outdoors with Arthur, create and fly kites, build birds’ nests and generally “unplug” from electronics.

Family Friday, in conjunction with the Museum of the Southwest gives children and their parents the opportunity to take part in educational crafts and play with their favorite PBS characters like Curious George and The Man with the Yellow Hat and Super WHY!

The Arthur Exhibit at the Centennial Library gave viewers the opportunity to visit Arthur’s world and

discover the great adventure of reading, playing the kitchen or school. The Basin PBS Kids Writers Contest gives children the opportunity to showcase their writing and illustration skills.

Basin PBS proves its value daily by providing thought provoking national programs combined with local and regional content, both on air and online. We air the full PBS schedule of respected series and specials that are unique to our market. O f f e r i n g a window to the world by taking viewers, who may never travel to space, into black holes and far off galaxies with NOVA or bring a first class Broadway show right into their living room. In addition we partner with fellow non-profits on service projects to aid them in achieving their goals that allow us to strengthen our impact from the classroom to the oilfield.

Response to Communities Needs

Due to the lure of the oilfield, and possible financial gains, local schools have seen an increase in dropout rates. In conjunction with area school districts and American Graduate, Basin PBS produced and aired a round table discussion featuring school leaders from throughout our viewing area titled Permian Basin-American Graduate, in September.

When we learned of multiple teenage suicides last spring, Basin PBS responded by airing "Cry for Help," the PBS documentary about teenage mental illness and suicide. DVD’s of the program were also provided to area school counselors and parents.

To celebrate Black History Month in February Basin PBS, in partnership with Midland College hosted multiple screenings of the documentary Many Rivers to Cross, followed by a panel discussion with local educators.

To help educate members of our community that are under-served by healthcare, Basin PBS and Arthur attended a neighborhood health fair sponsored by Midland Memorial Hospital in March to share healthy living information. Clifford the Big Red Dog also attended a community wide healthcare event sponsored by Midland Memorial Hospital in October.

Working with Junior League members, Basin PBS staff attended meetings with teenage girls to promote #girlpowerPBS a campaign created by Basin PBS to empower, inspire and stress that the future hold unlimited possibilities.

As part of our on air commitment, Basin PBS partnered with five other Texas PBS affiliates to produce a statewide documentary titled Texas Perspective-Water addressing how communities across Texas were responding to the states critical need. Basin PBS also began production on Western Perspective ep. 4, which highlights artists across West Texas as well as our own water documentary The State of Water in West Texas.

2014 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

IN THE COMMUNITY

Permian Basin American Graduate

Area schools have been facing a crisis; an increase in dropouts due to the lure of big paychecks in the oilfield. To focus attention on the crisis and the importance of a high school diploma, Basin PBS in a partnership with West Texas school districts, produced Permian Basin American Graduate. This was a round table discussion, moderated by Tom Michael, General Manager of West Texas Public Radio, featuring school superintendents from our viewing area discussing the importance of a diploma to the future of our young people.

Family Friday

To help kids explore and discover, Basin PBS partnered with Museum of the Southwest for their Family Friday event. In July, we provided resources for kids and their families to make crafts and play games while learning math and science skills. Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat were there as well, adding a bit of fun and assistance to the day, and a photo opportunity too! Take home information and work sheets were made available for kids and parents to continue engagement and learning.

Explore the Outdoors

Basin PBS celebrated Earth Day with our smaller viewers and their families with Explore the Outdoors, providing a fresh look at their world. Arthur was there to lead a nature hike and help collect treasures for a nature collage, as well as items to build nests for our feathered friends. This event provided kids and their parents an opportunity to escape their busy lives, share learning opportunities, building kites and pinwheels to understand what wind does and just generally “unplug.”

2014 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

STORIES OF IMPACT

Community Cinema Basin PBS became a community partner with ITVS to offer our communities, Community Cinema. Preview screenings are held in a variety of venues throughout our viewing area. Topics, to date, have included Women in Comedy, Women in Space, Evolution of a Criminal and A Path Appears – ep1. A panel, made up of local experts, engages community members following each screening to provide greater insight into each specific topic.

Reach in the Community:

Community Cinema allowed Basin PBS to reach out to our community members and underserved viewers, putting the spotlight on national, culturally relevant issues with local impact.

Community Cinema screening are held throughout our viewing area prior to the broadcast premiere of each show. Basin PBS utilized print ads, social media, email blasts, invitations and online RSVP via Eventbrite.com to grow awareness and attendance.

Partnerships:

Basin PBS reached into the community forming partnerships with expert panelists featured for each screening. Comics, law enforcement, lawyers, scientists and engineers have been invited to share their knowledge and expertise with the public.

Impact and Community Feedback:

With each event we had the privilege of watching audiences grow and see an increase in community awareness. The featured films caught the interest of local media with coverage provided by commercial stations and print media. This increased local awareness and inspired members of the public to seek answers regarding crime and human trafficking in particular, this far.

2014 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

STORIES OF IMPACT

"The programming is diverse,

sometimes informative and sometimes

entertaining, but always quality. What

impresses me most about Basin PBS,

though, is the outreach--the effort to

reach more people and draw them into

the PBS family. One of the latest

efforts is Community Cinema, where

panelists are invited to comment and

"localize" the topic after the opportunity

to preview an upcoming program.

From the first to the last such

gatherings I've attended, the

attendance has increased dramatically.

Personalizing and localizing national

programs gives even more information

and invites additional conversation

about important issues."

Karen Nicholson,

Midland Community Advocate

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with a local photo related to your station.

PBS  is  a  fine  attribute  to  the  city  of  Midland.    I  am  excited  about  the  new  PBS  broadcasting  headquarters  in  down  town  Midland  which  will  be  a  great  asset  to  community.  

Jim  Leeton,  Attorney  Midland,  Texas    .

Sid the Science Kid pays a visit to the UTPB STEM Academy in Odessa, Texas

“Basin PBS brings informative and educational programs, delicious mysteries and dramas, along with honest, unbiased news coverage to those in our community. It is especially relevant in this rural area of the country where exposure to more cultured events and programs is limited.”

Karen and Doug Hildebrand, Odessa, Texas

2014 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

Summary

Basin PBS is the sole provider of non-biased educational programing in the Permian Basin. As such, it is of vital importance to us, that we continue to the meet the challenge of our mission to empower the Permian Basin’s most powerful resource, our viewers. We believe even when the TV is off through, on air programs, social media, Community Cinema and being good citizens ourselves that we are answering the needs of the public. We look forward to increasing our efforts, answering the call of our community and empowering our citizens.